Soup’s On!

Greg Albrecht’s latest book, Spiritual Soup for the Hungry Soul Volume II, might be more like a wake-up call than a sleeping pill, and it might upset your religious apple cart

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By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries

PASADENA, CA (ANS) -- Greg Albrecht, the founder of Plain Truth Ministries (www.ptm.org) and a former minister in the Worldwide Church of God is a courageous man who made history in 1995 when he, along with others leaders, came to a decision that caused uproar in the Worldwide Church of God, founded by Herbert W. Armstrong.

Greg Albrecht

It was then that this group made a historic stand for truth, and embraced the teachings and beliefs of historic Christianity and Armstrong’s Plain Truth Magazine joined the Evangelical Press Association. As a result, the Worldwide Church of God became the first American “cult” in history to change to an Evangelical theology.

Armstrong, who began his work in 1934, also founded the Radio Church of God (later renamed the Worldwide Church of God), Ambassador College and The World Tomorrow radio and television programs, and had originally called the magazine The Plain Truth, and following his death in 1986, it ceased publication by the Worldwide Church of God and began as publication by the non-denominational Plain Truth Ministries.

That revolutionary action by Albrecht and his colleagues, caused the Worldwide Church of God to lose the vast majority of its pastors and members, who left the transforming Worldwide Church of God because they would not forsake the controversial teachings of Armstrong.

Herbert W. Armstrong with his first wife Loma in 1965 looking at a copy of The Plain Truth (: www.ukapologetics.net/herbnotapost.htm)

Albrecht then asked me to help re-launch Plain Truth Magazine in 1996 with a cover story about with Billy Graham and I joined other journalists at the iconic evangelist’s home in Montreat, North Carolina, where I was able to ask him what it meant to be “born-again.” the feature I wrote was called “Just As I Am” and became the cover story for the new version of the magazine.

Greg Albrecht was one of the leaders of that historic stand, and was widely interviewed during the latter years of the 20th century, explaining that the Worldwide Church of God had retained its name, but had completely divorced itself from what he considered to be the unbiblical and cultic teachings of Armstrong. It later changed its name to Grace Communion International (www.gci.org).

Over time it became obvious that Albrecht was probably better equipped to minister outside of a denominational setting. In an amicable parting of ways, the Albrecht-led Plain Truth Ministries completely separated so that both might better continue their respective non-denominational and denominational ministries.

Dan Wooding chatting with Billy and Ruth Graham after the interview to re-launch The Plain Truth magazine

Plain Truth Ministries (PTM), based in Southern California, is now regarded as one of the leading ministries to those who have survived some kind of “theological or religious shipwreck.”

Since that time, Greg Albrecht has been busy hosting a daily Plain Truth Radio show, his “Christianity Without the Religion—Teaching Ministry” which he describes as “a new way to worship – without entering into a specific building,” which is carried on the Internet and which he describes being “worship without walls,” and a whole succession of other ministries and books.

He explains, “Our work is Christ-centered, based on God's amazing grace, giving hope to those burned out by legalistic religion.”

His latest book is Spiritual Soup for the Hungry Soul Volume II about which readers usually have two immediate reactions to books like his that are a compilation of sermons:

1) Why would an entire book of sermons interest them when it’s all they can do to stay awake through one sermon at church?

2) What kind of ego does it take for a preacher to assume that a book of his or her sermons would find a ready audience?

Book cover

I posed these, and other questions to Greg Albrecht, and began by asking him why someone should take the time to read an entire book of sermons, adding, “Isn’t one sermon a week enough?”

Albrecht replied: “Spiritual Soup… is organized as a weekly devotional – one sermon each week, 48 for the year. Spiritual Soup… presents an opportunity for folks who have a home church and hear one sermon every week to read another one, at their one pace. In addition, those who, for one reason or another, are no longer in the habit of regular attendance at a brick and mortar church can find Spiritual Soup… to be a source of Christ-centered, spiritual nourishment.

I then pointed out that as he is not the pastor of a “regular” church – one with doors and windows and walls -- so where do these sermons come from and where were they originally given?

“The sermons contained in Spiritual Soup… were originally given as one of the regular, online weekly messages at Christianity Without the Religion (CWR) carried on his website (www.ptm.org,)” he explained. “CWR maintains that much of the structure and methodology of religion is anathema to the core teachings of authentic Christianity. CWR believes in faith alone, grace alone and Christ alone.

