Maxwell 43: Divesting from the First Church of Stevehovah Reversalist

[SassyPants]

2 hours ago, Captain Obvious said:

So I got bored last night (lockdown is starting to really suck) and decided to skim through the recent videos at the Open Door church. The Maxwells were there three of the last four Sundays. Probably 50-100 people are in the sanctuary each time, nobody is wearing masks, no social distancing, and they're also passing round collection plates and communion wafers/cups.

I sure hope they're staying away from Gigi and Anna-Marie. Leavenworth county is still on an average of 13 new cases per day. 

It’s like a different world. I’m in CA and in my county there are NO indoor services, and outdoor services are very limited and require social distancing and masks. My church is still virtual only, and likely will be until next Summer.

[MamaJunebug]

2 hours ago, Captain Obvious said:

So I got bored last night (lockdown is starting to really suck) and decided to skim through the recent videos at the Open Door church. The Maxwells were there three of the last four Sundays. Probably 50-100 people are in the sanctuary each time, nobody is wearing masks, no social distancing, and they're also passing round collection plates and communion wafers/cups.

I sure hope they're staying away from Gigi and Anna-Marie. Leavenworth county is still on an average of 13 new cases per day. 

Which Open Door Church would that be, please? And thank you!!!! 

[Bluebirdbluebell]

3 hours ago, Captain Obvious said:

So I got bored last night (lockdown is starting to really suck) and decided to skim through the recent videos at the Open Door church. The Maxwells were there three of the last four Sundays. Probably 50-100 people are in the sanctuary each time, nobody is wearing masks, no social distancing, and they're also passing round collection plates and communion wafers/cups.

I sure hope they're staying away from Gigi and Anna-Marie. Leavenworth county is still on an average of 13 new cases per day. 

First of all, I didn't know Baptists do communion. 

Secondly, wow I don't how big the church is, but in the church I grew up in 50-100 people would be scattered throughout the church in normal times. My old church is currently having social-distanced services, according to people who still go there. 

Third Steve and Teri aren't that old, but they're not young. Steve's heart problems in particular make him high risk for corona virus.  He has coronary artery disease, which is the blockages of the heart. I know they put the stents in, and he's been dieting and lowering his blood pressure. He still has heart disease though, and coronavirus is supposed heart intensive.  I'm surprised he's not social distancing more. 

1 hour ago, SassyPants said:

It’s like a different world. I’m in CA and in my county there are NO indoor services, and outdoor services are very limited and require social distancing and masks. My church is still virtual only, and likely will be until next Summer.

Fortunately you must not live where Jinger and Jeremy live. 

[mango_fandango]

My cousin was adopted at 13 months, he’s 12 now. He has some attachment issues, but on the whole he’s OK (I think so, anyway, I’ve not heard otherwise). Apparently he sees his biological brothers every so often. I have no idea of the circumstances surrounding the adoption. 
 

I’d also like to say that I am fucking bored of COVID. 

[Cults-r-us]

Two stories: 1. My sister had her dog in training to sniff out termites. Sadly, he was a dumb who got a fail. 2. I used to quilt, years ago, with the older ladies at church. I was at leadt 40 years younger than the youngest quilter. One lady (who would be well over 100 were she still alive) said the orphanage lady brought her neighbor  a boy but brought extras in case anyone else would take a boy. She took a boy but he wet the bed like her own son and it was too much laundry. She handed him off to a 3rd neighbor and he grew to be a lovely person, while her own son grew to be a dud with a wife who hated her. So all the subsequent  years she regretted not keeping him.

[Jigsaw3]

I'm glad they got a bedbug dog in. They're definitely a thing; in fact, I believe that's actually the best way to make sure there are no bugs elsewhere in the house. If the dog didn't alert, then they might have escaped the spread.  And if they're paying good money to bring in a dog, then hopefully they will follow its handler's advice on how to treat the affected room and the house as a whole.

