Hi Cathy, I'm sorry about what appened, I guess about the only powerful
thing you can do and are doing is to be kind and pray for her.  As for
healing and fear, well, I am afraid to ever get my sight back because I too
would be afraid of things comming close to me and all that.  Also I too
would wonder if people would give glory to God and if I would change.

Lelia


----- Original Message -----
From: "Kathy Du Bois" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, November 17, 2003 11:09 AM
Subject: The next chapter in Glenburn


> HI Guys,
> Well, I wanted to give you an account of what happened yesterday and, as
> always, thank you again for praying. Actually, the idea of healing went
> over really well. The people were open and reseptive, but, unfortunately,
> the devil was there as well in a most unexpected way. I'd like to tell
> you about it so that, maybe, you guys can help me sort this out. I'm just
> praying that I can be completely objective in my recording of what
> happened so that you guys can give the most discerning advice possible.
> We have a woman who attends our church who is very unique. She is the
> only black person in our congregation and she is also very, well,
> pentecostal. Maybe I could say Charismatic, but I do make a distinction
> between the two so I'll stick with pentecostal. She's almost 80 years old
> and she has always been extremely critical of the lack of spiritual
> activity in our church. To be honest, I agree with her to a point, but as
> Vinny pointed out in a post on Saturday, we are talking about stuffy New
> Englanders here. They don't get excited about anything or show much
> emotion in general so it isn't just lack of spirituality, it's cultural
> as well. This is something that I myself have had to get used too.
> Anyway, her history with our congregation has always been a challenge.
> Dotty loves to talk about how she has overcome prejudice, yet she is not
> above making comments like, "I love to make white meat serve me," if
> someone offers to bring her something to eat in the fellowship hall. She
> doesn't drive, and never has, but our people are always willing to give
> her rides and, in genral, be nice to her even though she can be outspoken
> and a bit crass at times. She's not very well educated and has a lot of
> trouble reading so bible study is difficult, but she really understands
> spiritual matters and she has a bold witness, which turns many people
> off, but has also been fruitful. No one at church doubts her
> spirituality, but, to be truthful, I believe that she is also one of the
> reasons that people have been afraid to become more familiar with the
> holy spirit. I think that they are afraid that they will become like her,
> and they don't want that. She can be so outspoken and critical and blunt
> and, unfortunately, unwilling to change.
> Dotty, is also the person who has said that my blindness is what is
> holding this church back and, in the past, she has told Greg that I just
> haven't been healed because I don't want to be healed and I just don't
> have enough faith. Okay, I think that the stage is sufficiently set for
> what happened yesterday.
> ALPHA is set up so that there is a talk, ours happens to be on video,
> though it could be given in person, and then we usually break into small
> groups for discussion and bible study and prayer. After that, we eat
> together to build on community. Yesterday, we had the people stay in one
> group. Greg allowed a little questioning, but we really wanted to move
> into prayer. Remember, I had explained before that our people were
> willing to talk about faith and the holy spirit, but hesitant to put
> their faith into action. We didn't want that to happen yesterday. Before
> we could start asking about who would like to have prayer, however, Dotty
> stood up and came down from the back of the church. She seemed, to me at
> least, to have a combative attitude, as if we were going to argue with
> what she was about to say. She wanted to relate her experience of being
> healed from Asthma. She does still have other health issues, such as
> diabetes, high blood pressure, she has had a hip replaced and she is
> having some trouble with her eyes, but hey, she is almost 80, as I said
> earlier. We can't last forever. Anyway, she came down front and said that
> she had gone to a healer at a pentecostal church and was slain in the
> spirit for an hour and then was healed of her asthma. No one doubts her
> story. It's what she said next and the way that she behaved that was the
> difficulty. She said that she was healed because of her strong faith in
> Jesus Christ. When Greg tried to explain that God healed her for His
> purposes and His reasons, she became really angry. She went to the back
> of the church and started yelling about the problem with this church is
> that we don't believe in the holy spirit. Well, After that, a really
> timid elderly woman said that she had been experiencing back problems and
> could we pray about that, and we were off. The next woman had us pray
> about her high blood pressure and she also asked about praying for me.
> People were Eager to participate, all but Dotty who refused to join in
> and then left, called her daughter to come and get her. She refused to
> stay for lunch.
> Greg and another woman went out into the parking lot to try to talk with
> her, but she was really hostile. Later on, in the afternoon, she called
> me up and started on me. She said that she had called her friends and
> that she was right and I was wrong. I decided to try to explain again
> what her statement sounded like to us. I had hoped to give her a chance
> to explain herself better and, hopefully, clear up the misunderstanding.
> I said that when you say that it was your faith that healed you, it
> sounds like your taking some of the credit for what God did for you. Her
> response was, "Of course I'm taking some credit. It was my faith in Jesus
> Christ that healed me."
> I tried to talk to her from a biblical prospective about how healing
> isn't that cut and dried and I think she was starting to see my point,
> but then, her daughter started yelling and swearing at her to hang up on
> me and Dotty hung up and that's where it stands at this point.
> I suppose that you are wondering why Dotty even attends our church. Well,
> interestingly enough, the way that she tells it, this is the only church
> that taught her that Jesus Christ is God. Other churches that she has
> attended made a distinction between God and Jesus, God's son as if, in
> her understanding of the teaching, Jesus is less than God. Since I
> haven't heard what was said elsewhere, I can only go on what she tells
> us.
> Anyway, that's the next chapter in our story out here in Glenburn Maine.
> Our church took baby steps toward becoming more spiritual and it didn't
> go off without a hitch. I've left a lot out, but it was mostly attempts
> at conversation and, to be truthful, I'm just a little tired right now.
> Thanks again for your prayers, guys, through it all, yesterday was a good
> day.
> IN Him,
> Kathy
>
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