A Brush: 1st Fellowship in 18 Years

[SFSailor]

So there I was, 3 miles from shoal water in gale force winds, when I did something abysmally stupid and nearly died... No wait, that's another story. Let me rephrase.

So there I was in my car on I680 South cussing myself for being abysmally stuipid and getting involved again. I really hadn't intended to do it, but there was that old friend telling me how blessed I'd be. I wasn't in my heart to tell her my true feelings when she was so excited. It was amazed at how I started to remember all these little details of my TWI days as a boy/teenager, and the brief stint in 1987. Details that I wondered how I would be able to stomach now.

Just the commitment in time and gas was going to be tremendous. Since I have a special kind of hole in the water that needs constant attention, I don't even have a girlfriend or much of a social life. Where am I going to find the time to go to fellowship twice a week and all the other stuff? (BTW: Still looking for a nice girlfriend. Must enjoy being with a guy who works a lot, and like if he is set in his ways. A strong desire to Sand & Varnish is a must. The ability to Steer and maneuver around shoal water is a major plus! )

Intersparsed with my pessimism is a silent hope that maybe it's laid back, friendly and I'll meet some cool people. My worse if wiser self is telling me that those wonderful memories I have from the 70's are seen though a kid's eyes. All the BS and complications were mostly invisible to that kid I was...

I arrive. The fellowship consists of 4 people. A 5th can't make it for some reason. The guy who doesn't come is the actuall fellowship coordinator and this is the guest fellowship or something like that. The hosts have been FC's until recently. They moved a few blocks from the local FC. No need for 2 twigs in such a small place I guess. Oh and they don't call them twigs anymore I'm told.

The hosts are wonderful, friendly, loving, et cetera. The dude has his hair parted down the side and looks like a refugee from the 70's. It was like a time-warp in a way. They had the little cassette player with the Way music playing. It pretty much sucks as most holy roller music on TV does. There is a reason why this stuff isn't on the radio.

Another young man shows up. Mid twenties and cool enough. He's the official assistant FC. Yee ha. We get started. There is so few of us, I'm sweating they are going to call on me to speak in tongues. I'm a known PFAL grad. ....! I haven't thought of doing that for an audience in, uh, 18 years?

A prayer opens. A song, that I've never heard or sang before. I didn't like it as it really didn't seem like a happy song, or well composed from a musical standpoint. Weird tempo changes that made no sense to me, but whatever. The nice lady who is married to Mr. 70's Refugee is running the show, complete with waving her hand around to "direct" the song. I remember being 7 years old and thinking how cool it would be to do the hand wavy thing because it donoted that you were "in charge" and everyone was supposed to follow your lead. Never occured to me what that meant...

Now I'm watching her wave her hand around while we sing and I'm having a hard time not saying how stupid it is. My worse if wiser self is saying: "See the sublte messages of control?" Another prayer, then a SIT with interpretation by Mr. 70's Refugee. He opened his mouth and started mouthing the non-sensical sylables strung together with no real cadence or time. The repetition of the same sounds over and over a few times, then interpretation!

"And know for a certainty my children, I am a powerful and loving God..." et cetera et cetera.

I supressed an urge to giggle. It was the time-warp again. The same words that I'd heard 18 years and more ago. The same Old English phrasing that sounds real "Holy" but certainly isn't how God communicated to the the Apostles. I couldn't help but wonder why God doesn't speak to us in modern venacular.

The next guy spoke in tongues and he was better at it. It actually sounded more like a language, but considering he probably spoke 1 or 2 other languages, I guess that makes sense. His interpretation was about the same. Yee's and Thoughs and werefores. Same generic messages of 2 decades ago.

A word of Prophesy was next. Of course there was no prophesy of any kind contained therein. I didn't learn 1 single kernel of foreknowlege, but I got some more Old English. Thank GOD, they didn't ask me to do it. Someone was asked to pray for "Our Board of Trustees".

??? Thought I.

Then a teaching. This one was about financial freedom. I can give you the scripture references if you are interested. Needless to say, the ending remarks were of the wonderous principle of "Abundant Sharing" as the core to financial freedom. I wondered if they taught that for my benefit or was it on the agenda before I ever turned up.

A song, a prayer, and then 45 minutes of shooting the ...., more or less. I heard about various "cop-outs" who left TWI in it's time of need, but no names were mentioned. They were careful not to slam LCM real bad, in fact they seemed to be interested in how I'd word it. I was diplomatic and so were they. I got the impression he wasn't well liked by them but who knows.

