That sounds very different from our program where living together in a commune setting was the focal point of the experience.
Regardless of the the format, the focal point should have been God and the Lord Jesus Christ, building our relationship with God and living what was learned from instructional manual of life, the Bible.
Regardless of the the format, the focal point should have been God and the Lord Jesus Christ, building our relationship with God and living what was learned from instructional manual of life, the Bible.
I'm not quite sure why you feel a need to "spiritualize" a simple explanation of the organizational structure.
However, since that appears to be the approach you choose to take, the program was supposed to replicate life in the first century church.(ie: The Book of Acts)
...But on the other hand, we were given an evening off (maybe a Saturday?) and LCM mentioned that the Superbowl was on TV and we could watch if we wished. Some of us having no interest in that, or preferring quiet time/catching up time/sleep/laundry didn't go and watch TV. Next day we got a bolloxing because if we had had any real interest in The Word and in LCM as the MoG, we would have watched the Superbowl because it was of interest to him and we would then understand him better. Or some such. True!
I was never in residence, but I spent 5 years on Staff. One night, an announcement came over Founders Hall that the almighty Rev. Martindale was making a boxing match available on channel 5. That fight was only on premium channels, which we did not have in Founders Hall. I'm sure A/V did something to get it on TWI airwaves. Anyhoo....it was one of the most historical fights ever known in our time. Not because of the awesome fight, but because Mike Tyson ended the match early by biting the guy's ear. :huh:
I think it was damn funny. Here LCM was trying to present himself as a huge giver, and the fight ended early because of some stupid maniac.
I'm not quite sure why you feel a need to "spiritualize" a simple explanation of the organizational structure.
However, since that appears to be the approach you choose to take, the program was supposed to replicate life in the first century church.(ie: The Book of Acts)
If one insists on spiritualizing the organization,
one should be consistent and admit that, yes, the program was CLAIMED to replicate life in the first-century Christian church,
and therefore the Christians in the Book of Acts.
If one was to do that, one should be consistent and actually examine the Book of Acts, and compare it to the program.
Even a cursory review would show there was a huge DISCONNECT between the CLAIM- 1st century Christian church-
and the PROGRAM- which CLAIMED to be based on the 1st century Christian church at some points,
and at other points were claimed to be based on the US military and so on.
In the "Heart of the Way Corps" series, vpw HIMSELF mentioned the military claim WITHOUT making the 1st century claim.
He said OUTRIGHT that he looked at how the US military got commitment from its soldiers, and said he'd considered that
the military was bigger than God since it got more commitment from its people than God did. (He was, of course, using a
figure of speech about the military being bigger than God-sarcasm.)
Of course, if one accepts vpw's own claim that the corps was based on the US military
(and rejects vpw's own claim that the corps was based on the 1st century Christian church),
there's an additional problem.
vpw wanted the COMMITMENT of the military-but didn't study its structure to see how they did it successfully.
He has no background in the US military, and there was no ex-military advisor in twi designing the program, or
evaluating all aspects at the planning level, or vetting the steps. In fact, the first exposure to the REAL military with
the corps was early corps like John T entering the corps. How much did vpw value his input on what the early corps
should be like? In TW:LiL, vpw himself derides the training John T received in the military.
In conclusion, vpw claimed, at different times, to have based the early corps on the 1st century Christian church,
and on the US military. However, its lack of resemblance to EITHER indicates it was based on NEITHER.
vpw seems to have wanted a group of people to be committed and loyal, and used trappings of the 1st century Christian
church, or the US military, when either suited him, and discarded either when they didn't suit him.
========
Oh,
and before anyone "reads into" what I wrote,
that doesn't mean there weren't many fine, committed Christians who were IN that program.
I don't think their excellence as humans or as Christians can be attributed primarily to the program.
They were fine individuals before entering, and would have been so without it.
Even the most horrible programs, if quality people are allowed to join it, are bound to have a few
excellent grads. That's a matter of statistics, just as the most excellent program will eventually have
failures or "washouts." That's going to happen eventually no matter what, at SOME point.
That's why EXCEPTIONS are not to be considered the RULE.
(And, at least compared to later corps, the early corps was hardly "the most horrible" program.)
In light of your post, I would like to reiterate something I've said here before.
One of my biggest disappointments with the Fellow Laborer program was its failure to deliver an in-depth study of The Book of Acts.
One of the major promotions for the program was the promise of an in-depth academic and practical study of The Book of Acts.
When we would inquire about that issue, we would be told that revelation was constantly changing and that there was a more serious urgency to our times that needed to be addressed. This was, of course, during the time when all the conspiracy theories were running rampant. In other words, each teaching was supposedly relevant to that particular time and place.(ie; the years surrounding the Bicentennial)
I'm sure there are people who will question why we didn't simply undertake a study on our own. The simple answer to that is that we were scarcely even given time to "read The Word" much less embark on a special study project. Add to that, we were supposed to be reading from Ephesians on a daily basis. It's easy for someone who wasn't there to look at it and say "You should have done this." or "You should have done that." Back then it was about as clear as mud what we should or shouldn't have been doing.
