What movement are we a part of, exactly?

In our preachings some of us still talk about being a part of The Move but I wonder to what extent this can be true. It seems to me that either we are not, or else The Move has moved as far as its doctrine is concerned. In discussing such things I have heard several people, like (somewhat dismissively) "oh, but we don't believe in that any more".

Not that the group of which I am a member has ever been hard-core Move, and of the group I suppose I am the least inclined to go along with all aspects of its teaching. Like being able to live without sin (if you can do it for a minute, surely you can for an hour, etc.) or a people that would not physically die. My mother taught me from an early age to be slow to form an opinion and not to take everything I heard as gospel. I only wish I could follow her advice more than I do.

Case in point that arose today - in Sam Fife's teaching Mystery of a man and a maid, he likens the physical union of man and woman to Christ and the church (as does the apostle Paul) but also to the "husband ministry" (elder, pastor, etc.) and the "bride" congregation, and here I quote (my emphasis):

Then going on, line upon line, and precept upon precept, until the time of the entering into the spiritual marriage chamber, and the time of entering into the spiritual marriage bed, until the time of the entering into the Holy, God ordained, sanctified, spiritual marriage bed union. Where the husband ministry and the bride congregation’s loving, unreserved, unsuspicious submission to her husband ministry, yielding up of her whole being to her husband ministry as he overshadows her, in that spiritual marriage bed union. By which the bride’s loving submission to her husband literally draws out of his spiritual loins, that seed of life, those final revelations which will enable us to overcome death itself, and corruptible shall put on incorruptible and mortality shall put on immortality and she will be changed and a manchild shall be born.

Of "unsuspicious submission" I've been there, done that, and it wasn't good. Later I got suspicious (or was it jealousy?) when I saw his car and the holidays he took. But that was many years ago and my teeth are longer now.

Some of us were talking about such things tonight and I read the above quote from Sam Fife: the immediate response was that Sam was wrong and that we don't believe that any more. But folk still speak highly of his ministry. So what exactly do we believe that sets us apart from other Christian groups? And set apart some certainly think we are, although I am not so sure.

Having mentioned it perhaps I should try to explain the manchild bit. This is based on Revelation 12 a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet... And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron...  Here's Sam again:

Coming together in meetings again, and again, and again, receiving the seed of life which shall birth his manchild, and receiving those revelations which shall catch them up to the throne, and grow him up to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, then in a few years the door will open again, three, four, five who knows, and they will come out again. But two went in, but three will not come out, for there in the marriage chamber the two will have become one in a manchild that has been born of their union, one who is as it were, as the company of two armies, who shall go forth in a mighty move of the spirit of God that the whole creation has been groaning and travailing for until now. The manifestation of the sons of God that shall deliver the earth from the bondage of corruption [this was spoken about 40 years ago and no signs of the earth being delivered yet].

I'm all for delivering anyone from bondage, but not so sure about meetings again, again and again (in our group meetings are venerated, the longer the "word" the better, apparently, so if it were to be done that way we would surely qualify). I don't decry the results, but the mechanism...?  All I can say is that if I am going to be of any use in the Kingdom of God, it will only be by some mighty intervention by God. But I'm in good company in this respect for didn't Jesus say that he did nothing apart from his Father?

Saint Kevin wears sandals

Saint Kevin wears sandals. Or shoes of some kind. I know because I have walked the 26km St Kevin's Way barefoot with considerable chagrin, so either Kevin was mega holy and above pain or, as is more likely, human and shod. My right foot got minor punctured twice, adding to the discomfort of walking on sharp gravel and board walks liberally studded with staples standing some 3/4" proud of the wood (they do this to avoid the wood getting slippery when wet. It was not wet). All this suffering by my choice but the walk was in honour of Ryan who is leaving us in two weeks' time.

But we enjoyed the walk, the craic, and mostly a cider followed by dinner at the Hollywood Inn.

Our track

My track 16.3 miles (26km), average speed moving 2.9 mph, elevation gain 744m. Here are some random shots, in reverse order (it appears nothing can be done to re-order them apart from laboriously copying them one by one).

Ryan and his amazing (luke warm) tea making machine

David and Ryan stopped to do push-ups every so often 

Tiffin near Wicklow Gap summit

Historic mining buildings

The works

A screen shaker?

A stone crusher?

4 peaks and a couple of birds

Following my recent post I thought you might like to see the four peaks mentioned there, all in a row, viewed from just up the road from us.  And a couple of birds who got in the way. Click on the picture to enlarge it.

BTW - After clicking to enlarge I am able to navigate through the pictures at full resolution by using the cursor left / right keys or by clicking on the small picture icons. One viewer has complained that this does not work for him - is this a general problem?  Feedback please!