What Mama Says Goes

Ok, I'm a mom.  I've been a mom for 25+ years.  Not only am I a mom of seven children who came from my womb, I also claim to be mom to another "kid" who looks nothing like the rest of my family, but whom I still treat as my own as he, too, gets words of reprimand.    Additionally, I have affectionately been called "choir mom" to literally hundreds of high school students as I volunteer at the local heathen "government" aka public high school and serve as their accompanist.  That no-pay job compensates me far more than money could ever dream of.  Read:  I love it.

In the capacity of mom and/or choir mom, I get special privileges.  I get to correct minor infractions:  potty mouth, rude behavior, chewing food with mouth open, farting/burping in public, etc.  In the public school environment where I tinkle the ivory, I am also known to threaten to confiscate cell phones, put a stop to those raging hormonal teenagers making out in the hallway or corners of practice rooms, "help" those who wear their ever-so-loose jeans so low that they expose their colorful plaid boxers, and even remind high schoolers to wait their turn before talking.  Yes, this is all in a day's work.

Certain behaviors, however, tend to get under my skin and irritate me.  Reading over documents for the court case has caused my dander to rise.  I wonder if others might be affected the same way as me.  I'm going to ask you to briefly click on two links.  I don't want you to read the content, just click on it, take a quick look and then close the window.  I want to know if you get the same impression as me when glancing at it.  Are you ready?

Here goes:

Link #1

 and

Link #2

Ok, so what was your first impression when you saw those words?  Do any emotions come to mind?  Anger?  Rage?  Was their shouting?    How funny is that?!  That's what I thought, too!  Great minds think alike!

Those links are actually reviews that Pastor Chuck O'Neal wrote on the Google review site for Beaverton Grace Bible Church.  It's plain as day that he's not really reviewing the church, but reviewing me, but I digress.  We all know there are internet rules.  All caps means, "shouting".  If these are indeed reviews of Beaverton Grace Bible Church and Chuck is addressing them to prospective church attenders, "To Whom it May Concern",  please tell me, is it polite to shout to those precious souls?  I think not.  Do you think that would encourage someone to come to the church or hinder them from coming?

Proverbs 15:1 

A soft answer turns away wrath,
But a harsh word stirs up anger.

Perhaps a refresher course in internet "netiquette" is in order.

This post is dedicated to my sweet mom, Anne (with an E) who taught me how to be polite and taught me how to write.  I love you, Mom :)

My Name

 I previously listed my user ID on this blog as "Free".  Free expressed how I feel now that I am no longer held captive emotionally and spiritually.   I set up the blog quickly and hadn't thought through the implications of revealing my identity.  Now I've had some time.  My original Google review listed my first name.  Chuck O'Neal listed me by my first name in his  reviews (not always spelled correctly, btw). 

I typically use a pseudonym for online purposes, but in this case and because of the possible publicity involved, I think it's important to clearly identify who I am especially since there are three others named in the lawsuit.  So Julie Anne it is.    Please note the spelling (Ann is not naked - it requires an "e" - just like the queens in royalty and of course, who can forget Anne Shirley of Anne of Green Gables).  They are two separate names.  And if you call me Julie without the Anne, I may not respond  :)   Just so you know. . . .

Pastors as Rulers? What Does the Bible Say?

Not long ago, I posted a series on Hebrews 13:17 (Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.) and how this verse is often misused and misunderstood by those in church leadership.  I read a blog post recently by Wade Burleson along the topic of pastors/church leaders having authority over their congregants.  Wade is the pastor at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Enid, Oklahoma since 1992.  He has a heart for those who are abused and speaks out against it.  I really enjoyed Wade's post on the subject of authority in the church.  He contrasts the world systems of governance to church systems of governance - the authority of kings and leaders to pastors and church leaders. 

Here's a little snippet from Our Problem Is Authoritarianism and Not Legalism, but please go and read it for yourself.  It really opened my eyes.  Those of us who have been in churches with pastors who use their authority improperly are going to have to really think this one through and try to erase what we've been told in our minds.  I feel like screaming this out:  PASTORS ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO LORD OVER THEIR CONGREGANTS!  That is not God's design.  

