"Secret Life" Feedback #3

Just got some challenging and insightful feedback this morning...and will sift through it over thanksgiving...but here one of 2 more feedback emails that I have already assembled from last week from my email/blog entitled "My Secret Life of Discipleship". And just to exhibit someone else's need to "find other's" who are feeling this way, I'll start with this one...

 

"It is very nice (and yet scary) to know there is someone out there who is thinking like me. And I am glad you could make sense of my email. I re-read it this morning and wondered if it would be possible. Thank you for being there as well. You are in my prayers, brother." - a sister who feels like I do about all this feedback 

 

"I feel like this paragraph describes me completely. I am on both sides of every issue. I sit down with the desire to find rich truths differently than before, but I always revert back to my old ways. What I believed was truth, I am no longer sure is truth. I love the church I grew up in, but I don't want to be that church anymore. At this point, I am not sure I have any non-negotiables in terms of worship at this point (if I can even define what worship is anymore). I fear...express[ing] myself openly and yet at the same time, I want things to change drastically. I wonder how long I can live in this "co-existence" within myself and since I am so conflicted, forget about talking about myself. I feel somewhat stupid because there is a part of me that really believes after growing up in a church of Christ home, at a church of Christ school (4-12th grade), going to a church of Christ University, participating in numerous mission trips and being a baptized follower for 15 years I should not be this conflicted. There is part of me that desperately wants to delete your emails everytime I see them because I know they are going to push me further than I want to go (I have seriously closed your emails numerous times before actually reading them all the way through. And I have found myself checking the blog sight to read and re-read everything you say). So many Sundays and Wednesdays, I would prefer to completely check out of your sermons and ignore everything you and Doyle are saying and doing. I have no desire at all the leave Southwest, just a desire to be untouched and left alone. And yet, I can't. I can't because I see how different thing can be and should be and will be. I want to be a part of that. I want to jump off the cliff with all the confidence and faith in the world and see what happens. I want to know that I am serving the King as a response to his grace and not out of duty or guilt. I want to know Him more." - a 30ish sister life-long member of the Church of Christ

 

"My spiritual growth is nobody else's responsibility but mine. Having said that - where my leaders and teachers have failed me is in not teaching me HOW to take personal responsibility. They have failed me by refusing to disciple me (even when I've asked for it). To my leaders and teachers great shame, the "how-to's" of spiritual growth is something I've had to discover on my own. Just like how to witness effectively to the lost or how to live in community with other believers....and many other basic tenants of biblical Christianity. Without malice or anger I say that I've not been equipped by teachers or leaders within the institution to do much more that sit on a pew. Fortunately God is breaking through the intellectual fortress that is most Churches of Christ and He's finding obedient servants who are willing to step out in faith and be led by His Spirit rather than their own intellect. He's finding surrendered hearts who are truly seeking Him and truly desiring to live life to the full..." - 36ish father, married into the Church of Christ, converted from a deucedly worldly and evil lifestyle

 

"Because I have been out of the movement of churches of Christ for a few years and in our cousin branch of the Christian Churches I have a keener...more keen?...appreciation of my heritage and teachings on repentance and baptism as there is more of a vacuum on the topic over here. I agree there have been some imbalances over the years...partly because a majority of churches don't teach it as the bible does and we've reacted to that and headed to the other end of the scale - thus an imbalance." -40ish old college buddy, life-long member of Church of Christ except (obviously) for the last few years

 

"I was one of those kids that questioned why we didn't use instruments and asked very learned men, and after listening to their historical explanations, came away unconvinced, empty and unsure why in the world it was such a fellowship breaking deal!" - 40ish sister and life long member of the Church of Christ