Lacrecia's UPC Experience

Hi.  My name is Lacrecia.  I attended a UPC endorsed Bible college for 3 years, and I also spent some time overseas on the AIM program.  It was while I was overseas that I really prayed and studied extensively on these subjects.  I also have started writing a booklet which is over 20 pages already about revival and why we don't have it.  I explore such subjects as neo-phariseeism, judgment & offense, and conviction vs. condemnation.  I have seen too many people hurt in the name of God through the Pentecostal church and I just want to find a way out.  Any church who brags on "well if you think this is brainwashing, your brain needs to be washed" needs to take another look at whether they line up to the plumline of Gods word.

I just wanted to let you know that I totally agree with what you are saying.  This is something I myself have been struggling with for 11 years.  I am now 24 but around middle school I started questioning and realizing that I didn't understand all of these "rules". Actually the story is kinda funny looking back.  The girls at church camp told me if I put peroxide in my water bottle(used to scrunch your hair) that it would give me blond highlights.  So I did this for about a month or two, then my pastors wife gave me a perm. Well, that was a bad combo.  My hair fried off from my waist to my shoulders.  But not without a little help from me.  

I actually used to break my hair off on purpose since I could not cut it.  I really did not feel a conviction about cutting my hair, I was just not cutting my hair out of respect, and because I didn't want my parents/church to think I was backslidden. Really it was because of condemnation that I did not cut my hair.  Of course I was made to feel like it was because I was rebelling against God if I even thought about cutting my hair.  But the truth is I was/am just rejecting the traditions of man.  There is nothing wrong with rebelling against men who are not following God.  Paul says, "follow me as I follow Christ".  But in the UPC if you disagree with anything they say you are automatically rebelling against God.  You see that is the way the system is set up.  The UPC churches teach you that rebellion is the sin of witchcraft (which it is if you are rebelling against God), they teach you that rebellion puts you on the road to hell, then they tell you that if you disagree with any of their pet doctrines that you are rebelling against God (because God speaks to them personally) and you are on the road to hell.  Very mind controlling and extreme sectarianism.  It is scary.

I do still attend a UPC church, for my parents sake.  They are going through a lot, and are really freaked out that I am going to "leave the faith" and I am praying that they will see that there is more to truth than the stuff you are force fed at the UPC church.  I was raised in the UPC church since I was about 4.  It amazes me that a church (organization) that grew out of great change @ the turn of the century, is now so afraid of it.  And you are absolutely correct, it is because so few actually 'study to show themselves approved' or 'work out their salvation with fear and trembling.'

I am also tired of people being scared into serving God.  It is like my friend says, if you have two dogs in your yard, one is on a chain & the other is not, but you tell them both to stay in the yard, which one do you know is obeying you out of love???  In the same sense, if you have one person on a spiritual chain and the other is free to choose to praise God, which one means the most to God?  That is why He loves the praises of His people, even more than the angels, because we have the choice.  We can NOT give that choice away.  I feel like we have become so pavlovian in our worship, worshipping out of fear and habit more than love.  If we really love God we will search his word and stand up for truth, and forget about the traditions of man.

You may write Lacrecia at Katya7777@aol.com

Posted November 29, 1997
Web site link removed July 31, 2005 as no longer in operation

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