Re: The Living Word Fellowship, The Walk, John Robert Stevens
Date: January 02, 2019 11:32PM
wow. I only learned of the LW's recent events/unraveling a few days ago and then last evening spent about 3 hours reading the posts/comments of the previous 2 1/2 months. like I began "wow".
I likely have blown my anonymity with my username so I will somewhat circumspect in what I write. a brief bio - I was one of the early ones to come from calif. to kalona, in late spring 1972, to help with the early construction of Shiloh. I lived on enos bender's farm with about 6 or 7 others including enos and received $25/month for "essentials. at that time and even today I regard that time as well spent in my maturation process. I am not bitter about the 6 years I spent in "the walk", hence, do not consider myself as a "survivor". I do consider myself as a graduate FROM "the walk", not a graduate OF "the walk" - to me there is a vast difference in my choice of preposition. I was not asked to leave, I chose to leave. I just couldn't involve myself in that violent intercession stuff which became the last straw for me. the most difficult aspect of leaving was knowing that a barrier between me and those who I called my friends, brothers and sisters whom I truly loved and the community at large (i.e., the LW community) would come to exist.
I was in a meeting with some elders and maybe fred bickhart at the lw church in Washington, iowa. I was told I had an "independent spirit"; I was about to respond by saying "geez, thanks guys" but somehow was able to divine that that characterization was not intended to be a complement. well, I certainly do not disparage myself for failing to have group think.
so that is my introduction bio. I understand that many of you have far greater grievances than do I and, as a result, have much reasonable cause for bitterness. I just caution that bitterness is a bitter pill. I think there is a line in the new testament which reads something like "do not let the sun go down on your anger."
happy new year and many happy trails,
respectfully, prettyboy