Bedbugs are awful and as much as I dislike the Maxwell morals, no one deserves them.

[Bethy]

On 10/7/2020 at 5:40 PM, NancyDrewFan1989 said:

For some reason adoptions is frowned upon in some fundie families as it is the parents (meaning biological) duties to care for them. Bill Gothard, I think, promoted this idea when he started his rise to power.

I'm quite certain Bill Gothard is very anti-adoption, although IDK how much of it is the acceptable family structure and how much of it is the notion of the sins of the parents being visited on the generations that follow - therefore, if you adopt a child whose parents were immoral, or lazy, or did drugs, or whatever, then you're inviting that sin into your own family. (I know Michael Pearl cautions against adopting children from places where witchcraft is widespread, because those children come pre-programmed with the "dark arts.") Either way, Gothard isn't a fan of adoption, I'm sure of that.

Do we know if the Maxes have a Gothard connection? They're the right age. My parents went to one Gothard conference in the 70s and some of those messed-up theologies are still coming out all these years later even though they know, logically, that many of his beliefs were really messed up. So it would stand to reason that Steve and Teri might have gone in the early days of their marriage/Christian living and really drunk the kool-aid.

[PennySycamore]

@Bluebirdbluebell, Baptists do have communion or as the tend to call it, the Lord's Supper.  They do not celebrate it often and of course, gold that it is only symbolic.  They do h=not have everyone come down to take communion (Protestants take, while Catholics receive communion) and pass around these silver trays filled with the tiniest of communion breads, like the corners of saltines, except much drier, and little jigger-sized cups of grape juice.  Many churches will have hymnal racks complete with little round slots for your empty cups.  Once the Baptist church of my girlhood actually used good old Catholic communion wagers which are much tastier than that stupid bread.  

ETA:  the frequency varies but is never as frequent as it is in the Catholic church.  Our church only had communion once a quarter.  

Edited October 11, 2020 by PennySycamore

[NancyDrewFan1989]

1 hour ago, Bethy said:

I'm quite certain Bill Gothard is very anti-adoption, although IDK how much of it is the acceptable family structure and how much of it is the notion of the sins of the parents being visited on the generations that follow - therefore, if you adopt a child whose parents were immoral, or lazy, or did drugs, or whatever, then you're inviting that sin into your own family. (I know Michael Pearl cautions against adopting children from places where witchcraft is widespread, because those children come pre-programmed with the "dark arts.") Either way, Gothard isn't a fan of adoption, I'm sure of that.

Do we know if the Maxes have a Gothard connection? They're the right age. My parents went to one Gothard conference in the 70s and some of those messed-up theologies are still coming out all these years later even though they know, logically, that many of his beliefs were really messed up. So it would stand to reason that Steve and Teri might have gone in the early days of their marriage/Christian living and really drunk the kool-aid.

Yeah, I am pretty certain Gothard is very anti-adoption. I'm pretty sure that the Maxwell's used IBLP when they started homeschooling their children. So, I believe there is a Gothard connection there. Plus, Steve and Teri, at one point, were high up there on the family conference guest speaker route, so I have a feeling their paths crossed at one point.

[VVV]

1 hour ago, PennySycamore said:

@Bluebirdbluebell, Baptists do have communion or as the tend to call it, the Lord's Supper.  They do not celebrate it often and of course, gold that it is only symbolic.  They do h=not have everyone come down to take communion (Protestants take, while Catholics receive communion) and pass around these silver trays filled with the tiniest of communion breads, like the corners of saltines, except much drier, and little jigger-sized cups of grape juice.  Many churches will have hymnal racks complete with little round slots for your empty cups.  Once the Baptist church of my girlhood actually used good old Catholic communion wagers which are much tastier than that stupid bread.  

ETA:  the frequency varies but is never as frequent as it is in the Catholic church.  Our church only had communion once a quarter.  

