Re: The Living Word Fellowship, The Walk, John Robert Stevens
Posted by:
dirtybrushes
()
Date: August 29, 2018 11:17AM
As I've indicated, I'm one who escaped with my faith intact, and in fact, strengthened, in that I don't have this layer of falseness and BS between myself and my Lord. I won't belabor this for those for whom it pushes buttons.
Suffice it to say that toward the end of Sunday's service at the church we've been checking out, my brain flinched at the number of upcoming events and opportunities for involvement were listed in the bulletin. I immediately relaxed, however, when an almost-audible voice came and said, "Easy. You don't have to go to bed on the first date! Do what you want and leave the rest." Never heard that from Living Word.
Larry, interestingly, brought up the topic of parental-like control. I saw my therapist today, who is babysitting me through all this. When we were out of time, she said, "Next time, I'd like to explore the notion that you were looking for parenting and family when you first came into the fellowship. (I was 21). Why do you think that was?" Good question. JRS talked about the search for a father. I think that most people who came into this thing willingly were, at the root, looking for a parental voice. Why is that? I'm exploring.
To those of you who were born into it, I repent to you for your parents, and perhaps your grandparents. This is something that should never have tainted your childhood and limited your geographic possibilities and your educations. It should never have narrowed your mate selection process. It should never have been left, like the proverbial turd in the punchbowl, at the bottom of your family memories. If I could erase them, I would. If I could paint something beautiful over them, I most certainly would.
But as it is, we have to be with it. If we hadn't been in the cult, other shitty things would have happened to us, and we would have to be with them.
We have today, and we have each other. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the diverse "body" of people who have elected to leave this cult could accept and love one another in a way that the diverse members of the cult never could?
Food for thought. All of you, thanks for being here.