Discernment

I've just finished a fight-to-the-death spiritual battle with my computer
...in which the computer won and ate my last post.
So here's the short version...
Lack of discernment in the Church...
inducing nausea.
Leaving the "love of the Truth"...
one way, or many ways...you decide...
please read following poem detailing a loved one's journey away from error...
Be warned...
and stay grounded in the Word...
yes, the Truth is out there!

(explanation first)
"So it's been a sad week...we loved our church. God changed us and re-arranged us from the inside out because of some good Bible teaching we got there, and for that we are very thankful. The last seven years were part of God's plan for our lives. Never the less, it is a troubling thing when sheep have to leave the flock they love because they are malnourished. Why have we left our pasture? In order to respect the privacy of the people involved, I have written everything out in free verse form below. I think this summarizes our last several years in a sheepfold where the shepherds okayed all these things that broke our hearts and forced us to leave for greener pastures…


First questions
...Spiritual direction
..lighting a candle
...silence....

Benedictine monks?
Self-healing and visualization?
...re-birthing?
What? One of the disciples could have been a female?
Use all your senses to read scripture…
..Lectio Divina…
...Manning, Green, Nouwen, Merton…
....Centering prayer?
.....Keating?
......Avila?

JESUS?

Quietness excercises-
..relaxation...
...shut outside noises out…
....concentrate…
.....breathing....
.....silence within
…listen…
..hear a voice…
...is that you God?
This voice claims to be the light…I don’t think that’s you
… I know Your voice.

Stations of the Cross?
..journaling…
...what does God think of you?
....God swears?
.....God likes your smile?
What?
More questions
...a small voice within
...something is not right...
Prayer books by monks?
..interfaith retreat center…
...parish?
....monasteries?
.....spiritual guides that swear?
What? Spiritual mentors for pastors?
What’s this? ‘Woman’ you are grafted in to the church?
What?
And what’s this… Gumbel, Hybels, Warren, Schuller, Drucker…
...men being quoted more than the Bible?

JESUS?

What this?
“Enjoy yourself” here
…At 'Upper Room' and 'Sacred Space'
...contemplative and Jesuit prayer websites?
..meditation positions …
...breathing excercises…
....'united to Jesus in the Eucharist'?
.....'pray with the pope'?
Why?No one knows about it?
What?Someone knows...
Strange counsel amidst trials...
'Fill a bowl with water in your ‘meditative space’ …visualize your portion'?
What?
A silent retreat
...meditational reading…
… compliments of Rupp, author and goddess Sophia worshipper…
Who knew?
Someone knows...
Something is not right...
Behind the scenes…

Leaders…
..interfaith retreats…
...centering prayer seminars…
....seeing spiritual directors?
Upfront…
In the bulletin…
..ecumencial prayer meeting announcements…
...go to the Catholic church to pray over here…
....go to the Taize prayer chanting over there…
What?
Oh, it’s just "anabapist’ style"…
What? You mean the Anabaptists who burned at the stake?
Church growth
…Satellite seminars
…Teams, brainstorming, making lists, restructuring
…Invent a new ministry
…Diaprax
…Do, do, do
…Hybels and Warren in church planning manuals
…Growth…Methods…Teams...Budgets…
Change...
Opened eyes
…Oh I see…
Floating up the willow creek…
Driven to tares amongst wheat…
Under the umbrella…
..it’s all been okayed
...it’s all being paid for
....it’s in the budget
.....it’s in the classrooms…
It’s in.

Sign up for our Bible studies…
...Isn’t this a book study?
No, it’s a Bible study…
...But…it’s a book…
No, it’s a Bible study…
...But are there any Bible studies?
Yes, every Tuesday morning
....But...those are just books...
No, those are Bible studies...
What?

Feeling alone…
Does anyone care?
Angry…Shocked…
Spiritual directors…
...pastors who swear?
An unheeded warning from the Lord?
...Renovare conference…
....Foster, Willard…
.....New reformation?
Psychology in the church or psycho heresy?
Diseased roots…
...study
...research
...My soul mourns...

Pastors come and go…
What? Dream catchers…a Christian concept?
“Mommy those are evil!”
...from the mouths of babes…

The pulpit...
Quotes from new agers…The emergents…The post-modernists…
...Sweet? McManus? McLaren? Roxburg?
Read this, read that…
Get The Message...
Rethink…
Unlearn the old ways…

Natural church development
…Surveys…
Share what God is saying, but only if it fits…
Crisis? What crisis?
Wei Chi? Why?How can this be?
Quick…warn the other sheep…
Do you want truth?They turn away…
Prefering to chew weeds
…They choose error…

Sharing concerns…
Lunch...coffee
...nervous
...defensive leaders agreeable leaders…
Now don’t stir the pot…
...more dialogue...
More unresponsiveness
...are we seen as Sanballats
through cloudy stained glassesmanufactured by CGM?
Revisioning...or resisting?
Tired…
...disillusioned
grieved...let it go…
Who am I?
..just a weary sheep who asked too many questions
...Weeping...
...mourning…
There is no search party sent for sheep like these…
No one from the flock has looked for us…
As we whisper good bye…SILENCE...a year...
...alone we trudge
…So thirsty…

I hear Him…
...calling us…
It’s our Shepherd…
...We know His voice…
He picks us up, gives us living water…
...feeds us…
Binds our wounds…
...carries us to a new pasture
Where we can lie down and rest
…and forgive."