DeTox Before Jumping Into Something New

We've been watching certain fellow "ship jumpers" pivot back into ministry in other churches shortly after their flee from the controlling church we were all a part of. Having felt the need to heal and get set free of all the legalistic garbage that had seeped into us without our knowing it, we've been holding our breath (sort of) waiting to see how long they last before the same thing happens to them again.

As with any form of abuse, human behavior shows that we gravitate toward what has hurt us in the past. Getting healed and functional in an area is certainly vital before hurling headlong into the same abuse again. Often the abused becomes the abuser so the need to at least undo what's been done should take place in us first, if not a complete recreation of the soul, before taking on something new. And what's the hurry? Is it an ego trip or insecurity issue? It could be and it's something we all deal with.

Yes, it's been uncomfortable at times when we don't give in to the common expectations of the Christian Culture to serve in the local church in some way. Especially when the church is a healthy fruitful one. But we've been listening to a voice within that we do believe is from the Holy Spirit, to wait till he gives a green light to that type of thing. Well, at least that's what our general concensus is. We all hear from him individually and in essence he's been reminding some of us that we aren't ready yet.

Maybe we'll never be completely without the long term effects of what we went through. But that doesn't mean that the Lord wouldnt want to work on us for at least some semblance of health, giving us time to reclaim our own faith, and the opportunity to be happy again, and eventually even be a better help to those who go through what we've gone through.

Meanwhile the Lord is faithful to 'use us' to confirm to others who are in the same 'place' that they aren't crazy and to take comfort in the fact that their faith is intact and that's a good thing.

We may still break out into a sweat if we see an offering basket go by or hear a plea for help from the children's ministry on Sundays. We are obviously not ready to do anything more than be a part of the throng (when we can even do that) knowing that it would be a disservice to the church to engage while still under diress.

To summarize, each person has a different time line and a unique path of ministry. Some of us may never help at a church again. Ministry is being redefined completely as we let the Lord recreate us for whatever the next step is--in or out of a church. That's the most healing thing of all, knowing that God isn't limited to the four walls of a building.

Freedom of Thought

'Think for Oneself' is what authoritarian style leaders hate to promote. They'd rather you 'Think what I think and Do What I Do' (which should really be 'Do What I DON'T Do' because you are mainly there to serve them so they don't have to DO any of the mundane daily stuff themselves).

Here's what Wikipdia says about Freedom of thought:"To deny a person's freedom of thought is to deny what can be considered one's most basic freedom; to think for one's self.Since the whole concept of 'freedom of thought' rests on the freedom of the individual to believe whatever one thinks is best (freedom of belief), the notion of 'freedom of religion' is closely related and inextricably bound up with these. While in many societies and forms of government, there has been effectively no freedom of religion or belief, this same freedom has been cherished and developed to a great extent in the modern western world, such that it is taken for granted.This development was enshrined in words in the United States Constitution by the Bill of Rights, which contains the famous guarantee in the First Amendment that laws may not be made that interfere with religion "or prohibiting the free exercise thereof". Today nearly all democratic nations around the world contain similar language within their respective Constitutions."

All that to say: Ask questions and don't ignore red flags when you see them, in any arena of life, but especially when it comes to your religion and what a leader is asking you to do in the name of relgion. There is no question you shouldn't be able to ask. And you can ask God questions. His shoulders are big enough to handle whatever you may throw at him. In fact, that's why he gave us the ability to reason with wisdom.

Merriam-Webster definitions:
question: 1 a (1): an interrogative expression often used to test knowledge (2): an interrogative sentence or clause b:a subject or aspect in dispute or open for discussion
2 a: an act or instance of asking : inquiry

inquiry: 1 : examination into facts or principles : research 2 : a request for information 3 : a systematic investigation often of a matter of public b: interrogation; also : a judicial or official investigation d (1): objection dispute (2): room for doubt or objection (3): chance possibility

red flag: 1 : a warning signal 2 : something that attracts usually irritated attention

Asking Questions

What is it within us that causes us to question, to research, to learn? Isn't there a Proverb that states that it's the glory of God to conceal a matter and to search out a matter is the glory of kings? (Proverbs 25:2 (New International Version). so what is up with these authoritarian leaders who think they are rulers who dismiss us if we ask questions and label us as rebellious? It goes against the grain of being American and Biblically sound. How in the heck did they get so screwed up? And how in the heck did we let them screw US up? How did they become such a nightmare?