Wow. Phil, your ties with the organization are deeper than mine ever were. I never really knew anyone and was in and out rather quickly. Still, as I've said before, COGOP is where I "learned Christ". And, boy, I'll tell you I think it was the best possible place to do that. Maybe I'm nuts.
But, that's my heart on it and I don't regret one minute of it.
We have, since early this year (Feb. or early March, I think) attended a local COG church. We have some family there, our daughter LOVES it (and, as some here might recall, that was a major issue for us to dive back into a local church -- a pentecostal one -- that we were just plain wrong for not being in church especially considering our daughter's needs). And, I like it fine enough. I'm not expecting much from them, except to just be there and do what they do. I have not, I confess moved from a feeling of "they" to a feeling of "we". I don't know when that might happen.
But, it has rattled around my brain that if we're willing to go there, why not be willing to go back to COGOP? Well, I'd suppose there are lots of reasons, the main one being just the bottom line of "this is easier". I wouldn't disparage any local COGOP congregations, either, but I will say that for my daughter, the COG we attend is really doing a nice job of building some things into her that I really wouldn't want to leave there. I like the folks, graduated from high school and grew up as buddies locally with some of them (some of whom, like me, were not even Christians when we were teens but funny how 4 of us from the same graduating HS class are at this little church), and the pastor is a shepherd in the style of the pastor who influenced me the most, Vernil Sides. Even though he's my age, I'm drawn to his heart, and so that's good enough for now for me. My wife is forming relationships there maybe a little better than I am, and that encourages me and makes me quite happy to be there.
We haven't joined as members. We've privately talked about it. I'll be honest and say that my own personal understanding and belief about Pentecostalism has been a serious bump on the way to doing that. I don't know that the church here would view my beliefs as a barrier to it, but I have assumed that they would so far and haven't really discussed it with anyone. I've been content, as I've said, to just be there. I'm no closer to returning to a Pentecostal understanding of the NT than I was before we arrived. I remain quite convinced that my view on it is correct. I don't know how people overcome divides like that to be in real body/fellowship together. I haven't personally experienced that kind of bridging anywhere. For my part, it doesn't matter -- be Pentecostal all day, all night and in the cracks of dusk and daylight. Fine with me. I'll stand and clap while you roll around in the floor, it's okay with me.
I'm not put off by it in the least. I just sort of shrug and smile and say Amen and never tell you what I think about it all unless you ask me. But, I'm not in the least bit convinced or convicted toward it, either. So, having said all that.....I remain a non-member of the local church I attend.
I couldn't imagine ever being part of COGOP again with those views, either. Of course, I could be wrong. It wouldn't even be the first time today that I have been.
