The Rogue "pastoral" Team: Act Nine - The Boss, Defined

Start from Act One
Incongruous Circumspection was threatened by Mark and Annah's Henchman! 
Aww...the Henchman Apologizes...Sort of 
Mark Reid Tries to Preach Out of a Jam

In Act Eight, Zach asked a lot of questions and Mark and Annah Reid had a lot of answers to other questions that Zach didn’t ask.  They dredged up other “issues” like Zach not sitting with his wife in church all the time.

Then, Mark Reid decides that he isn’t religious enough with his words and brings in a god phrase from left field – “God's end goal is to form Christ in us.”  Sure, that sounds well enough, but Mark’s point isn’t that Christ needs to be formed in us (we'll look at that later), rather, it is just a jargon infused sentence that he tries to bludgeon Zach over the head with – proposing that “Christ formed in us” is simply obeying Mark and Annah Reid.  The sweet part for Mark is that Mark himself gets to define what “Christ in us” means.

Let’s continue to listen in…

*****

Annah: Yes. That's what I'm saying. It's about God, not about man.

I apologize I have to interject so early, but this is another squishy softball.  A favorite tactic by a cult creator and maintainer is to defend their rules as not their own, but God’s.  Then, when you realize that all the rules benefit the ones in charge, they can easily shrug their shoulders and tell you, in all spiritual-ness, to take it up with the man upstairs.  After all, fairness, love, compassion, equality, and working together are completely out of their hands.  The leaders are so humbled that they are FORCED into this sort of hierarchy.

Mark: The Scripture says that God's goal is that Christ be formed in us, um, and He uses the body, He uses the body of Christ to do that, the government of God, uh, has elders in authority, I mean pastor is only used, like once, uh, maybe twice, I can't remember, but the gov…

Ok. I find it quite funny actually, that Mark and Annah Reid are pushing Zach to be under their control and Mark sums it up by quoting an itty bitty portion of the one book in the Bible that is entirely devoted to opening our eyes to the wonderful freedom we have in Christ.

Mark is quoting from Galatians 4:19 –

19 my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!

This gives us no context so let’s discuss Galatians for a bit, as well as some background information.

Back in the old days, some men from Judea were teaching that a person could not be saved unless they were circumcised, according to the law of Moses (Acts 15:1).  So, like we do in modern times when someone starts adding to the simple Gospel of Jesus Christ (requiring the wearing of dresses, covering hair, obeying authority, having authority hierarchies, squirting out hundreds of babies per couple, sex being horribly naughty and never to be enjoyed, spanking is good, beating your children is normal, parental control is a must, women cannot preach, divorce is wrong, sexual sin and divorce keep you from any office in the “church”, rock music is bad, harp music is good, steel guitar twang is as evil as a voodoo ritual where you eat tarantulas before spiritually slicing through a watermelon with a machete that has been dedicated to the moon god while chanting curses at hallowed politicians like Michael Peroutka), Paul, Barnabas, and others scheduled a pow-wow to discuss the matter.  They debated and debated and debated and ended up listening as Peter stood in Acts 15:7b-11 and said,

7 “Yo knuckleheads!  God doesn’t really give a rip what we do or look like when we come to him.  The gospel is and was for everyone from the beginning.  He don’t care about distinction by golly, but rather cleanses the heart due to your faith.  Why the bleep are you putting a yoke on the heads of others that even our fathers weren’t able to master!?  We, just like others that will come after, have been saved through the grace of Jesus Christ.  Fo shizzle!”

Then, Paul and Barnabas told great stories of what God had done, through them, to the uncircumcised.  The pow-wow session went on and on and came to an end with one conclusion – quit adding to the simple gospel!

Paul’s letter to the Galatians was summing up what was decided at that meet and greet.  The Galatians were wondering if they needed to add the ritual of circumcision to the gospel in order to be correct.  Faith in Jesus Christ alone was suspect.

In the exact same chapter (4) that Paul references the desire to see Christ formed in all believers, he spoke about how heirs were slaves to their father until a set date where they were able to get the dough (vs. 1, 2).  He discusses the previous enslavement to the “elementary principles” of the world (vs. 3).  Then he gives the good news that all that is tossed out.  That Jesus Christ makes us slaves no more but sons and heirs, subject to none (vs. 4 – 7)!

Verse 8 is actually quite pertinent for these knuckleheads that deem to put themselves as slave owners, above Zach. 

8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods.9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? 10 You observe days and months and seasons and years! 11 I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain.