The church of Jesus Christ was never designed to operate in this manner. Jesus explicitly taught in Matthew 23:8-11 (read it for yourself to see) that the only person who rules Christian communities is the Lord Himself. Under Him, we are all equals. He emphatically rejected the world's system of top-down governance by declaring, "It shall not be so among you" (Mark 10:43). "The greatest among you shall be your servant" (Matthew 23:11). There is no emphasis in the New Testament on authority that is derived from any "office" or position. Let me repeat that again: Nowhere in the New Testament does it say that a Christian, because of title or position, has moral authority over another Christian. The idea of an 'office' of authority in the church, like that of the office of  'President of the United States,' simply does not exist. Christ alone has the position of authority in the church and He has no vicar on earth but His Spirit, who resides in the life of every believer.

Happy Day

Oh Happy Day to my brothers and sisters in Christ this Easter Sunday!

Youth Groups? Not at Our Church!

We learned very quickly that there was no youth group at Beaverton Grace Bible Church and it was a fact that was broadcast from the pulpit.  Our church was unique.  Most churches had youth groups and the impression was that having an established youth group was for entertainment purposes, provided little spiritual growth, was a waste of time, and cultivated an environment that enabled the sins of the youth.  Because our church didn't have a youth group, it was commonly understood that our youth would be better off spiritually.  I'm sure that thought was comforting to many parents.  Having no youth group is not something new - especially in homeschooling communities.  We actually agreed with much of this concept.  We, as parents, wanted to be the primary influence in our children's lives spiritually, not peers.  It appealed to us and we were glad to be a part of a church that outwardly addressed this issue and seemed to want to take an active role in the hearts of our youth.

Although there was no official youth group, there certainly were unofficial youth groups.  (I can hear the collective gasps now.) The unofficial youth groups at Beaverton Grace Bible Church were far worse than the organized and well-staffed "social" groups from other churches which were so strongly looked down upon.  While other youth groups most likely had a youth pastor or volunteer leaders, our youth pretty much had free reign of their activities.  Our youth were able to spend hours of free time together in homes of church members while their parents spent hours talking, watching sermons, spiritual videos, researching spiritual wolves, etc.  Our youth took advantage of these opportunities and sin did rear its ugly head.  When our youth were taken on snow trips, trips to the river, or to the coast, our kids did drugs (and later got suspended or expelled from school), got in trouble with the law (homemade bombs), shoplifted, and participated in sexual activities with each other.  Isn't that an amazing picture of a divided house? 

Parents did eventually find out.  The pastor and elders eventually found out, too.  Teens were brought to the pastor for "counseling",  one after the other, regarding their horrific sins against themselves, against others, against the church, against their God (does that lingo sound familiar?  sometimes I can't help myself).  Our youth endured hours and hours of meetings, sometimes multiple meetings.  Our youth were spanked by their parents and suffered other consequences.  Chuck was in a continual battle with these youthful congregants who were in sin.  And you can be certain that for each sin, the rest of the church body endured series of lectures on Wednesday nights correlating with the sins of those with whom he had recently met.  Sometimes these lectures would make their way into Sunday sermons.  If teens were caught in sexual sin, we heard sermons and teachings on sexual sin for weeks.  We all knew the pattern. 

Something happens, though, when you hold on to an idea so tightly that you lose common sense.  I believe there was a sense of pride in the fact that the church had no youth group.  They set themselves above other churches by putting down churches that did have youth groups and expressed why not having a youth group was better.  Idolizing concepts and ideas is wrong.  They missed what was really important:  finding appropriate ways to shepherd the hearts of our youth. 

In our final meetings with the pastor and elders, I mentioned that I noticed the youth lacked a spark of joy in their eyes.   This comment was not well received.   I teach my children that if someone criticizes them, it's important to see if there is any truth to that criticism.  If there is, use it as an opportunity to correct the situation, if there is no truth, then forget about it.  The leaders' response to my observation was a strong defensive reaction that I was absolutely wrong.   Why did they not take a look at the condition of our youth to see if there was any truth to my statement?  It seemed to me they were more preoccupied with protecting their reputation and image than making an effort to make sure our youth were having proper guidance and care.  

Red flag alert:  when religious leaders look to protect their own image and reputation rather than looking at the condition of their hurting sheep, there is a problem. 

The very sad ending to this story is that many of the youth who are now young adults no longer have anything to do with church or Christianity.  That is some rotten fruit.

