Quote:
Originally Posted by Boxjobox
The thing that attracted me about the "recovery" was saint reading their bible, applying what they read and speaking, praying, praising, encouraging, etc., from what they got- worked the good land of their inheritance, brought their portion, and offered it up.
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I do not necessarily have a problem with what is effectively some kind of "testimony time." But the very pattern of the teaching Jesus, of the things he said and taught to his disciples that were different from what he taught generally to the masses leads me to think that we are misapplying the notion of the priesthood of believers when we suggest that we can all just do it and it will be wonderful.
Yes, it is appealing, especially to people who have been taught from birth that they can do anything they put their minds to. But even that notion is part of the myth of American exceptionalism. Jesus was very clear in how he taught his disciples about being a different kind of leader, not how to not have leaders. And he taught them consistent with the manner of rabbis of the day who had disciples who would become rabbis and do the same thing he did.
We think that the printing press and general literacy raises us all to the level necessary to cast off leadership and be a commune of equal input. But the evidence on that subject is that it is not true. Instead, we have more crazy interpretations every day.
There are at least two sides to this. We need those who have the interest, calling, ability, etc., to give their time to the study of the scripture to bring us what we cannot get to on our own (and help keep our individual studies on the right track) and at the same time need to be aware enough not to let charlatans say that X really means Y. That was much harder when most of us were illiterate.
But if the time of worship is to be at least partly given to whatever I and others like me find from our private time reading the word, then we need help. It may be appealing, but it does not instill in me a sense of peace or certainty.
Besides, whether in or out of the "recovery," what kind of application of the study of the scripture are we talking about? My observation seems to point to a more filled-in structure of knowledge, or something to say in a meeting, not something that applies to "ordinary" life (which appears to be what we were put here for in the first place).