I left that place feeling ok, but the cussing angry Sailor was lurking around trying to get some airtime.

But that is another story. <_<

SFSailor

[Jim]

They had the little cassette player with the Way music playing. It pretty much sucks as most holy roller music on TV does. There is a reason why this stuff isn't on the radio.

LOL.

Sounds about as much fun as the time I bent my mast out between the Berkeley Pier and Angel Island...

[T-Bone]

So there I was, 3 miles from shoal water in gale force winds, when I did something abysmally stupid and nearly died... No wait, that's another story. Let me rephrase.

So there I was in my car on I680 South cussing myself for being abysmally stuipid and getting involved again. I really hadn't intended to do it, but there was that old friend telling me how blessed I'd be. I wasn't in my heart to tell her my true feelings when she was so excited. It was amazed at how I started to remember all these little details of my TWI days as a boy/teenager, and the brief stint in 1987. Details that I wondered how I would be able to stomach now.

Sailor, are you sure your ship didn't run smack dab into the middle of the Devils' Triangle and you were transported back in time to that twig? That's exactly what happened in Close Encounters of the Third Kind !

Edited August 28, 2006 by T-Bone

[Oakspear]

...complete with waving her hand around to "direct" the song. I remember being 7 years old and thinking how cool it would be to do the hand wavy thing because it donoted that you were "in charge" and everyone was supposed to follow your lead. Never occured to me what that meant...

Hmmm...never thought of it that way. :huh: I always had to repress a shudder at the people with tin ears, with no ability to feel the beat, leading songs by randomly waving their hands around...or the same people in the "audience", who didn't understand what a downbeat was and sang a different tune than than everybody else.

[nolongerlurking]

Hey SFSailor and Jim!!!! We are neighbors. I live in Los Altos.

Yes, we have something else in common as well. We all seem to own one of those holes in the water. Note the avatar to the left.

Very, very interesting.....

[SFSailor]

Hey SFSailor and Jim!!!! We are neighbors. I live in Los Altos.

Hmm, very interesting. Maybe you know something about them I don't. I always like advice...

SFSailor

[SafariVista]

Thank GOD, they didn't ask me to do it.

Dear Sailor,

In order for you to be READY to manifest holy spirit in that VERY CLEAN fellowship, you will be required to go through a period of 'WATCHING', and re-learning.

Taking the 'NEW' classes will probably be imperative in your cleansing process, and a time period that will be determined by the LEADERSHIP in the area. They will BELIEVE God Almighty to let them know all about you, and what time period would be best for everyone involved.

All of your known actions, words and communications, including any questions will be discussed, as these things will let them know what is in your heart.

If you can make it through this grueling process, you may be up and manifesting in about a year! (maybe shorter for good behavior)

Good luck to you

[Belle]

Welcome

Prayer

Opening Song

Announcements

Song (optional)

Prayer

Manifestations

Prayer

Song

Teaching

Song

You are welcome to leave now

GAWD, I still remember M Harmon yelling that we should have AT LEAST two songs, but NOT MORE THAN four songs during fellowship. It was a relief to my fellowhip because we ALWAYS sang sooooo many songs. Whenever I led the meeting, we sang the obligatory TWO and that was it. We also cut out a bunch of the prayers. WTF do you need that many prayers in a meeting that's not supposed to last an hour??

There was a list of seven things lcm required be prayed for at every fellowship. Sounds like they're still doing that. Usually whoever is leading the meeting tries to get them all in so that you don't have to call on so many people to pray. With a group that small, it's a huge time-saver.

Sounds like you, Jim and NLL could have a MUCH BETTER "twig" on the water. Wish I could be there too!

[GT]

Reading how "fellowship" (aka twig) reminds me of how really stupid I was at one time.

Hopefully I'm better now, but the jury is still deliberating it...

[SFSailor]

Good luck to you

The good news is that I pulled the rip-cord and haven't spoken to them in a few months. No shed tears or emails asking what happened to me, or if I was alive or dead. In that end, that was truely what demonstrated how fscked up TWI is.

SFSailor

[GT]

In that end, that was truely what demonstrated how fscked up TWI is.

TWI is very talented in this area. They can demonstrate it in multi-colored, multi-dimensional, and multi-linguistic ways. They can't be with you more than 5 minutes without farting and letting you know their crap stinks.

Unfortunately, there are too many that refuse to smell the air once in awhile, or do smell it and blame it on the dog.

[likeaneagle]

GT- or blame it on the FOG