Every Baptist church I have ever been involved in has observed the Lord’s Supper (as we usually called it, or just Communion) on the first Sunday of the month. Yes, entirely symbolic, and it hardly seems necessary to say that we use grape juice instead of wine. 

[ElizaB]

It doesn't surprise me that the Maxwell's would shell out good money for a bed bug sniffing dog and do everything "by the book." While they do a lot of crazy things- ignoring a problem like bed bugs or not treating them effectively just isn't them. It does make me wonder what some of the other families we follow may do in a similar situation. I imagine Zsu would throw some Eikhorn flour on them and do a post as to why that is the best way to do it. 

[sparkles]

On 10/10/2020 at 1:31 AM, Bethy said:

snip…today DNA would tell the tale. I cannot imagine the trust issues that many grown adults are undoubtedly experiencing today, finding out that their parents lied and they actually share zero DNA with the people who raised them.

It’s not just adoptees. A cousin by marriage thought it would be fun to do a DNA test with her sister and got the shock of her life when she found out that she was only a half-sibling with a different father. She was devastated. Unlike Dani Shapiro recounted in her book Inheritance, her story didn’t turn out so well. It completely destroyed the memory she had of her mother, who’d had an affair, and turned her life upside down. 

Re: adoptions by conservative Christians, Kathryn Joyce’s book The Child Catchers (kind of an odd name) was a real eye-opener, not only about how they view these children more as soldiers for Christ than individuals, but also about how the adopters are able to get around the normal protective and investigative procedures that would determine their suitability and cut back on collecting children as if they were Precious Moments figurines. Heartbreaking and infuriating.

The Girls Who Went Away was such a heartbreaking and infuriating book as well. ?

ETA: An old friend of mine was privately adopted as an infant in 1950, aided by the nuns at her parents’ church. She wasn’t told until she was a teenager and although she had a very loving, very large extended Italian family (she was an only), she was desperate to find out information about her birth parents because she had several health issues and might have gotten some answers about them. She was never able to find out anything because no one in the family would talk and conveniently, the records supposedly kept by the nuns conveniently “burned up in a fire.” She always suspected that she was the child of someone in the big family who’d gotten pregnant out of wedlock but again, no one would talk to confirm or deny her suspicions.

Edited October 11, 2020 by sparkles

[JermajestyDuggar]

Steve Maxwell has an obsessive personality. He does NOTHING half assed. Everything is full ass with Steve Maxwell. Religion? Full ass. New diet? Full ass. Bed bugs? Full ass. 

[IReallyAmHopewell]

14 hours ago, SassyPants said:

It’s like a different world. I’m in CA and in my county there are NO indoor services, and outdoor services are very limited and require social distancing and masks. My church is still virtual only, and likely will be until next Summer.

My church both streams and has on-site services, but masks are mandatory, social distancing is observed, communion is "zip and sip" from a sealed container like you get in the hospital and offering is a basket on the table where you pick up communion packs. One family asked to join because of this! It's funny, because while there are a few of us against Trump, most are sold-out Trumpers yet the obey wearing a mask or stay at home and watch the streamed service.

[Bluebirdbluebell]

1 hour ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

Steve Maxwell has an obsessive personality. He does NOTHING half assed. Everything is full ass with Steve Maxwell. Religion? Full ass. New diet? Full ass. Bed bugs? Full ass. 

Except for social distancing. 

[johnhugh]

Quote

Jane says:

October 10, 2020 at 6:33 pm 

Sing
Hallelujah
In
Triumph

Good news you have it sorted!

Reply

Teri Maxwell says:

October 11, 2020 at 5:19 am 

We are very grateful to the Lord!

Reply

So am I! 

[anniebgood]

3 hours ago, IReallyAmHopewell said:

My church both streams and has on-site services, but masks are mandatory, social distancing is observed, communion is "zip and sip" from a sealed container like you get in the hospital and offering is a basket on the table where you pick up communion packs. One family asked to join because of this! It's funny, because while there are a few of us against Trump, most are sold-out Trumpers yet the obey wearing a mask or stay at home and watch the streamed service.

