Hello :)

[The Prairie Tortoise]

Hello everyone

I'm so glad to have found this board. I suffered spiritual abuse in a word of faith church which I & my husband left nearly 5 years ago now.

It was absolutely the right thing to do, but it's had a profound effect on my life which I didn't expect. I feel depressed a lot of the time, and life feels like there's no point to it.

My avatar is the nearest thing I could find to a tortoise.

My screen name is from a girl who asked her mother why the vicar kept mentioning the prairie tortoise. The girl said, "Every Sunday the vicar says, 'and now we'll pray the prairie tortoise: Our Father...'"

xxxx

[Ontheroad]

Hi PT,

I like your name. Cute story behind it! :)

I'm glad you found this board. You've already contributed alot.

[Janice]

My screen name is from a girl who asked her mother why the vicar kept mentioning the prairie tortoise. The girl said, "Every Sunday the vicar says, 'and now we'll pray the prairie tortoise: Our Father...'"

xxxx[/QUOTE]

Welcome to the forum,

Forgive my ignorance please but, what is a "vicar" and what does the Lord's Prayer have to do with a prarie tortoise?
Sorry, I just don't get it. :confused:

[Jerry]

My screen name is from a girl who asked her mother why the vicar kept mentioning the prairie tortoise. The girl said, "Every Sunday the vicar says, 'and now we'll pray the prairie tortoise: Our Father...'"

xxxx

Welcome to the forum,

Forgive my ignorance please but, what is a "vicar" and what does the Lord's Prayer have to do with a prarie tortoise?
Sorry, I just don't get it. :confused:[/QUOTE]
Dear Janice,,,
Vicar = Pastor of the Anglican Church(Episcapol Church in the USA) ie;A priest with a wife :eek: :D
Love Jerry

[Kerrin]

Hello everyone

I'm so glad to have found this board. I suffered spiritual abuse in a word of faith church which I & my husband left nearly 5 years ago now.

It was absolutely the right thing to do, but it's had a profound effect on my life which I didn't expect. I feel depressed a lot of the time, and life feels like there's no point to it.

My avatar is the nearest thing I could find to a tortoise.

My screen name is from a girl who asked her mother why the vicar kept mentioning the prairie tortoise. The girl said, "Every Sunday the vicar says, 'and now we'll pray the prairie tortoise: Our Father...'"

xxxx :) Hi, Just wondering,seeing as you are from U,K,were you Anglican, (oranglecan's, as I call them)? :rolleyes:
Being in Australia our teaching/preaching would,ve been very similar,
Looking forward to hearing more of your experiences,
Kerrin

[Hope 98]

Prairie Tortoise....

Prayer He Taught Us (I assume)

:D

[The Prairie Tortoise]

Dear Ontheroad, Jerry, Kerrin, Hope & Janice

Thank you for your welcoming posts :)

Kerrin - when I first became a Christian, I went to a great charismatic church, but then I moved to a different part of the country when I married, and settled at a word of faith organisation for 7 years (the place where the abuse occurred). Since then I've gone to an Anglican church a few times. It made a refreshing change because the atmosphere was so different. You seem to be accepted for who you are, there was no hidden agenda (apart from raising money for repairs to the church spire...). Some people were friendly to us which was lovely. We don't go every week though. Somehow I can't quite get back into that kind of track. I miss the more expressive worship you get in charismatic places, but the words of the old hymns are just wonderful.

God bless

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Janice]

Prairie Tortoise....

Prayer He Taught Us (I assume)

:D

AHHHHHHHH, I get it now. Thanks! :D

[Janice]

Welcome to the forum,

Forgive my ignorance please but, what is a "vicar" and what does the Lord's Prayer have to do with a prarie tortoise?
Sorry, I just don't get it. :confused:
Dear Janice,,,
Vicar = Pastor of the Anglican Church(Episcapol Church in the USA) ie;A priest with a wife :eek: :D
Love Jerry[/QUOTE]

Thanks Jerry!

[Willow]

Now that I get the pun... this is unbelievably HILARIOUS!
Thanks PT... you made my day!!

Still chuckling.
Willow

[Janice]

Now that I get the pun... this is unbelievably HILARIOUS!
Thanks PT... you made my day!!

Still chuckling.
Willow


I thought it was hysterical myself :D :D :D

[Kerrin]

Dear Ontheroad, Jerry, Kerrin, Hope & Janice

. You seem to be accepted for who you are, there was no hidden agenda (apart from raising money for repairs to the church spire...). Some people were friendly to us which was lovely. We don't go every week though. Somehow I can't quite get back into that kind of track. I miss the more expressive worship you get in charismatic places, but the words of the old hymns are just wonderful.

God bless

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
:eek: Be careful. It's how I got sucked in. By all the religious pomp. WE had 2 services, one for those who liked the old style hymns and those of us who enjoyed the freedom in a more contemporary worship style, (Like "Hillsong" in Sydney, sort of,)

Anway our Pastor always referred to himself as charismatic!! It is still vey much an Anglican "religious" system that is killing people, although they don't think so.
JUst be careful,
love Kerrin
)It's easy to hide behind the hierarchy for them) :)

[The Prairie Tortoise]

Thank you, Kerrin, you're right. At the moment I feel that I'm so wary that I'd never get abused again, but of course you never can tell cos abuse often starts slowly.

The vicar of my local church seems quite unpushy. He called on us once but we were out, and he hasn't bothered to call again... He's quite high Anglican - I think he senses that we're from a 'lower' church background, but so long as that's ok with him, then his high church-ness is ok with us. Other things are more important to us, like kindness, for example. There was a distinct lack of that at the abusive place.

We haven't been for quite a few weeks now, so the big test will come when we do attend again. Will it be "Well, and where have you been all this time?" I really hope not. I won't be attending any church every-week-without-fail ever again, I don't think. I want to keep my freedom - well that's not the word really - my autonomy. Christians who haven't been through abuse would condemn that, but I hope you guys will understand.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Hope 98]

I won't be attending any church every-week-without-fail ever again, I don't think. I want to keep my freedom - well that's not the word really - my autonomy. Christians who haven't been through abuse would condemn that, but I hope you guys will understand.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Actually - I believe that FREEDOM is exactly the right word. Christ died to set us free.

Abuse imprisons.

Anything that imprisons is abuse.

[sprout]

its just all too cute to comment on...i wanna giggle and and have nobody tease me....but theres a seriousness behind the laughter and jokes....when some may seem blind. What does slow prayer mean? Is it too slow down to pray for what He whispers to pray for??? OR the patience to WAIT for what He tells ya to pray for.... I been workin on this A WHILE NOW....CANT TELL