Here, in these questions that damage our self esteem we are reading the teachings of the Agents of Social Control( Social control is the pattern, suggestions, persuasion, restraint and coercion by whatever means including physical force by which a society brings into conformity to the approved pattern of behavior.)
– one of which is Church/Religion.
These agencies are themselves victim of themselves for they too, are formed by the edifices of control. If they are afraid of something then we also ought/must be afraid.
PaulFg asks
“Is the mission of disciple-making more of the same? Making sure “they” turn out just like they should – someone “God” would be proud to call his own?”
The concept of Disciple making is filtered from the hierachy down to the Servants of God and the answer is that unless we send out disciples which are the best in their class then it will not be good enough, they will miss the mark and fail to make those to whom they minister ” Perfect” little “yes sayers”, prisioners of their own bodies. In truth fractured siblings of christ.
And when we see ourselves as inadequate, we are meant to, since rather than doing our best which is acceptable to God we are taught that our best can never be good enough, because we are not good enough. AND WE BELIEVE THIS!
Or might a good disciple be one freed of fear? The fear of not being good enough, perfect enough, knowledgeable enough?
Religion – measure, rule or regulations, determine our walk through fearful Faith by ensuring that the Measure is too high to reach, that we are imperfect, not good enough to pass the tests.
A good disciple is one who is free from fear, communicating with the Author of creation, those who have overthrown their consciences and ignore the fear of those who are determined to create a disciple in their own image.
One who understands that those Agents try to make everyone conform to the understanding of their times. This is the Overthrowing of conscience, when we nolonger heed our blind guides nor bow to peer pressure. When we choose to take the leap into the unknown, into the hands of the Father.
PaulF goes onto say
God doesn’t counsel me, nor mentor me, nor guide me, nor reprimand me, nor all of that expected stuff.
He shreds the bible for me. He rips up the rulebook for me. He is there at 3.00am. And he is not Google. He connects in the moment. In the present whenever I call in the present. He doesn’t feed me solutions, he feeds me love. He doesn’t fear me leaving him – that is not who he is.” Source: He shreds the Bible for me
God does guide us in God’s love and light but this guiding has nothing to do with the false concepts of our worldly Masters.
5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5 NIV)
So having leapt into the darkness through true belief in God we are received by the Light of the true kingdom. Yes, John goes on to measure us against the goodness of God when the good God only desires us to be the best we can. ( Authors make mistakes, they are also captives of the Agencies of their times) In becoming our best we are the best, whether or not our best is great or small. God guides us to become our true selves, the ones he has called to be his children.
He shreds the bible for me. He rips up the rulebook for me. He is there at 3.00am. And he is not Google. He connects in the moment. In the present whenever I call in the present. He doesn’t feed me solutions, he feeds me love. He doesn’t fear me leaving him – that is not who he is.” Source: He shreds the Bible for me
Those rules we believe are derived from Holy writ are not, but are derived from what the Agencies tell us the Holy Book says they are!
Scripture is not so much shreaded as stripped from all agency created regulations and allowed to speak the wisdom of God without the caveats of fear.
This they fear, Disciples, followers, who “Follow” rather than those that are led by a ring through their nose, in constant fear of the lash of the whip, who will go to any length to compromise their souls and wills so to avoid the penalty of thinking for themselves. Who then do they follow? Not God, but those who have made themselves gods.
God will be with us wherever that is and whatever time it is, at 3.00Am or 12.00 midnight. AND HIS WORD DOES NOT SAY OTHERWISE!
We are good enough because we are.
- First Image -Social control And Agencies of social control. 2018. Social control And Agencies of social control. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.slideshare.net/FaimaMoHammad/social-control-and-agencies-of-social-control. [Accessed 30 July 2018].
- Second image: YouTube. 2018. Europe’s Gothic Cathedrals – YouTube. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LU72-HtYKk. [Accessed 30 July 2018].
Just me being curious 