We do Zoom services and when it's time for communion, we are encouraged to use our own bread and wine/juice. They tried  the prepackaged host and wine but it didn't go over well. 

Before my daughter had her Sunday market, which she manages (which ends the 25th) she'd do church with us, since for her it didn't start till noon, it was great. She'll be back to it when her Sunday market ends. 

 

[FloraKitty35]

4 hours ago, ElizaB said:

It doesn't surprise me that the Maxwell's would shell out good money for a bed bug sniffing dog and do everything "by the book." While they do a lot of crazy things- ignoring a problem like bed bugs or not treating them effectively just isn't them. It does make me wonder what some of the other families we follow may do in a similar situation. I imagine Zsu would throw some Eikhorn flour on them and do a post as to why that is the best way to do it. 

Jill Rod would claim Plexus cures bedbugs.

[Hane]

Thanks to all of you for clearing up the mystery of the beagle visitor!

[PennySycamore]

@VVV,   I'm not so sure it's totally unnecessary to say that my Baptist church used grape juice instead of wine,  Not all Baptist's are Southern Baptists or IFB.  There is also the American Baptist Church which tends to be more progressive as well as those churches that have split off from the Southern Baptist Church when it went fundie.  The American Baptist Church used to be called the Northern Baptist Church and yes, they split over slavery.  

[ophelia]

On 10/10/2020 at 7:38 PM, PennySycamore said:

I'd heard about bedbug sniffing beagles a few years ago.  Beages are pretty amazing dogs: sweet dispositions, velvety ears,  noses that can sniff out bugs, drugs and cancer, and those soulful eyes. 

When we dealt with our bedbug disaster a few years back, we had bedbug sniffing dogs come over twice and it cost us a fortune. Nearly broke us financially.

 

I work for a church community now and we have services, but masks and social distancing are mandatory. Once you are seated you can take off your mask. We only allow 1/3 of the seats to be occupied. No singing and so far no communion.

[smittykins]

16 hours ago, IReallyAmHopewell said:

My church both streams and has on-site services, but masks are mandatory, social distancing is observed, communion is "zip and sip" from a sealed container like you get in the hospital and offering is a basket on the table where you pick up communion packs. One family asked to join because of this! It's funny, because while there are a few of us against Trump, most are sold-out Trumpers yet the obey wearing a mask or stay at home and watch the streamed service.

My Episcopal church just resumed in-person services last week.  Masks, temp checks, hand sanitizer, a 50-person limit, and only the bread distributed at Communion(it also streams on FB).

Edited October 12, 2020 by smittykins

[clueliss]

17 hours ago, PennySycamore said:

@VVV,   I'm not so sure it's totally unnecessary to say that my Baptist church used grape juice instead of wine,  Not all Baptist's are Southern Baptists or IFB.  There is also the American Baptist Church which tends to be more progressive as well as those churches that have split off from the Southern Baptist Church when it went fundie.  The American Baptist Church used to be called the Northern Baptist Church and yes, they split over slavery.  

My mother (from SE Kansas) used the term Northern Baptist.  I've only met one other person in my life who knows that reference - and that includes pastoral staff of churches.  (she went to etc a Northern Baptist church as a child/teen - it was my 'Grandma's Church') - that's for telling me the correct grouping for it.

[freejugar]

New post: Sarah's photo dump. Same old stuff.

Arnold is the cutest!

[fundiewatch]

One of those Sunday lunches featured only Jesse and (ofjesse) Anna, and another one just Chelsea and Elissa and their J-husbands! The whittling numbers make me so sad for Sarah, Anna, and Mary who just seem so hopelessly stuck there. 

Staging the pie picture with Bethany is a pleasing throwback to when they had their dog chase a freaking cat up a tree in order for the illustrator to have a picture of what they wanted. This is not how life or illustration works. 

I was surprised to see Sarah babysat, that is usually not her skillset.