“When I meet someone on an airplane or in a social situation, my usual response to the garden variety question ‘what do you do?’ is ‘I am an irreligious Christian.’ I’ve had some great conversations based on this response. These 48 messages in my new book are challenging and provocative. They are not cookie-cutter, been-there, already-heard-that sermons. These messages in Spiritual Soup… take status quo, big business religion to task, and as a result most readers will either strongly agree or strongly disagree with their assertions. If a reader dives into Spiritual Soup he or she should have no problem staying awake!”

Greg Albrecht and Dan Wooding at the Plain Truth Ministries headquarters

Warming up to the topic and then told Albrecht: “So what about the charge that you must have a massive ego to think that people would actually be interested in reading a transcript of sermons you have already given?”

He smiled and said, “I agree with their concern – why in the world would anyone think that something they had once said or composed or wrote would ever be worthy of a second or third look or listen? Hey, since we live in a culture where we never need to be at fault because someone else is always to blame, I guess I can blame this book on some of the people who enjoy, benefit and support from our ministry! It’s not my fault – they encouraged me!

“Seriously, I had similar reservations as I was writing the first compilation of 48 sermons I published back in 2009 (Spiritual Soup for the Hungry Soul). It seems to me that anyone who attempts to inspire, persuade or fill the spiritual dark shadows that envelop the life of another person must ask this question. Why would any of us presume that we might positively impact the life of another who will someday listen to our music, read our writing or be moved by our art?

“The answer that keeps authors, artists, preachers, teachers and musicians going goes to motivation – it has to do with the fire in the belly that empowers those who wish to change the world, one person at a time. In my case, I believe in the message I am blessed to proclaim because it is absolutely Christ-centered, and I believe that message is truly ‘what the world needs now.’

“Take a look at the world – do you really believe we need more religion? Religion is turning people against one another! Do we really need more wars and hatred and bigotry?”

I then told him that he had once said that he was not a fan of what he called “big-business religion,” so what did he mean by that?

A Mega-Church gathering

“That’s an understatement,” he said firmly. I am certainly not a fan of ‘big-business religion’ – more than that, I am a dedicated critic. I believe a minister of Jesus Christ should not be bought and paid for by ‘big business religion.’ I believe a minister of Jesus Christ should call the pills, prescriptions and programs of institutionalized religion to task, and I do that in the name of Christ. After all, a cursory reading of the four Gospels reveals that Jesus had more than a few problems with the established religion of his day.”

Question: So you are saying that the world of organized Christianity is all wrong? With all respect, if that’s your take, it’s even more preposterous than presuming that a book of your sermons deserves a reading.

Albrecht said, “I am saying that the culture of religion as we know it has corrupted the gospel. I am not saying that every denomination or every church or every congregation within Christianity is corrupt. Thank God for that! On the other hand, I am emphatically insisting that anytime we allow cherished traditions, rituals, routines and ceremonies to take the spotlight away from Jesus Christ we are in a world of hurt, spiritually speaking. Something is wrong – something is missing – something is not working in the world of Christendom today.

“When smoke starts pouring out from underneath the hood (or the bonnet for any Brits who may be reading) of a car you are driving, one normally pulls over and looks for the cause. This vehicle we call Christendom has obvious problems. Open your eyes, and take a look through the windshield (or again, windscreen, if one prefers). Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. In the first 13 years of this 21st century millions of people who still believe they are Christ-followers have left the established church. Are they all in bad attitudes? The easy and quick answer is one of condemnation – a religious knee jerk response which itself embodies one of the major reasons so many people are leaving organized religion.

“Many (not all) religious leaders denounce the people who have left churches as ‘pleasure-crazed, permissive slackers, who have forsaken God.’ Perhaps some are – but I contend that most have other reasons. Something is happening – whey are so many churches suffering from lack of attendance? I maintain that many have left dysfunctional, abusive, authoritarian, un-Christ-like religion in order to have a healthy relationship with God.”

Spiritual Soup for the Hungry Soul Volume II is available at www.ptm.org./soup)

As a weekly devotional, it’s a great gift for Christmas. Of course, if you’re looking for a make-me-feel-good book to lull you, a friend or loved one off into dream land at bedtime, this book might not be what you’re looking for. Spiritual Soup for the Hungry Soul Volume II might be more like a wake-up call than a sleeping pill. Get a copy and be prepared for it to upset your religious apple cart.

If you would like to contact Greg Albrecht, his e-mail address is greg.albre cht@ptm.org

Source: Assist News Service