Kindred Spirits Retreats-1001 Worshiping Community- " have mercy on some"

There were these among the church in her early days:

These are the men who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever (Jude 12-13).

The church has always been so troubled:

 Kindred Spirits, a 1001 New Worshiping Community, although involved in spirituality, is not a Christian ministry.[1] The organization, Kindred Spirits Retreats, offers get-togethers for small groups for dinner encounters and retreats for gay men including those who are bisexual and transgender. Their spirituality is best expressed on a different site, Men of Spirit. As part of their retreats description they state, “Kindred Spirit Retreats are not affiliated with any religious organization or structured pattern of belief. Kindred Spirit Retreats is a personal growth community that creates a space for gay men to build friendships, receive encouraging support, and self-discovery.”

Kindred Spirit Retreats seems to have some connection to Men of Spirit, thanking them on their Facebook page for updating their links. Men of Spirit lists events for several groups including a nude yoga event and training events entitled “Power, surrender and intimacy.” The latter is about sadomasochism.

I could write more on this but it is ugly and as far away from the loveliness of Jesus Christ as alternative spiritualties can be.

The two founders of Kindred Spirits, Chris Caldwell and James Tvarian, are also leaders with “Other Sheep,” an organization that uses the verse in John (10:16) about Jesus having other sheep as a reference to the gay community.  Other Sheep is a global organization that offers the book, “The Children Are Free,” on their web site. The book, among other ideas, suggests that Ruth and Naomi as well as David and Jonathan were romantically involved.

There is a link to Christianity because Chris Caldwell has a background in evangelicalism and is now director of information and technology at a United Church of Christ in Claremont. The church on their about us page answers the question “what if I don’t believe in the Trinity?” with:

“That’s OK.  Our members have varying views of the Trinity, the Divinity of Jesus, the existence of heaven and hell and many other “doctrinal” issues.  We are a non-creedal congregation, believing that creeds are “testaments of faith” not “tests of faith.  It’s more important that we discern how to answer Jesus call to “follow me” than it is to believe the right dogma.”

Jude gives the description, the Holy Spirit through Jude’s book also gives the solution:

“But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they were saying to you, “In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own lusts.” These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly minded, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh (17-23).

Jude goes on to remind the believer that our God is able to keep us from stumbling and that His is the “glory, majesty, dominion and authority.

The 1001 Worshiping Communities would be a good thing, in many cases it is, if it had essentials and boundaries for those who participate. But because there is none the movement’s communities, within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), will simply add to the drift toward meaninglessness and even in a few cases touch evil.

The broken among us are left to whither and die because our compassion is not tied to Christ and His word.

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[1] This is the old web site http://cjguyz.wix.com/kindredspiritsfaith