Leap blogging

I’m glad Christmas is over.
Did family stuff this year for the holiday, and it was stressful. Funny how we tend to fall into old sibling rivalry patterns. Aware of that built in flaw, I tried this year to stay more in each moment and be more conscious of my patterns of re-acting instead of being pro-active. There were unexpected moments of joy,  and I am grateful. When I messed up, I was forgiven and I forgave myself.  
Got home and slept for 14 hours, woke up to the end of a dream with an old gospel song ringing through the dream building I was wandering through…”Until Then.” 

Today I’ve actually watched TV, something I do rare do deliberately  - flipped over to The History Channel and sat like a zombie in front of the Axman series.  I think I’ve now seen them all.
I finally figured out what Sherm was laughing at over Christmas - Impolitical has it listed - #1.

Jordon Cooper hasn’t been taking a break from blogging , and he has his top ten list of favorite bloggers up. I can’t do those kinds of lists, they’d be too long.:^) 
Religion Dispatches has a top ten list for end of the year reading, PJ Miller noticed the top stories of 2008 as chosen by The US Religious Writers Association.   LT posted his top blog stories of 2008 and I’ve been thinking about what he said, because his responses and  concerns more closely mirror mine and we have similar observations about currents in Canadian culture. I tend to direct my attention intensely to a few things rather than many.  When LT puts his mind to a topic, it is well covered. Two is not less than a top ten list.

The two stories I’d pick here at BDBO for 2008 would be the Lakeland Revival and Mercy Ministries International.
I think Lakeland and Mercy Ministries International grab my attention not only theologically and spiritually;  I’ve been intrigued with how media played and plays an important part of each story.  They grabbed my attention because of the harm done in God’s name. 
In the case of Lakeland, it was the relentless, controlled cross-media use, the planned, organized willful trolling for needy unaware people.  
Equally interesting was the surprisingly strong  online outcry from mature believers all over the world. The voices of Christians from various streams, denominations and cultures giving solid apologetic responses was something even the most organized well financed effort could not silence. While I think there will be more man-made revivals, more leeching and robbing as our economic situations change; I think the church universal has learned to use the same tools, in a triage of Love I’ve only ever seen so powerfully on local levels until this year and this event. 
I remain struck with the brazen unholy boldness of authoritarian greed and how skillfully we can be manipulated.

In the case of Mercy Ministries International I was impressed Australian media did not give up on a couple of courageous women who stepped forward and said ‘this was abuse.’  And because a few wanted so much to reach a place of health and inter-dependence, more have stepped forward and said, ‘me too.’ This story has continued to eat away at the edges of my consciousness for a couple of reasons.

While a few reporters in the US have attempted to point out what is flawed with the MMI model, they have not been able to crack the home base; the response from this ‘ministry’ has been no less relentless than Lakeland toward critics. If that is not a warning flag I don’t know what is. Rather than acknowledge harm and openly address failure and personalities; the tactic has been to put out positive spin. The techniques used to try to silence critics have been zealous.  As the economy continues to tank I think groups such as Mercy Ministries International will be able to get away with quiet abuses - and desperate families and young women will acquiesce; for without knowledge, awareness or the financial ability to seek alternatives, what are the alternatives?  I think it is important to ask any group we seek help from at least the following questions:

1. Do you abide by a Code of Conduct that outlines client rights? Can I have a copy?
2. Do you have professional indemnity and public liability insurance?
3. Are you a financial member of an accredited professional body?
4. Do you receive regular professional supervision and guidance?
5. Are your qualifications from an accredited program?
6. Have you completed your training as a counsellor?

What are your top religious stories of 2008?