MK forum

An excellent quote.

I remember listening day after day to conversations about the "status" of people we knew, people we didn't know and people who were related to people around us. Everyone was divided up into "they are faithful" or "they are not walking with the Lord". In hindsight it really amounted to, "they are doing what they have been told to and are not questioning" and "they are thinking for themselves".
And over the years it became evident that no matter how humane and wonderful a person was, if they weren't towing the set line, then they were denigrated with labels such as "being unfaithful".
And this is where it all went so wrong, because all paedophiles had to do was to spout the right phrases and mantras and blind eyes would be cast over their criminal actions.

This is the sort of logic that pervaded my relationship with my parents and the mode that they are still stuck in. I'll illustrate this with a "parable":

Parent: What did you do today?
Bemused: I was walking past the local school and saw it was on fire, so I raced in and got 10 kids to safety, then I noticed the teacher was missing, so I went back into the burning building and pulled her out. But she had a heart attack and I had to perform open heart surgery with my pocket knife. President Obama heard about it and rang me to offer me a purple heart.
Parent: Were you faithful and witness to any of those people? Son I want to share with you about your Bitter Spirit.

Except this parable can't be true, because the first question was rarely asked!

Dear Bemused

I regret to inform you that TRUTH is of NO consequence. MONEY is.

Your frozen friend in the North

Too right!!!!!!

I think I see where Bemused is coming from. It is really sad that parents got so involved with their "ministries" that they didn't even think to ask how their kids day was!!!!! Just packed them off to boarding school and let Uncle and Aunt care for them in a loving environment. No wonder we have many ageing parents who are wondering why their families have disintegrated and their adult children have little to do with them. They have reaped what they have sowed!!!!!

Except it wasn't a loving environment at all, was it?

Thanks, yes that is it.
My personal experience was that there were Adult male egos that needed to be pandered to and these egos were stroked at the expense of subservient wives and children that were seen but not heard.

I remember sitting at a friends family meal table and the parents asking in turn each of their children how their day was and listening as each little person gave an account of the highlights of their day.
When I search my foggy memory for similar actions in my own MK existence, I can't recall that happening. It was all about "the work", "the ministry" and somehow kids were just along to make up the numbers and smile on the prayercards to create the illusion of a happy family giving their all, who needed $$$$ to . . . .

My friends kids turned out fine, they still have a family and they are still interested in what each other does in their daily lives.
That is not the case for me.

P.s. Dear Frozen friend from the North. It is winter here and this is South. So it should be Summer up there. What happened to global warming?

From the NTM-USA Executive Board:

"We have some very sad and unexpected news to share with you. We just learned that Bill Hurley, the full time Director of Missions at Reston Bible Church and a member of our USA Executive Board died yesterday of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. We have no other details."

Bill Hurley was the one member of the EB who was not also a member of NTM.

He was the father of pro golfer Billy Hurley. Without a doubt this is a time of shock and deep grief for the family and all who knew Bill.


http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/go ... /31631079/

Is it just me or am I perplexed by this announcement and it's failure to extend sympathies to the bereaved family?

If someone serves you or works for you, it is common courtesy to publicly express gratitude and condolence.

And there is quite a bit more to this story, by simply using google.

Oh no, it's not just you, Bemused.

There are many things about all this that perplex me.

My condolences to the family

Thank you, All better