Is There a Wolf in the Church?

Feel free to play the YouTube video if you like for background music.

My husband sent me an e-mail from work today after reading yesterday's blog post.  He said it was pretty cool that our son drew a wolf in the picture of the church.  I didn't remember seeing a wolf, so I asked my son about the wolf.  He said he had not drawn a wolf.  

Click to Enlarge

So, what do you think?   Did my son subconsciously draw a subliminal wolf in his picture?  Is there a wolf in your church?

Weapons of Battle

Those of us who attended Beaverton Grace Bible Church certainly know how much the pastor admired and respected John MacArthur.  I have heard first-hand from a pastor at Grace Community that Chuck O'Neal and others went to the Shepherd's Conference this year as they have gone many years past.

I'd like to remind my readers of a few quotes aimed at me because of Google reviews I posted.  Disclaimer:  You might need sunglasses/earplugs for the online shouting.

DEFAMATION IS A CRIME: It is convenient and crafty to wage a three and a half year war of reviling defamation in which you and those with you ACCUSE THE PASTOR AND CHURCH OF HORRIFIC CRIMES AGAINST GOD AND MEN, to then hide behind 1 Cor. 6:7-8.

FOR THREE AND A HALF YEARS JULIEANNE AND THOSE WITH HER, HAVE BEEN ENGAGED IN PUBLIC, CHURCH TO CHURCH, AND WORLD WIDE WEB DEFAMATION IN A SELFISH WILLINGNESS TO DISCREDIT GOD, HARM THE CHURCH, HARM WIVES, HARM CHILDREN, AND HARM THE TESTIMONY OF CHRIST'S GOSPEL. 

IN MATTERS OF GREAT DAMAGE TO OURSELVES OR FAMILIES, WE MAY USE LAWFUL MEANS TO RIGHT OURSELVES. WE ARE NOT BOUND TO SIT DOWN AND SUFFER THE INJURY TAMELY, WITHOUT STIRRING FOR OUR OWN RELIEF;

John MacArthur was interviewed by popular blogger Tim Challies.  John MacArthur's words are very appropriate in light of the lawsuit my former pastor, Chuck O'Neal, has brought against me and three others.  Read what he has to say about public criticism against those who speak/preach publicly:

One final thought to add is this: I believe that it is appropriate to respond publicly to that which has been taught publicly. If someone has published something in a book or on a blog or preached it in a sermon (which has then been made available online), it is now subject to public critique. I certainly believe this is true with regard to my own teachings. Anything I have preached or published (and therefore made public) is consequently subject to public criticism. And I don’t consider my critics to necessarily be unloving just because they disagree with me. In fact, I welcome their feedback, because it is part of the sharpening process.   ( http://www.challies.com/interviews/5-more-questions-with-john-macarthur)

"Harming wives and children?  Discredit God?  Harming the church?  Accuse the pastor and church of horrific crimes?"  All of these strongly worded accusations because I, a mere stay-at-home homeschooling mother of 7, posted reviews on Google that the pastor didn't like?  All of this talk of war and crime, harming women and children?  I have spent countless hours working with new moms, helping them when they have babies, giving breastfeeding advice, counseling and support for as long as I can remember.  I have loved children my whole life, babysat, began a children's choir at the age of 19, taught children at homeschool co-ops for years and continue to teach my own as well as work with public high school students on a daily basis.  I'm a danger to mothers and children?   Neither of the last public schools I volunteered with on a daily basis seem to think I'm a danger.  I've passed background checks in the states of Oregon and Washington in order to volunteer in public schools.  Dude, I don't carry weapons, well, I admit to finding Nerf bullets in my pocket every now and then.   Oh wait, do knitting needles count? 

(And yes, I actually got out of my nice bed with electric blanket, walked into the family room to get this shot for you, my beloved readers.)

I may be freakishly tall and it is a fact that I have red hair and I've heard that red hair can intimidate some, but I'm not that powerful to wage a 3-1/2 yr "war" against God.  Does he think I'm that powerful?   The reviews are words expressing my thoughts, feelings, experiences, observations, and concerns.  Simply words. 

It's too bad John MacArthur's method of looking at criticisms as part of the sharpening process wasn't adopted instead of wasting precious time, money, and resources from countless people.