...we would be told that revelation was constantly changing...
ie, the ministry was blown about by every wind of doctrine and happily funneled these to all the followers.
I'm sure there are people who will question why we didn't simply undertake a study on our own. The simple answer to that is that we were scarcely even given time to "read The Word" much less embark on a special study project. Add to that, we were supposed to be reading from Ephesians on a daily basis. It's easy for someone who wasn't there to look at it and say "You should have done this." or "You should have done that." Back then it was about as clear as mud what we should or shouldn't have been doing.
Never any end to the busy-work that they got everyone doing. Never any time for quiet contemplative time.
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So_Cal1
Regardless of the the format, the focal point should have been God and the Lord Jesus Christ, building our relationship with God and living what was learned from instructional manual of life, the Bible.
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waysider
I'm not quite sure why you feel a need to "spiritualize" a simple explanation of the organizational structure.
However, since that appears to be the approach you choose to take, the program was supposed to replicate life in the first century church.(ie: The Book of Acts)
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Nottawayfer
I was never in residence, but I spent 5 years on Staff. One night, an announcement came over Founders Hall that the almighty Rev. Martindale was making a boxing match available on channel 5. That fight was only on premium channels, which we did not have in Founders Hall. I'm sure A/V did something to get it on TWI airwaves. Anyhoo....it was one of the most historical fights ever known in our time. Not because of the awesome fight, but because Mike Tyson ended the match early by biting the guy's ear. :huh:
I think it was damn funny. Here LCM was trying to present himself as a huge giver, and the fight ended early because of some stupid maniac.
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WordWolf
If one insists on spiritualizing the organization,
one should be consistent and admit that, yes, the program was CLAIMED to replicate life in the first-century Christian church,
and therefore the Christians in the Book of Acts.
If one was to do that, one should be consistent and actually examine the Book of Acts, and compare it to the program.
Even a cursory review would show there was a huge DISCONNECT between the CLAIM- 1st century Christian church-
and the PROGRAM- which CLAIMED to be based on the 1st century Christian church at some points,
and at other points were claimed to be based on the US military and so on.
In the "Heart of the Way Corps" series, vpw HIMSELF mentioned the military claim WITHOUT making the 1st century claim.
He said OUTRIGHT that he looked at how the US military got commitment from its soldiers, and said he'd considered that
the military was bigger than God since it got more commitment from its people than God did. (He was, of course, using a
figure of speech about the military being bigger than God-sarcasm.)
Of course, if one accepts vpw's own claim that the corps was based on the US military
(and rejects vpw's own claim that the corps was based on the 1st century Christian church),
there's an additional problem.
vpw wanted the COMMITMENT of the military-but didn't study its structure to see how they did it successfully.
He has no background in the US military, and there was no ex-military advisor in twi designing the program, or
evaluating all aspects at the planning level, or vetting the steps. In fact, the first exposure to the REAL military with
the corps was early corps like John T entering the corps. How much did vpw value his input on what the early corps
should be like? In TW:LiL, vpw himself derides the training John T received in the military.
In conclusion, vpw claimed, at different times, to have based the early corps on the 1st century Christian church,
and on the US military. However, its lack of resemblance to EITHER indicates it was based on NEITHER.
vpw seems to have wanted a group of people to be committed and loyal, and used trappings of the 1st century Christian
church, or the US military, when either suited him, and discarded either when they didn't suit him.
========
Oh,
and before anyone "reads into" what I wrote,
that doesn't mean there weren't many fine, committed Christians who were IN that program.
I don't think their excellence as humans or as Christians can be attributed primarily to the program.
They were fine individuals before entering, and would have been so without it.
Even the most horrible programs, if quality people are allowed to join it, are bound to have a few
excellent grads. That's a matter of statistics, just as the most excellent program will eventually have
failures or "washouts." That's going to happen eventually no matter what, at SOME point.
That's why EXCEPTIONS are not to be considered the RULE.
(And, at least compared to later corps, the early corps was hardly "the most horrible" program.)
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waysider
WordWolf
In light of your post, I would like to reiterate something I've said here before.
One of my biggest disappointments with the Fellow Laborer program was its failure to deliver an in-depth study of The Book of Acts.
One of the major promotions for the program was the promise of an in-depth academic and practical study of The Book of Acts.
When we would inquire about that issue, we would be told that revelation was constantly changing and that there was a more serious urgency to our times that needed to be addressed. This was, of course, during the time when all the conspiracy theories were running rampant. In other words, each teaching was supposedly relevant to that particular time and place.(ie; the years surrounding the Bicentennial)
I'm sure there are people who will question why we didn't simply undertake a study on our own. The simple answer to that is that we were scarcely even given time to "read The Word" much less embark on a special study project. Add to that, we were supposed to be reading from Ephesians on a daily basis. It's easy for someone who wasn't there to look at it and say "You should have done this." or "You should have done that." Back then it was about as clear as mud what we should or shouldn't have been doing.
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Twinky
ie, the ministry was blown about by every wind of doctrine and happily funneled these to all the followers.
Never any end to the busy-work that they got everyone doing. Never any time for quiet contemplative time.
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