Quote:
Originally Posted by countmeworthy
Oh mannn. What a bummer! I have better understood my spiritual and emotional journey through much of his writings. His writings helped me understand the power of Brokenness...not only his but he got the ball rolling for me.
However, I did find some erroneous statements he made. And they WERE BIG...but he probably didn't understand the words he was using to express what he really wanted to say.
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Greetings in Christ, dear cmw,
I too acknowledge a debt to Watchman Nee' writings. You said it so well: "I have better understood my spiritual and emotional journey through much of his writings. His writings helped me understand the power of Brokenness...not only his but he got the ball rolling for me." Amen and amen!
As quick as I am to acknowledge my debt to what the Lord ministered to me through WN's writings, I do have to admit that I am not a big fan of his later "restored" ministry (1948-1952). We have discussed a lot about this on the "Early Nee vs. Later Nee" thread. While some of his best stuff was spoken during those later years (
The Character of the Lord's Worker, for example), there is much there that proved to be very unhealthy. Considering the context of those years - the big emphasis on submission to deputy authority, the concentration of co-workers into regional headquarters to direct all the movements of the brothers and sisters, and the not-so-subtle peer pressure related to "handing over" material possessions - this kind of training is troubling. How could it not serve but to build up a concept of WN as "THE big cheese" in everyone's minds? That is just human nature - to build pyramids with one person at the top and to overly exalt the ministers of Christ.
Private fellowship is one thing, but for WN to publicly render "spiritual judgement" over 66 trainees did not help the bad situation of over-exalting WN which was definitely developing. I must certainly emphasize that I am not the Lord, so I am not the one who "looks on the heart of man". I give WN the benefit of the doubt that his heart was right and that his motives for doing this were pure and directed solely at the furtherance of God's kingdom on earth. I just question the wisdom of such a public display of "spiritual judgement" (especially at this time), along with the wisdom of recording and publishing such a public display.