[OBW]

Hope: Are new expressions really that helpful? The LC has a lexicon full of new expressions and we know where that took us. What is “DC fellowship” and “AC fellowship?” I’m not really asking. It just stands out as pointless to mention something with no definition (at least that I could find in a few minutes of quick searching in this thread). Did I miss something somewhere?

Terry: Whether the emphasis was on “Christ and the church” or “the ministry,” either is actually problematic. While we do not as quickly see error in “Christ and the church” we were not emphasizing Christ and the assembling of believers. We were emphasizing Christ and a particular brand of assembled believers. We spoke of it in generic enough terms that we believed we were talking about everyone, but we were only talking about “Christ and the LC” or “Christ and the recovery.”

I would agree that the emphasis on the ministry in more recent times is a bigger deterrent to any outsiders, but that “church” was too exclusive. While I understand and even agree with most of YP’s stand on “universal church,” the term does poorly describe an aspect of the Christian faith in which we are all truly one even when we do not agree on everything. But that is not the kind of oneness that “Christ and the church” was trying to emphasize. It was meant to emphasize “Christ and our sect.” Yes, the trend was downward, but the start was not as pure as we often believed.

Last. I think that the teachings of the LC have been so ingrained in us that we too often miss what the scripture teaches us. The LC pointed us to a “church life.” Our worlds revolved around church. I’m not dissing church. I am quite committed to it, especially the fellowship I have been part of for the past 21 years. I hope each of you are as committed to some Christian fellowship, even if you do not practice in the same way I do, or agree on all minor points of doctrine with me.

But my life is a complete life. I am a tax specialist. I take dance lessons. I play the guitar. I attend a Christ-based 12-step program to help deal with anger issues. I go to church, often 2-3 times a week. There is a lot more. It is all infused by Christ. It is not all infused by church. I set my mind on the Spirit, not on the church.

My life is not church. Becoming more like Christ is not about better expressions. It isn’t even very much about the religious activities I do or don’t do. It is about living a life that proves I believe. (It is clear that I do not think I have arrived — for starters, I’m dealing with anger issues.)

I note that either Igzy or YP (can’t remember which) recently pointed out in another thread that the great commandment was actual 2 — love God and love others. With that background, I also note that knowing the truth that sets us free was predicated by holding to Jesus’ teachings. Holding to does not mean know them well and fight for them strongly. It means to live according to them. Do we believe the Bible? I don’t mean acknowledge that the words are correct. I mean do we live as if we believe it? Do we hold to the words through our actions?

Now, to make this post fit under the thread’s title, I can definitely say that I have marched off “the ground,” away from “the ministry” and out of “THE church” (the LC). I continue to search, but not for Christ. I found Christ before I found the LC. I have learned much more about Him since I left the LC. But I am coming to realize that my learning needs to affect my day doing tax work, and my evening playing my guitar and talking with my wife, or out talking dance lessons. It is not about bigger and better meetings. It is not about “the flow.” The only recovery it is about is recovering people to Christ and not to some sect.