http://yamabe.net/2007/05/23/enjoying-shepherd-of-the-valley/ Life Under the Cross Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:37:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 http://yamabe.net/2007/05/23/enjoying-shepherd-of-the-valley/comment-page-1/#comment-9415 Polly Sat, 08 Sep 2007 02:19:28 +0000 http://yamabe.net/2007/05/23/enjoying-shepherd-of-the-valley/#comment-9415 I can definitely relate to the difficulty of leaving a congregation. It became necessary for my husband and me two and a half years ago, after our (female) co-pastor gave a sermon selecting several biblical statements and claiming they were "wrong." I'd been a member for over 14 years, my husband for 7, and we'd met and gotten married there, our daughter was born and baptized while we were there, and we had many friends and activities there. It was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, but I kept remembering the Scripture that says, "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me" and substituted "congregation" for "father or mother". Like you, we found a good LCMS church and have thrived on its solid biblical preaching ever since. You can and will make new friends and even keep some of the old ones, but there is just no substitute for a pastor and congregation that are firmly grounded in the Gospel. I can definitely relate to the difficulty of leaving a congregation. It became necessary for my husband and me two and a half years ago, after our (female) co-pastor gave a sermon selecting several biblical statements and claiming they were “wrong.” I’d been a member for over 14 years, my husband for 7, and we’d met and gotten married there, our daughter was born and baptized while we were there, and we had many friends and activities there. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do, but I kept remembering the Scripture that says, “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me” and substituted “congregation” for “father or mother”. Like you, we found a good LCMS church and have thrived on its solid biblical preaching ever since. You can and will make new friends and even keep some of the old ones, but there is just no substitute for a pastor and congregation that are firmly grounded in the Gospel.

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