Church teaching

I was taught to be unkind

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I was taught about false teachers.  False teachers are of the devil.  False teachers are of soothing words and sleepy listeners.  False teachers are false shepherds – intent only on the destruction of my soul for all eternity.

 

As I continue my journey I am finding that my fear of false teachers is less and less.   I see false teachers too often to fear anymore.  They are everywhere in all corners of my life.  They are not just in church.  They teach society, law, ethics, art, philosophy, science …

Teachers are not just teachers they are friends and strangers and enemies.  They are family, friends and foe.  And the biggest teacher of all is me.

I know.

Is the falsest teacher of all.

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“The kindness of not knowing”, justmebeingcurious

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“I was taught by church – by science – by society – by all around me … To Know – To Be Certain – To Be Sure – To See Evidence – To See No Evidence – To Be Sure – To Be Certain – To Make Up My Mind – To Declare And Defend My Position – To Take A Side – To Be One Or The Other …

And in that teaching I was taught to be unkind.

I was NEVER taught NOT to know.”

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I was taught that not knowing is weakness.  I was taught that I must be correct.  Which means I am either right or I am wrong.  But what is right and wrong if not just the current “majority view” (in and of this world)?

Right and wrong changes.

Slavery was okay.  Loads of possessions wives was okay.  Swearing was okay.  The death penalty was okay.  Burning witches was okay.  Child labour was okay. So much was okay that now is not.  So much that is still not (that one day will be).

I think we forget love without condition when we worry about everything BUT kindness … everything but NOT knowing.

We are taught about the “evidence” of the bible – the false evidence of science (and the same for both – in reverse – by “the other side”).  We are taught about the right or wrong of different faiths and of no faiths.  We are taught and teach all of that “I am right and you are wrong” stuff …

And in that teaching I was taught to be unkind.

But isn’t that …

The biggest “false teaching” of all?

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This Easter Sunday …

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“My teaching as a Christian was that these past three days were busy days not sad days. That the deceased Son of God was busy visiting dead people – saving all those dead people who had died before the cross and all that – saving the ones who should have been saved throughout time before the cross – the ones who weren’t saved because there hadn’t been a cross – and now there was …?

Well Jesus was busy retro fitting saving.”

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PARTEEEEE … !

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I was taught that today the party is in church.  Well …

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“This Easter Sunday I am not going to church.”

 

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(why not invest a couple of minutes in finding out why … )

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That is the choice of the living, paulfg

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Happy Easter

🙂

 

Paul

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”Relationship Counselling” – one committee at a time

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There are teachers. And there are “teachers”.

We have lots of teachers. Teachers are taught the right way and the wrong way. Teachers then teach the right way and the wrong way. It means everyone passes or fails. A lot us of us fail.

We have fewer “teachers” who see “each of us” and who are “one of us”. Who see sitting in the class no different to leading the class. Those kind of “teachers”.

Sadly there are a lot of knowledge teachers in church. Which is odd. Because all these teachers direct all of us to verses like this:

On another sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and taught, and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees watched him to see whether he would cure on the sabbath, so that they might find an accusation against him. Even though he knew what they were thinking, he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Come and stand here.” He got up and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to destroy it?” After looking around at all of them, he said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was restored. But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus. Luke 6:6-11

We are directed by our teachers to know about “The Teacher” in action. Knowledge is easy. Too easy. The sad thing?

So is Love.

Once you get your head around NOT having to pass or fail at that as well. Love is not just knowledge. Love is more than knowledge. Because how do you teach someone how to Love unless you love them first? And that takes time. That takes “love” rather than just knowledge. And we don’t seem to “teach that” way of doing things. Knowledge is easy. Too easy. You can pass or fail when you teach and test knowledge.

And teachers who teach (so often) seem to have been taught only that. Churches (so often) seem to know only that. And congregations (so often) are given only that. Are taught a “God of knowledge” by “teachers of knowledge”. So the very place of “relationship with God” is so often the very place where relationship is only “knowledge about”. The very place where Love is “knowing about”. And congregations wonder why it is so unfulfilling.  And the Church wonders why the world gives it a wide berth (apart from weddings and funerals – and sometimes christenings).

And so the Church goes to ”relationship counselling” (one committee at a time):

How do we get our message across so “they” understand? How do we continue to do what “we” do – and convince “them” we are right? How can we connect this knowledge with sinners, bad people, lost people – all the long list we don’t want corrupting us? How do we fill the pews (and just how do we fill our bank balances again)? Because this is about God! It is a righteous calling! We are right! We are saved! We are commanded to do this! How do we get our beautiful message across: We are right – and You are wrong?

With “a client” like that, any sane counsellor might think they had an uphill struggle!

Because the very “God” the Church is in love with, is a God all neatly wrapped up in holy scripture, righteous rules, and sacred spaces. Spaces we enter in fear and dread in case we offend God. An intellectual God taught by intellectual teachers to an increasingly disillusioned world.

A world that DOES know what Love is (and is not). Who knows real relationship (far better than the pretend relationship on offer in Church). A world that sees “relationship” with a God to be feared, to be scared of, to be careful of, who will judge you, who will send you to Hell if you dress the wrong way, speak the wrong way, mix with the wrong kind, are the wrong kind … who see this invitation of “All Are Welcome” to be riddled with rules.

Because that is not Relationship. That is not Freedom. That is not Love. That is not God set free – that is not Church set free – that is no one set free!

And the saddest thing of all? The very “Teacher” we are taught is the answer – is taught by the very same Church who cannot find “The Answer”!

And that is just plain weird!

So let’s bring God back to life. Let’s set church free to be what “The Teacher” taught and loved. Who loves each of us as we are – where we are – and what we are – who is The Answer (and not just for one hour each week).

Or is that too much “freedom”?