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            %ADDICT CODEPENDENT MARRIAGE COMMITMENT+930708
         %ABRAHAM RIGHTEOUS FOLLOW GOD LEAVE FAMILY+930708
               %VENTURE AWAY KNOWN PATTERNS RESPECT 930708

     In  the Biblical traditions it is reckoned as a  sign
of righteousness that  Abraham  was  willing  to leave his
extended  family  and  familiar patterns of  life  and  go
wandering   in   unfamiliar   lands   according   to   the
unsystematic promptings of God.   Abraham was not reckoned
as  righteous  because  he  had a well laid  out  plan  to
achieve  a clearly defined and highly respected goal.   On
the  contrary,  Abraham was reckoned as righteous  because
even though he did not have a clearly defined goal or plan
for  achieving a clearly defined goal,  he was willing  to
venture forth into unfamiliar lands and contexts for being
faithful to the promptings of God as he felt them.

     In  modern churches,  how often are  modern  Abrahams
reckoned  as  righteous  when  they  leave  the   familiar
patterns  of  their churches without any  clearly  defined
goal   or  plan  and venture into unfamiliar  patterns  of
thought,   attitudes,  belief,  and human relationships as
they  seek  both  personal and communal integrity  in  the
presence of God.

     Abraham  was  not revered and regarded  as  righteous
because  he  was  a faithful  technocrat  who  clinged  to
traditional rules, regulations and prescriptions.  Rather,
he  was  revered  and  regarded as  righteous  because  he
listened  to the non-traditional promptings of God calling
him  to  do new things as a new being in the  presence  of
God.    This is not the pattern in most  modern  churches.
Modern churches will do well to listen to God's promptings
to  them  to  become  new creations  responding  to  God's
promptings  to  do non-traditional new things in new  ways
which    will   shake   the   foundations   of   addictive
organizational religion.

                                                                                                                               
                         (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in      
                    (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)  
                                                                                                                               
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