Against the LC Practice of Prophesying

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by Freedom

I think you make a good analogy. Even with simple things, I think most in the LC have learned not to ask "why".

An example that comes to mind is how over the past few years, I've seen an increased push to get everyone to do PSRP. Even before I had many concerns about the LC, this practice of PSRP struck me as somewhat odd. I had gone to a few meetings where I realized later that what they had us doing during the meeting was PSRP. I remember during a semi-annual training, during the study session, we used the whole time to pray-read and memorize the outline. Now that was pretty boring, and I was also quite troubled.

Anyways, getting back to what I was saying, if I were to actually ask why PSRP is something that we need to do, I'm sure they wouldn't like that. In fact, it could be consider attacking WL's ministry, because he was the one who said to do PSRP.

I quoted this post on this thread because it really belongs here and I wanted to put us back on topic.

Freedom made a great point here. The LC practice of PSRP was never based on the scripture. Let me give a little history ...

After the storms and quarantines of the late 80's to early 90's, Lee began to teach his "high peak" theories, i.e. that we become baby-gods. His outlines at this time (~ mid 90's) became extremely complex and long-winded treaties. The titles themselves were often a paragraph in length. They were like chewing cellulose insulation, which is exactly what those outlines should have been used for. I think it was some of the full-timer zealots from Taiwan that came up with the PSRP practices in order to get into Lee's outlines. What started during an Anaheim training, eventually spread, by decree, to all the LC's.

PSRP stood for Pray-read, Study, Recite, Prophesy. The first three were designed to be done in a small group session -- pray-read the outline, study the outline, and recite the outline from memory. Notice that these had nothing to do with the Bible, but with Lee's esoteric "high peak" outlines. From that group time together, each participant would prepare a "prophecy" for speaking in the training meetings.

I still remember the time one of our fervent saints brought this new-found practice back to town. It really was what aron would call a "charismatic" experience. We were exhorted to shout, repeat, amen, and get ourselves all worked up. There was little prayer, but lots of jubilant repetition. It was fun for a while, but provided little spiritual substance. In the GLA, it came and went fairly quickly. So I was surprised when Freedom said the LC's actually still do that. It's no wonder they know the scripture so poorly, but have been convinced they know it so well.

[Freedom]

Originally Posted by Ohio

I quoted this post on this thread because it really belongs here and I wanted to put us back on topic.

Freedom made a great point here. The LC practice of PSRP was never based on the scripture. Let me give a little history ...

After the storms and quarantines of the late 80's to early 90's, Lee began to teach his "high peak" theories, i.e. that we become baby-gods. His outlines at this time (~ mid 90's) became extremely complex and long-winded treaties. The titles themselves were often a paragraph in length. They were like chewing cellulose insulation, which is exactly what those outlines should have been used for. I think it was some of the full-timer zealots from Taiwan that came up with the PSRP practices in order to get into Lee's outlines. What started during an Anaheim training, eventually spread, by decree, to all the LC's.

PSRP stood for Pray-read, Study, Recite, Prophesy. The first three were designed to be done in a small group session -- pray-read the outline, study the outline, and recite the outline from memory. Notice that these had nothing to do with the Bible, but with Lee's esoteric "high peak" outlines. From that group time together, each participant would prepare a "prophecy" for speaking in the training meetings.

I still remember the time one of our fervent saints brought this new-found practice back to town. It really was what aron would call a "charismatic" experience. We were exhorted to shout, repeat, amen, and get ourselves all worked up. There was little prayer, but lots of jubilant repetition. It was fun for a while, but provided little spiritual substance. In the GLA, it came and went fairly quickly. So I was surprised when Freedom said the LC's actually still do that. It's no wonder they know the scripture so poorly, but have been convinced they know it so well.

I have heard people make reference to the complexity of LC outlines, so I guess that fact doesn't come as a surprise to anyone. I have seen a bit of frustration that these outlines are too hard to understand or take in. I've seen many outline points that are at least a paragraph long which should have been broken up into multiple sentences, or better yet, multiple points. I've come to associate the "High Peak Truths" with wordy outlines that are essentially meaningless. If PSRP was invented to address that, then it's more understandable as to why that practice would be pushed. I have a simpler solution for them, however, that would be to get rid of their meaningless outlines.

