Full Moon
Written by Mark Van Steenwyk : October 24, 2004
Missio Dei has Moonie infiltrators. A couple started coming to one of our house gatherings and they have been spouting some odd stuff. One of the leaders of that group did some research and found out that the couple has been in the Unification Church for almost 30 years–and that they are part of a ministry team in South Minneapolis that is trying to recruit folk to the Moonie cult. We’ve been “public” for a few weeks, and already we have to start scaring off the wolves.
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Maybe they have been brought to you to hear the truth. That’s what we found out about one in our group who had a mormon background. When we found out, we were a little “miffed” that this person of questionable beliefs was in our midst. Then, we slowly discovered that she was really just seeking some truth for her screwed up life. We told her about Jesus, as we knew him, and she lit up.
After some time, she told us that she saw something different in her because we didn’t shun her, and argue with her about beliefs. Instead fighting with her and backing her into her corner where she comfortable fell back on what she knew (mormonism), we loved her for who she was, and told her about the Jesus we knew.
People respond to truth in love, and can find freedom from the religion that places them into bondage. They may not come around right away, or even within our time with them. But the seeds of love, properly planted, often grow and mature.
I like your blog, I will be back often!
Stay well!
Mark, I’d be careful about scarring them off without talking with them first. We had a woman in our church who was really into new age stuff and it freaked me out at first. She would say really bizarre things and people would just look at me to see what I’d say. I never validated her beliefs, but I never ridiculed them either. I used the opportunity to open her up to what she was really searching for. Over time, Christ won out. We’ve also had Jews, Muslims, atheists and Wiccans come to Ld. You want to be a missional church? Welcome to the mission field. This is what its all about. I see no reason to scare them away. Just don’t validate what they say.
I appreciate what you are saying. But they came specifically to recruit. And they came to house group meetings and tried to dominate the conversations. They are firmly entrenched in the moonie organization. These aren’t merely naive people who are a bit deceived. They are involved as deeply as you can get. In fact there is a picture on their website of them with Mr. Moon.
This was a situation where they were intentionally coming to recruit people into their organization, not merely trying to have dialogue. In such a situation, it seemed unwise to have them attending a house gathering. I am very much open to people with different beliefs coming to our gatherings. I would enjoy that very much. But it is another thing entirely when missionaries from a cult organization are specifically trying to recruit.
Wow!
I can beat that, though. Friends of mine took over a church somewhere and found out that the worship leader was a moonie!
I once heard Greg Boyd say that they had a witch coming to their church for two years and they didn’t even know it. She would come on Sundays and put curses on him as we was preaching. Eventually, after two years, she came to Christ. Interesting stuff.
A witch can attend Woodland Hills for two years and not get noticed because ANYBODY can attend a gathering of over 1,000 people and not get noticed. She can attend because it’s not a problem. She has no dialogue with the sermon, she doesn’t get to submit spells to be chanted during worship, etc. However, when your gathering consists of between 5-15 people, eating together in a house and participating in a dialogue meant to be centered around Christian teaching, for the benefit of the believers and to pique the interest of the non-believers, spending long periods of time every night listening to the beliefs of a post-Christian cult is neither productive nor acceptable.
Gee, Christ, what isn’t a post-Christian cult nowadays? ;o)
Oops - that’s meant to say “Chris” not “Christ.”