waysider

What???? No HAIRY BUFFALO??

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Met my old lover in the grocery store

From page 31 of the AC syllabus: GIFTS OF HEALINGS It is our taking the place of Jesus Christ here upon earth. :o

As long as you follow the posted rules, you are free to express your opinion here, whatever it might be. Just don't expect people to always agree with you.

You see, this only serves to underscore the futility of all the efforts and sacrifices we made to promote the stupid thing in the first place. So now you can look at your WOW year and say, "Yeah, it was really tough, but at least I did it to promote a class/book that even TWI no longer finds viable".

I mean, isn't that the one that was supposed to be "foundational"? "Can't understand this other stuff unless you first understand the 'foundational' book. It's got all the 'keys', dontcha know" <_<

Anyone else notice the book that is conspicuously absent? http://theway.org/bookstore.php?page=wayresearch&lang=en

"You guys just weren't looking hard enough. Sure, there's a phone number (fax number too).... if you want to BUY something". HaHaHa----I would have NEVER found it, then.

They don't even list a phone number. Just "P.O.Box 328"

How about this one: I witnessed an incident where a person missing a limb was witnessed to and brought into the twig family. They were told that if they would just take the class, they could learn how to get their believing up so they could then get ministered to and have their limb restored. Now, I realize some may say, "With God, all things are possible." This person was seen as a trophy. Yeah, if The Way could pull this one off, people would be begging to sign the green card. In retrospect, it was sheer cruelty. Once it became apparent that the person wasn't going to be taking the class (due to strong opposition from their family) the person was dropped like a hot potato. It was all part of VPW's drive to push PFAL sales figures up.

Of course it's foolish. But, back in the 70's, if you got "ministered to" and then went to a Dr., it sent a loud message that you didn't really "believe" in "ministering", that you had spiritual weakness. If you went to a Dr., you had to keep it quiet so no one would suspect your weakness. The very act of getting ministered to was perceived as stepping out on your believing. It's one of those unspoken kind of things that were so prevalent at that time. After someone threw away their meds and died, in about 1974, Wierwille used the main stage at ROA to put a major spin on it and launched a damage control effort. I'm sure he realized the legal liabilities that were at stake.

You asked for it!

No man is an island-------John Donne

You should be able to look at the annual statement SS sends out and see if those years reflect a contribution.

You have to wonder, too, how many people needlessly suffered or even died because they opted for "believing & ministering" rather than seeking appropriate mental or physical treatment.

Now THIS one used to bug me. "Father, thank you for renewing this man's fellowship." I never knew "intercession" was in our job description. <_<

Legitimate Question: One that warrants a legitimate answer.

If you hurry, you can still squeeze in part of Friday The Thirteenth.

Thanks, Krys I wasn't sure what I was looking for when I started this thread. You seem to have zeroed in on it. It's not so much about healing as it is about the TWI practice we all referred to as "ministering". Lots of times, all you did was offer up a generic kind of prayer for them. And, there was an element of compassion that accompanied the "ministering" event. It was a source of comfort, if nothing else.

I think it must have been 1973 or '74, at ROA, immediately following the main teaching on closing night, VPW announced there was going to be a mass-healing service. Anyone wanting/needing to be "ministered to" was to come down to the front of the stage. All AC grads were told to come down front and team up with someone so they could "minister" to them. It completely took me off guard. I wasn't about to be a part of it unless God told me to. (Remember the teaching about "God told me to tell you"?) So, I stayed back. After it was over, the second guessing and guilt set in. (ie: Maybe God had told me to be a part of it and I wasn't listening. Maybe someone's life depended on me stepping forth on my "believing".) Do you know how long I carried that guilt with me? I carried it until I came here and got a glimpse of what The Way was REALLY all about.

I thought there were 3 VP's, no?

I remember some guy "ministering" to me and thanking God for healing me from some obscure thing or another. When I told him I didn't have such a problem, he said, "Of course not, I just 'ministered' to you." :blink:

I remember being one of the few AC grads in the area and having people ask me to "minister" to them. (Only AC grads were supposed to "minister".) It got kinda weird sometimes. You could be in the middle of the shopping mall, when some believer would spot you and want you to "minister" to them right there in front of the wishing fountain. It was awkward, to say the least. Plus, what were you supposed to do when there was no great "revelation" smacking you upside the head? And what about all the times the shoe was on the other foot? Were they just making stuff up like you did for them?