Looks like I'm gonna pick a fight with my SP
Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2016 12:12 pm
I tend to be long winded, so I doubt I'll get all the story written at once.
TL;DR - SP recommended I read talk from GC. I read it, now I'm gonna write him an email
Sorry to leave y'all hangin, I gotta run. Be back with more. - OK I'm back.
Back ground. I'm trying to be evermore belligerent at church. Yesterday I wore a striped colored dress shirt, no tie. I'm currently sporting facial hair.
I covertly go to EQ with the purpose of being a troublemaker. I try to ask questions that cause others to think instead of making statements that wouldn't be well received.
Yesterday, I go to EQ. The normal announcements are made. The lesson teacher admits he didn't realize it was his turn that week and only became aware of his responsibility to teach 20 minutes prior to class. (YAY - Another boring lesson manual group read). I figure I'd attempt to do what I always do and stir the pot. It was another mostly dry lesson - HWH Teaching the Gospel. Comments were made about "if ye have not the spirit ye shall not teach", "teach by example", etc. Just your plain vanilla mormon diatribe.
I threw a few questions here and there. "How do we differentiate between feeling the spirit and emotions?" "If we must have the spirit to teach and the best way to teach is by example, how do we teach by example with the spirit?"
A lot of blank stares along with a few non-detailed commentary.
Mid-lesson, A senior citizen joins our class. Well dressed in a suit and grey hair everyone seems to give him a special "Hi, good to see you" Obviously he's a High Priest or Stake representative of some sorts, I don't know who he is.
The lesson continues, lots of boring and awkward pauses. I don't recall exactly how the conversation turned, but it made me think of my SIL. She was widowed with a 3 yr old daughter. She doesn't go to church because it's too painful, church doctrine isn't particularly helpful to a widowed single young mother. Her ward doesn't know how to help her and she feels/is very ostracized.
I share my SIL's situation with the class and do my best to explain why she feels on the outside. No one really understands why this is problematic. The visiting suit them chimes in with advice. Mrs Korihor and I need to have a strong relationship with her and help her feel loved. I inform the suit that Mrs Korihor and I have a very close relationship with her and are very supportive. He then continues that with good home teachers, she'll still have priesthood in her home and her ward needs to be there for her. He recommends I read a talk in the recent GC: Elder Nelson - Joy and Spiritual Survival.
Class ends and we head home. My EQP stops me in the hall to thank me for my insightful comments and keeping the discussion interesting. DAMMIT! I'm trying to stir the pot and cause problems and he thanks me for it! I tell him bluntly "My goal is to stir the pot a little, be careful what you wish for"
He says he glad because it helps people think a little more. I asked him who was the visiting suit in EQ. He said "Our new Stake President, President Newguy"
Huh. So there I am, no tie, colored shirt and a goatee - trying to ask insightful and controversial questions unknowingly with the SP.
Well, I'm gonna read and study that talk and send an email to my new SP that includes my thoughts about it. I'll cc: my EQP and BP. Let the games begin, support from the audience is welcomed and appreciated.
TL;DR - SP recommended I read talk from GC. I read it, now I'm gonna write him an email
Sorry to leave y'all hangin, I gotta run. Be back with more. - OK I'm back.
Back ground. I'm trying to be evermore belligerent at church. Yesterday I wore a striped colored dress shirt, no tie. I'm currently sporting facial hair.
I covertly go to EQ with the purpose of being a troublemaker. I try to ask questions that cause others to think instead of making statements that wouldn't be well received.
Yesterday, I go to EQ. The normal announcements are made. The lesson teacher admits he didn't realize it was his turn that week and only became aware of his responsibility to teach 20 minutes prior to class. (YAY - Another boring lesson manual group read). I figure I'd attempt to do what I always do and stir the pot. It was another mostly dry lesson - HWH Teaching the Gospel. Comments were made about "if ye have not the spirit ye shall not teach", "teach by example", etc. Just your plain vanilla mormon diatribe.
I threw a few questions here and there. "How do we differentiate between feeling the spirit and emotions?" "If we must have the spirit to teach and the best way to teach is by example, how do we teach by example with the spirit?"
A lot of blank stares along with a few non-detailed commentary.
Mid-lesson, A senior citizen joins our class. Well dressed in a suit and grey hair everyone seems to give him a special "Hi, good to see you" Obviously he's a High Priest or Stake representative of some sorts, I don't know who he is.
The lesson continues, lots of boring and awkward pauses. I don't recall exactly how the conversation turned, but it made me think of my SIL. She was widowed with a 3 yr old daughter. She doesn't go to church because it's too painful, church doctrine isn't particularly helpful to a widowed single young mother. Her ward doesn't know how to help her and she feels/is very ostracized.
I share my SIL's situation with the class and do my best to explain why she feels on the outside. No one really understands why this is problematic. The visiting suit them chimes in with advice. Mrs Korihor and I need to have a strong relationship with her and help her feel loved. I inform the suit that Mrs Korihor and I have a very close relationship with her and are very supportive. He then continues that with good home teachers, she'll still have priesthood in her home and her ward needs to be there for her. He recommends I read a talk in the recent GC: Elder Nelson - Joy and Spiritual Survival.
Class ends and we head home. My EQP stops me in the hall to thank me for my insightful comments and keeping the discussion interesting. DAMMIT! I'm trying to stir the pot and cause problems and he thanks me for it! I tell him bluntly "My goal is to stir the pot a little, be careful what you wish for"
He says he glad because it helps people think a little more. I asked him who was the visiting suit in EQ. He said "Our new Stake President, President Newguy"
Huh. So there I am, no tie, colored shirt and a goatee - trying to ask insightful and controversial questions unknowingly with the SP.
Well, I'm gonna read and study that talk and send an email to my new SP that includes my thoughts about it. I'll cc: my EQP and BP. Let the games begin, support from the audience is welcomed and appreciated.