So, Paul is essentially stating the exact opposite position that Mark and Annah Reid are arguing.  These two are yelling at Zach that to be more like Christ is to obey those that by nature are not gods.  Paul says not to.   They scream at Zach that he needs to enslave himself.  Paul says Zach has no master.  They shout that Zach needs to adhere to a shifty rulebook that they alone define.  Paul says, "Hey Zach…if you do, I’ve labored in vain.  My message of freedom has been pointless" 

After saying all that, Paul then waxes nostalgic about how the Galatians treated him with reverence and respect when he told them of the gospel.  Heck, they would have given him their eyes, if they asked.  Then he questions whether they are now looking at him as the enemy because he is preaching against circumcision (vs. 12 – 16).

Then the hammer comes down on Mark and Annah Reid.  Paul says in Verses  17 and 18 –

17 [Mark and Annah Reid] make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them.18 It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you.

Then, Verse 19 pops into view.  You know…the one Mark Reid referenced that supposedly proved that Zach needed to enslave himself to his worldly masters as intermediaries to God, that being the forming of Christ in Zach.

Um…can you say, “taken out of context?”

We expect nothing less from these two god peeps.  They stop at nothing to display their power (and ignorance).

Zach: Pastor-teacher.

Mark: Huh?

Zach: Pastor-teacher is of the "fourfold" ministry.

(Zach: I had to throw this in there to see his reaction)

Mark: But, uh, the end goal of the body of Christ is that we are all jointly fitted together, and we're nourishing one another, and so that's – I see the body of Christ like a family, and the pastor is like the father of the family, and part of the goal of the father of the family is to get his kids to grow up. And that's part of why I'm talking so straight with you today, because I want you to grow up in this area. And if you don't know what your purpose is, it's going to be really hard to submit if you're questioning even what authority that we have. But authority comes with responsibility. Okay? And we have taken responsibility for the health of this family. And so that's what authority we have. And that's why we have authority to say that you can do something or can't do something, because we're responsible for the whole family. Okay? Just like when your daughter has brothers and sisters…

Puke.  Translation:  Zach.  You need to obey us and do exactly as we say because we work so bleeping hard for your growth and spiritual welfare.  You’re indebted to us, brotha! 

Also, pretty weird for god Mark to say this.  Doesn’t Jesus say in Matthew 23:9 to not call any man “father”?  The facts do not matter here, though.

Annah: Yes…

Mark: You're going to tell your daughter, "NO!" for certain reasons because it is unhealthy for the rest of the kids. It might be a bad example. It might be something harmful she's doing to them. But she might be being too independent, and it's not making cohesive family unity. But you two will be the parents, and you will have that authority over her. And I believe that I and Annah have authority, as the mom and dad of this church.

EEEWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Mom and dad of this church.  Nice. 

Now, Mark is telling Zach how he should parent and what is right and wrong for a kid to do.  Isn’t it scary that he expects parents to stop a “child” from becoming too independent and destroying family unity?  It’s no wonder that they lost their older kids to “rebellion”, i.e., they ran like hell and are now independent and free.  What a horrible analogy.  How can Mark say this while out of the other side of his mouth, he is feigning the giving of a leadership position to Zach?  Zach is no leader in Mark and Annah’s world.  Just a stupid little independent child that is making a ruckus for the other slobs.

This guy is as charismatic as they come but would fit right into Doug Phillips’ Vision Forum cult, rock music and all.  They’d welcome him with open arms with words like that!

Annah: Mhmm!

Shut-up, Annah.

Mark: ...to have authority over what goes down here. We're not going to have independent teams operating underneath our umbrella of what we're responsible for.

Holy living crap!  He just used Billy Boy G. jargon!

Annah: 'Cause what will happen is it will – if you've got a leader that has an independent spirit that's not honoring and showing submission to the leadership, it breeds in the church. That's just reality.

Translation:  We cannot control those that disagree with us.

Generality alert!!!

Mark: And almost every church…

Annah: …

Oh, sorry.  Guess he got cut off.  Let’s lean back and listen to this drivel.

…It breeds in the church, because you got a rebellio... - I want a worship leader that has humility; that says, "You know what? I love the people, I love you, and I want to do what God wants." And if you're  the leader, I'm here. I'm here to serve you and to serve your vision, 'cause if you ever want your vision – and this is what Yurgan brings up in the CD that I asked you to listen to if you  ever want your vision to come forward, Zach, you're going to have to pass through this…

 (Zach: Referring to the unsubmissive attitude)

…You will have to pass through this. 'Cause Yurgan, in order to be where he's at today, had to go through church leadership, learning to serve them, honor them, doing what they wanted, not what he wanted, and just serving somebody else's vision. And that's what you're here for: serving our vision – God's vision – to do what God wants to accomplish. But if you've got – they say, like, um, a son or a daughter that's showing a lot of rebellion, then all of the attention goes on that child. All the other kids get neglected. 'Cause it's ALL about THEM. No! It's not about you at all. It's not about you. It's really what you're doing, and I think that you've got – you know, like, listening to this stuff, like, Yurgan, he's a really good preacher, pastor – you need this Zach. This is an area in your life that God's trying to say, "I want you, like, after Joseph, that I can take you and mold you into what I want so that I can use you, and that you can rule over much." But we have to go through…

The translation is easy here.  According to Annah, it’s all about the person you’re serving.  It’s all about their vision, which is, of course, God’s vision.  Mark and Annah Reid can’t be wrong.  They speak for God.  They can’t be unsubmissive because they have no one to submit to.