As the practice of PSRP relates to "prophesying" in the meetings, it might helpful for someone who is hoping to parrot the ministry. Since that is something that so many like to do, I guess they need something like PSRP. I can't remember for sure, but I think I might have memorized the RcV outline for at least one book of the Bible. That is good for being able to speak from the ministry, but it's only good for that.

What I wanted to mention specifically is that this idea of memorizing or "digesting" the ministry can easily lead to someone having something to speak in a meeting. The ministry is full of clever statements will sound really good if spoken in a meeting. By contrast, when I read the Word, it doesn't automatically result in having something good to share in a meeting. The thought in the LC is that whatever you happen to read, whether it be the ministry or something in the Word, if you don't have something to speak from it, it means that you aren't enjoying it or you aren't really getting into it. I think that is a big fallacy. My experience when reading the Bible is that there are plenty of things that stand out to me. Most of the time, that is just God's speaking to me personally. That doesn't mean it is also what I should share with those around me. Have those in the LC ever considered that just because they "enjoyed" something, doesn't necessarily mean that they should share it in a meeting? I think the LC is full of speaking that is of little benefit because of this type of thinking.

[TLFisher]

Originally Posted by Ohio

I think it was some of the full-timer zealots from Taiwan that came up with the PSRP practices in order to get into Lee's outlines. What started during an Anaheim training, eventually spread, by decree, to all the LC's.

PSRP stood for Pray-read, Study, Recite, Prophesy. The first three were designed to be done in a small group session -- pray-read the outline, study the outline, and recite the outline from memory. Notice that these had nothing to do with the Bible, but with Lee's esoteric "high peak" outlines. From that group time together, each participant would prepare a "prophecy" for speaking in the training meetings.

I still remember the time one of our fervent saints brought this new-found practice back to town. It really was what aron would call a "charismatic" experience.

The locality I was meeting with in the NW at the time, the initial response to PSRP was like letting air out of a balloon. I could see in the faces of brothers it was as if they were thinking "here we go again". Yet faithful to embrace change as they had in a prior decade with the door knocking flow, brothers and sisters embraced PSRP. Frankly there's more spiritual benefit to memorizing verses or even memorizing 66 books of the Bible in order. All I ever got from PSRP is how to exalt a minister and his ministry.

[Freedom]

Originally Posted by Terry

The locality I was meeting with in the NW at the time, the initial response to PSRP was like letting air out of a balloon. I could see in the faces of brothers it was as if they were thinking "here we go again". Yet faithful to embrace change as they had in a prior decade with the door knocking flow, brothers and sisters embraced PSRP. Frankly there's more spiritual benefit to memorizing verses or even memorizing 66 books of the Bible in order. All I ever got from PSRP is how to exalt a minister and his ministry.

PSRP is one of those things everyone just goes along with to be "positive". I've never seen any attempt at it being implemented in a widespread way, rather it is something they try to sneak in here and there. I mentioned that some of the instances where I did it, I didn't realize that's what we were doing until after the fact. In other words, pray-reading and outline didn't strike me as odd while we were doing it. Once I realized what PSRP actually was, then I realized, yeah that is why we were pray-reading outlines. For what what ultimate purpose? I guess to make us prophecy better, since that is the last letter in the acronym.

When I attended some of the semi-annual trainings, they would have a "testing" time at the end of each message. The testing would be on the messages from the preceding day. They would hand out "study questions" that were supposed to prepare us for testing. As it turned out, most of the study questioned corresponded to points on the outline. So all the "testing" really accomplished was to demonstrate who would speak from the outline the best.

[TLFisher]

Originally Posted by Freedom

Once I realized what PSRP actually was, then I realized, yeah that is why we were pray-reading outlines.

Pray-reading outlines? As if to equate to scripture?

[Freedom]

Originally Posted by Terry

Pray-reading outlines? As if to equate to scripture?

That's what it seems like. I don't know if that has ever been a specific intention of PSRP, but the ministry has already been equated with the scriptures. Case and point: ask someone in the LC what the general subject of the book of Matthew is. Their response will likely be similar to the following: "The Gospel of the Kingdom -- Proving That Jesus Christ Is the King-Savior".