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Originally Posted by Ohio
During my first contact with the church in Cleveland, the meeting was definitely "new and fresh," and Christ definitely was "available and dear," which was totally in contrast to the catholic church I grew up in. I saw lots of "the poor, the sick, and the hungry" pass thru our doors, and get cared for by the saints. There was an incredible diversity in the church there -- black, white, asian, rich, poor, brilliant, and simple minds -- all loving Jesus, the common denominator which brought them all together.
Things changed. For the worse.
What caused the deterioration? Not the personal problems of the members. It was demands made by totalitarian leaders from Anaheim and/or Cleveland upon local leaders. They went from servant leaders to controlling abusive rulers. This forum is filled with their stories. Many of which I have told over the years.
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I've shared on the deterioration which I observed, as well. WL arguing interminably with someone called the Bible Answer Man over the Holy Trinity. The 'Serving Ones' coming from Anaheim and declaring that we all needed to be vital. The FTTA trainer telling us, "Don't waste your time" with the poor. In Anaheim, the training attendees posing beside WL's chair on the podium, like it was a tourist attraction. The book
Fementation of the Present Rebellion, full of shocking and offensive characterizations of "the rebels". Any pretense of charity, long suffering, and magnanimity had long since vanished under the strain of combat.
But where did this idea come from, that God needs to be new? When did God get old, anyway? We, on the other hand, certainly need to become new. We need to be born again, to enter the kingdom. We all know this. We have to be like little children, to see God, and we need to be renewed in the spirit of our mind. And we read where the One on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." Fine, no problem conceptually, but where did the idea of a "new Christ" come in? Maybe we were just shouting too much and misapplied the pronouns, and WL wanting all things (including God) to be "new" let it slide. Or maybe he pushed it. But based on what?
Is there any basis for the "new and fresh" Christ being bandied about in our hymns? As compared to what, pray tell? Certainly we loved the idea. But where did this new and fresh Christ come from?