Quote:
Originally Posted by Hannah
[In the Vineyard Church] I saw a concern for children and youth, a desire to understand why kids leave church and faith, and how our church was committed to creating an environment that care deeply for children. I embraced my value and worth as a woman, it is not determined on my marital status or whether I ever have children that would mean God's value of me is conditional, which it isnt. I grew confident in a faith represented in isaiah 58. All of these things stood in stark contrast to the LC party line. Finally I was in a place that had a heart for humanity, not to gain members, not to sell publications, not even to save them. But simply to see them as God does, strive to love them as God does. I learned it was OK to challenge my pastor, to ask question, to demand more from him and from our faith community. I learned that faith is pretty simple, the LC made it too complex, too dependent on performance. It is all pretty simple: love..
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I was touched by the point of not having pressure to "gain members" and "sell publications", but having love in your heart towards your fellow humans. For a group that decries "dead works", it seems to me they exist for dead works. Do you really think, at the Bema of Christ, that they are going to check your book sales?
I told a story once on this forum. I was meeting with the local church in Pierre SD, and one day walking down the street I saw my good Christian brother Clem approaching. I hailed him from a distance, expecting our usual sweet fellowship. But I noticed that his brow was furrowed, his eyes downcast, and his mouth down-turned. To make a long story short, Clem wanted to know who I was with: Cleveland or Anaheim?
What? What did that have to do with the expression of Jesus Christ in South Dakota? Turns out the "local ground" was part of a bait-and-switch tactic. We'd been separated from extra-local affiliations only to be re-atrached to new HQ, new masters.
And on a related note, I see the LSM FB page showing banners from the recent Chinese-language conference: from a Body revelation (sic) then "individualistic thought and action are ruled out".
Another - Whaaaat? - moment followed. Notwithstanding the fact that Witness Lee's behaviours with Daystar and Philip Lee as Office Manager at LSM showed individualistic thought and action. Just look at the phrase for a minute: isn't ALL thought individualistic? I mean, the grey matter in between my ears belongs to me, does it not? Whose thoughts do I want circulating in my brain? If I let others do my thinking, I'll end up in Pierre SD arguing over Anaheim v/v Cleveland.
As Ohio said, leaders fight, then members fight. Is that God's kingdom? Think about it.
(And welcome to the forum)