.....But I LOVE my fellowship

[bliss]

I posted this is the Adv. class section in response to a newbie here at GS who is going back to fellowship because, they love their fellowship, and everyone is cool...............

So I thought to post it here to help at least one person see this from another perspective( and since it was off topic in Adv Class)

As a new "outie" I have to comment.

I loved my fellowship too. The rank and file usually are the best, they all want to "do the Word" and love God.

That was always an issue for us as to why we didn't leave years ago............"but we love our fellowship".

So what was the issue then? What must it be to leave?

The only way I know how to describe it, is in a parable (call me JC for a moment, humor me)

.............here it is

There is a man, that loved McDonalds food.

Ate there at least once a week. Even got the salads!

Ended up talking to his best friend who needed a job, told him about McDonalds and how great it was, and so his friend got a job there,worked hard and eventually bought his own!

Now the man visited his friend's McDonalds 4 times a week.

After a while the man started getting fat. And felt sluggish.

But he kept going because he loved the food, and his friend.

His friend supports his family and mother and grandma, and makes a good living finally.

One day, the man starts to do research about health and the foods he ate.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaahhhhhhhhhhh! "He should not be eating the food from Mc'D's, its fattening,

and who knows what makes those french fries taste so good." he said.

He tells his friend that the food he's making needs to be healthier, and what could he do about it. After all, he is the owner.

His friend says he can't change the igredients, they are already made up, that is what make McD's so great!

He would lose all his customers if they changed.

Now the man, writes a letter to HQ of Mc'D's. The response was less than desirable:

"We have changed, to 100% vegetable oil. You should be happy. But people come to us because of the flavor.

You don't have to eat our food, but there is nothing else out there like us!"

He was upset and decided to give it another wirl, and went back to McD's for another few months.

Still felt yucky.

Decided to dig a little deeper into the Mc'D's secret ingredients.

Come to find out, it is worse than he thought. Terrible farming practices, slave labor, hormonal cows, dangerous meat packing plants (where injuries are swept under the rug) and addictive flavoring agents,

the list goes on and on.............

What does the man do?

He LOVES his freind, he wants to support his friends restaurant that has given him a better life.

But he cannot support the company of Mc'D's. It is unhealthy and hurts the people eating it, and those that work for them.

We are like that man. Our fellowships ( most of us) were like that restaurant. The owner is the fellowship coordinator. HQ well, is HQ

Do you stay just because you love your friend? Just because the food tastes good?

That is a choice most of us had to make.

I couldn't support the machine of the ministry and its bad practices. What I thought was good spiritual food, was really bad for me. No matter how much I loved the people or my "fellowship".

The choice is yours. But make sure it's for the right reasons. Loving my fellowship was not enough for me!

While I was ignorant, it was only bliss for a while....................

( no offence to any McDonald's employers or ees, or eaters! )

--------------------

A KISS~ "A peculiar proposition. Of no use to one, yet absolute bliss to two." (v.p.i skipper) :P :P

Edited December 2, 2005 by bliss

[dmiller]

I saw this on the other thread too.

An apt analogy! ;)

The only way I know how to describe it, is in a parable (call me JC for a moment, humor me)

Consider thyself *humored!!

David

[Digitalis]

Bliss ....... great analogy

It seems I spent 80 years tied to TWI but I am of course I am only half that age and TWI hasn't been around that long. But to me it seems it was an eternity.

I came to the same conclusions ...... how unhealthy it was. I even tried to change the recipe, tried to find those who were marked and avoided or withdrawn and seperated from us and show our limb that they weren't homos or that we had no right getting into the financial affairs ....... that they are still Gods children and we are responsble to reach out and find even that one lost sheep.

Well it finally dawned on me ........ the people who were marked and avoided weren't lost it was TWI, and TWI flat out refused to listen to reason, refused help ......... they left no open door to work with them to come to the light of the word.

Jesus Christ told his disciples if people were unwilling to accept them and listen to the word they had to offer to wipe the dust off their feet and move on. So I moved on.

Digi

[mstar1]

Do you stay just because you love your friend?

Friend is certainly a word that has been bastardized by TWI.

If these 'friends' were to practice what they preach, love and friendship wouldnt be predicated on circumstances (whether or not you come to my fellowship/restaurant or not) but be unconditional.

Many of us saw just how 'unconditional" it was when we left -being ostracized by some people we thought to be friends. Most were no more than acquaintances that we loitered around with, had experiences with and due to lack of real world contact somehow equated that into "friends'

Leaving imo would actually be a good way to sort out the real friends from the phonies and control freaks

....a friend loveth at ALL times

[dmiller]

If these 'friends' were to practice what they preach, love and friendship wouldnt be predicated on circumstances (whether or not you come to my fellowship/restaurant or not) but be unconditional.

and ----

Many of us saw just how 'unconditional" it was when we left -being ostracized by some people we thought to be friends. Most were no more than acquaintances that we loitered around with, had experiences with and due to lack of real world contact somehow equated that into "friends'

Mstar -- Hmmmmm. Gotta think about this, but my gut feeling is

me-thinks you are right.

David

[washingtonweather]

its called emotional blackmail

[Grace Valerie Claire]

On 12/2/2005 at 4:47 AM, Digitalis said:

Bliss ....... great analogy

It seems I spent 80 years tied to TWI but I am of course I am only half that age and TWI hasn't been around that long. But to me it seems it was an eternity.

I came to the same conclusions ...... how unhealthy it was. I even tried to change the recipe, tried to find those who were marked and avoided or withdrawn and seperated from us and show our limb that they weren't homos or that we had no right getting into the financial affairs ....... that they are still Gods children and we are responsble to reach out and find even that one lost sheep.

Well it finally dawned on me ........ the people who were marked and avoided weren't lost it was TWI, and TWI flat out refused to listen to reason, refused help ......... they left no open door to work with them to come to the light of the word.

Jesus Christ told his disciples if people were unwilling to accept them and listen to the word they had to offer to wipe the dust off their feet and move on. So I moved on.

Digi

Digi, good for you!!!  I left years ago, and have never looked back!