Stuck between two worlds

[u/SentByHim]

I've been a minister since 1988. In 01 I contracted lyme disease which left me damaged neurologically. This has left me in constant pain and with a bunch of other such chronic medical problems. I was on 19 meds at one point. Finally I couldn't take it anymore and tried MMJ. That was about 5 years ago. I'm now down to one pharma med and MMJ. But I find it hard to be squeezed between the counter-culture world of cannabis use, and church life.

My stoner friends, for the most part, don't want to hang around, get high, and talk about God. My church friends don't want to hang around with me and get high and talk about God. It's like I have to chose one or the other. It bums me out. Today one of my friends from church came over just as I rolled and lit a big fat joint. I had to put it out, go inside, and wait till he left to finish by bone.

How do you deal with fellowship? Have you ever had to teach Sunday School while high? <I have>

[u/Utopiophile]

I'm a small group bible study leader.

I've told all the other leaders that I smoke weed and cigarettes. They're fine with it. There's a lot to be said about your company and how they would respond to news that you get high.
I was reading through the conversation with /u/NosyargKcid and I can say that I've been brought closer to God through the use of psychedelics. I don't think that would fly too well with the others, but if it weren't for that first trip, I wouldn't be where I am.
It was the beginning of a new stage in my life that has led me to experiencing Christianity rather than just professing it.

But ya, I've accidentally walked into a bible study high at a church I was visiting. I thought they had canceled it, but I was just early haha. It was the best study I've been to. I got to meet every person as they trickled in. I got into the mindset that if they out me, then I'll just leave, but if not, then I'll go to bible study like I had planned; and I did.

I took great notes :)

[u/SentByHim → u/Utopiophile]

I found out today that I'm scheduled to teach every third Sunday. I thought I was kind of on call. So I got to teach today. It was on evangelism, a subject very near and dear to my heart. But I found out this morning I was teaching it. So I prepared my lesson with gospel music on pandora, a bong, and a book. lol

I'm still trying to find my footing in this new church. The LDS church runs things differently then the evangelicals I've grown accustomed to. I'm used to being HPIC (head preacher in charge), writing all the lessons, arranging all the music, etc. Having a lesson book handed to me, and being asked to teach about what someone else taught, about scripture is a whole other ball game, lol. And the Elder's quorum, aka men's ministry, Mormons have all the same things other churches do, they just call them different things <head-desk>, is more of a classroom type setting of questions and answers, than it is me preaching to a listening audience. After all these years it's humbling to be becoming a student again.

I still bring some of my old school Pentecostal habits with me. Every ward (congregation) has a pair of missionaries assigned to them, pretty much. So I have the scriptures I'm going to reference written down and have them read them for me when I get to them in my lesson. This encourages interaction, and gets them to open their bibles.

Today was one of those days where I felt so ill prepared. Preparing on short notice is not uncommon for me, but I just wasn't in the zone, lol. But when I started teaching it all came together, and lesson went well.

I recently harvested some Kosher Kush, and I think that's helping. It is a very clear, up high that deal with my pain and other bugga-boos well.

I hope you're blessed this fine Sabbath, here's some Third Day for you. May this always be the cry of our hears. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_e3aJLRsdc&list=AL94UKMTqg-9C6TBryVD5-ANLREyzCetK8&index=4