Handling change is hard

2Bob'sWorth,

I've so respected you to clearly hear

the other side of “argument” or “view”,

and seen God’s love and open-ness come near;

but this seems like a disconnected you.

I see that you feel hurt, and not consult-

-ed, things are changing faster than you’d like,

but if it’s really true the horse has bolt-

-ed, blaming people won't ease up our hike.

For it will only fester and brings pus,

it’s bitter root will not help bear the pain,

your cry did not encourage and help us

to clearer think, or love, or see again.

Such arrogant & rude things you've written,

like that email. I feel ashamed - and mad,

that asking no good questions, you’ve bitten,

and snarled at those who've loved and helped. I'm sad.

The grace of Jesus Christ to those who've worked

to help and serve you (and your fam-i-ly),

when you've been “bumped” appears not to have lurked

below the surface, but hell’s fires ... (James 3)?

For love, that poem says ain't arrogant,

or rude, or keeping records here of wrongs

another does; it prays they will repent,

they're already forgiven. 't suffers long.

So God, how can I help my brother now.

He might have offered to put on a “do”,

and work to help cross-pollination, “Wow!”

and pray to help us handle changes too!

I think I'll have to leave that all to you,

since he’s your boy, and you know how to spank,

to bring us to our senses, with ensue-

-ing sense of humour. Sometimes yours seems rank!

I s’pose I could just let him read this miss-,

-ive, letter, to him from the likes of me,

and if you choose to speak to him through this,

then I'd be glad (for you are who makes free!).

But if not, and miss-understandings come,

I guess I'd like for you to help me love,

and model that communication from

the heart of you, our Father, up above.

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Psalms 133:1‭, ‬3 NLT: How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! …  Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon that falls on the mountains of Zion. And there the Lord has pronounced his blessing, even life everlasting.

1 Corinthians 13:1‭-‬13 NLT: If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless. When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

James 3:5‭-‬18 NLT: ... the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring. If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.

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Albert’s (leadership) email to team members

Dear members. At our last leaders’ meeting, we decided not to have smaller specific retreats for all of …(our movement). Local communities are more than welcome to organise something if thay’d like to. They have been excellent and we have really appreciated the fellowship they’ve offered, but we’d like to allow regional areas to decide more what gatherings will best enhance their community and the way they serve the people around them

Bob’s (older person, been around for many yrs) response:

Just another step towards trying to break up … (this whole movement), remove the long history, and reduce the chance of learning new things from each other on how to forge a new direction in our core practice within our local teams!All the more reason to have an alternative association, to help us all grow in ... skills from each other - other than only by direction from the top!
"History repeats itself because we almost never learn from History

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