I was raised and became a full-time minister in the non-instrumental Church of Christ. It was strongly formative for me and I'm grateful for the nurturing and objective Bible knowledge it gave me.
I began an unexpected personal development process in1981while participating in Clinical Pastoral. Education(CPE). This led me to a broader view of the Bible's nature and the Christ story than could fit the general COC point of view. That distance increased after I was released from my 8-year ministry in 1984.
I've sometimes felt resentful about the restrictions the COC perspective places on persons' spiritual growth and its tendency toward exclusion and divisiveness. And a natural, however long-time Unconscious, superiority its beliefs encouraged in me. And perhaps to the minds of other members through the years.
Dream: I was presently in a gathering and worship service of a mainline COC congregation. There were friendly conversations, and I had no interest in bringing up my differences in a perspective I once shared with them.
THOUGHTS:
I think the dream suggests me accepting that my development necessarily led me from the strong emotional ties I had with the COC until midlife. That I rightfully and gratefully can own the COC environment as my important religious heritage. I can drop any tendency to not respect the people there. And instead to engage with them as important and mutual brothers and sisters.
Note: One ministry that is part of this denomination is that of Landon Saunders. There is now a department bearing his name at Abelene Christian University. His more human-valuing emphasis was at the center of my 'growth spurt' in 1981. And his materials are ones I still respect and find consistent with my understanding of the 'spirit of Christ'
https://acu.edu/library/saunders-center/
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