Quote:
Originally Posted by NeitherFirstnorLast
My point is, a culture was created by Lee - a very unique culture that purposely set itself apart from Christianity and all other Christians. What I want to explore in this thread, is what has that done to the children raised in that culture?
|
Thank you all for your input, but if I may I want to make this statement above the purpose of this thread. I think this requires a taking a different view of the movement we've left (or remained in, for those who visit here and still remain). My purpose in mentioning home school was not to cast aspersion on that practice - but to point out that one of LSM's characteristics in dealing with their children is
isolationism - Isolating their children from non-members, in order to avoid possible "contamination" (not a word they might use - but the word does well convey their idea, I think). I believe this was even mentioned here on another thread, where someone shared that a sister had asked him if he wasn't worried about his kids being influenced by Christianity when he sent them to a Baptist school.
My real motivation in wanting to explore this,
is to try to work together to figure out if we even can reach the generation of people who were raised from birth in LSM-loyal homes. People who grew up with a skewed view of Christianity - colored by all the slander cast at all of it by Lee. How can these ones be reached if, when they look outside their 'Local Church' for fellowship, they see a kind of worship or service or prayer or structure that looks NOTHING like what they've be raised to view as the only way? Something they've been raised to view as corrupt.
It's been said here that LSM has become just another denomination...
but that doesn't do the true situation justice at all. Let me give you a few "fer-instances":
Ferinstance 1: Here in Three Hills, we have a Ministerial. All the Pastors in town, and the Priests (we have Catholics and Anglicans here as well as non-denominational Evangelical churches, Baptists, United church adherents, etc.) get together and have fellowship. These people all work together. Do they have differences in doctrine? Undoubtedly they do - but that doesn't hinder their fellowship or their ability to pray together and work together. In fact, we had a large inter-church service for the town's hundredth anniversary, and four of the Pastors worked together through the service, and let a visiting Anglican Bishop deliver the sermon (as it was also the local Anglican churches 100th anniversary, and the Pastors and Priests in town wanted to honor that).
Ferinstance 2: Our local Prairie Bible College takes students of ALL denoms (or non-denoms) and trains them up. Yes, all from local congregations and well beyond... there is no 'denom' restrictions. Nor is there extensive proselytizing to convert any student to any particular doctrine. "
In the essentials, unity - in the non essentials, liberty." That said, all students have to take introductory Bible classes (I took one) - and we are all given the opportunity to explore Scripture ourselves. You might guess that I was prone to writing long essays rather than short answers on many of my tests - and I differed with authors and teachers from time to time in my interpretations, and was never penalized for it, so long as my exposition was thorough.
Final Ferinstance: At our church - the Alliance church in town - we have families who have children who go to other churches. This isn't frowned upon, nor does it cause distress. If the children of members grow up and choose to go to a church a few blocks down the street - well, if they are being read the Word of God and if they are growing in their faith, then Praise the Lord - He has a place for them! This is common here. My wife attends inter-church Bible studies, and we fellowship with other Christians. We have, I believe, a
Normal Christian Church Life (copyright Watchman Nee).
Not so in Lee's church.
In Lee's church, there is no such thing as fellowship with other Christians (unless they come to the LC). There is no such thing as it being ok to have a different doctrine or understanding from the interpretation provided by Lee - EVEN in the non-essentials. Nor is it ever ok to go to "another church", and certainly not to ever listen to someone who calls himself a Pastor. That's just "Nicolaitian" and an abomination to God, so they might say. Now, you may not hear this expounded in a meeting, but I know whenever I tried to share something I heard and appreciated from outside of LSM, it wasn't generally received well. There were many things I sent and wrote to the brother I was closest to in the church - the very one who introduced me - that he never read at all (I found this out only a couple of years later). When I asked him about it, he confessed that he wouldn't read any of those things because they didn't "give him life". They "might have some life, but there's so much leaven." He was born in the LC.
LSM is
not a denomination: While denominational walls are coming down around the globe - and Christians of many different walks are fellowshipping together - LSM's walls are being built higher, and all fo rthe purpose keeping their people in, rather than to keep others out.
Okay, that's too long a post.
My question: HOW can we reach those born and raised LSM kids?