I would LOVE to see her definition of rebellion in a child.  I wonder how much she beat her kids when they were babies to break their will.  After all, little babies are freakin’ rebellious by not shutting the friggin’ scream off when they’re hungry.  Any advice Annah?

Mark: You have to be faithful, though…

Huh?

Annah: ...even David, how long did he live in a cave? How long? Do you know what Saul was all about? Saul was all about taking the Saul out of David…

Huh?

…God used Saul's leadership to get the Saul out of David. But if David hadn't responded to it, guess what? Wouldn't have been king.

(Zach: I can't help but interject, but who is trying to become a king here? Not me! Christ is King!)

…Just because God says, "Thus saith the Lord... this is what you're going to do..." doesn't mean it will happen.

Huh? To get the Saul out of David?  Huh?  Wha…?  What the he….???!!!

Saul’s leadership be damned!  Sorry Annah, but nothing in the story of David and Saul had anything to do with authority or his leadership.  Let me repeat a key word in the previous sentence: NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!

Saul became king because God set him up as king.  Then, he became selfish and didn’t much care for the things of God.  So God set about making David king.  Saul was an ass and tried to kill the guy.  He lost and David became king.  A bunch of fillers and, um…end of story.

David needed Saul’s leadership to iron out the kinks?  Huh?  He lived in a cave so God could teach him how to submit to Saul?  What!???

According to your asinine interpretation of this story, David should have stepped in front of the javelin Saul was throwing at him when he was pissed because Saul’s vision, as the God-ordained leader, was God’s vision.  But, slipping away and conniving with Saul’s son to get to safety?  Um…that’s not submission, Annah.

Zach: But Saul was selfish in his motive.

Annah: But Saul was used by God to be a leader in David's life. God set the stage. We don't get to set the stage. God sets the stage…

(Zach: My point exactly)

Guffaw Alert!!!!!!!!!!!

Mark: And David honored his role as leader as wrong as he was. And I'm not perfect, Annah's not perfect, you're not perfect.

Ok.  Picture this:  David gets anointed by Samuel to become king of all of Israel while Saul is still king – a treasonous act.  Saul catches wind of it, or at least knows that God’s hand is now off of him and now on David.  He attempts to kill David many times.  And David honored Saul’s role as leader? 

Not a chance.  We get a picture of how David was reverent to GOD when Saul was sleeping and David refused to cut the blokes head off.  He stated that he would not strike the Lord’s anointed.  He honored GOD, not Saul.  He didn’t say that he could not strike Saul due to his superiority in leadership and the need to submit.  If that was the case, he needed to have woken up Saul and deliver HIMSELF into Saul’s hand.

As usual, verses or eisegetical ideas, picked and chosen, to support a theology that just isn’t there.

Not to mention the obligatory lie of “we’re not perfect” and then the lightning quick, “but don’t get any ideas because you’re not perfect either!” line.

Annah: No. Potiphar wasn't perfect, but God chose to have Potiphar be Joseph's ruler…

Zach: That was a theocracy, though, this is not a theocracy.

Annah: Uh, this is a church, that we're going to honor God, and we're going to have a culture of honor and submission…

Zach: This is a church with Christ as the Head, and I see THAT.

Put your drinks on the floor!  Empty all firearms of all ammunition!  Swallow!  Ready the chair for the Heimlich Maneuver!  Hide the children!

Annah: NO! Christ is the Head and He put us as the boss! There you go. It's that easy. It's that simple.

Mark: There's nobody but us who's responsible for the whole function of the church.

Zach: Why just you two?

Annah: 'Cause God said we get to!

Zach: Why not a body of people that can actually agree on something instead of you guys just saying, "Everybody do this, that's the way it's going to be."

Annah: 'Cause it is.

Zach: No it's not.

Annah: Yeah, it is.

Zach: It shouldn't be that way.

Annah: Zach, it is.

*****

Still alive?  Mad yet?  Laughing?  Annah says it is, so it is. 

In Act Ten, Zach will ask many questions and Mark and Annah Reid will solidify their position.