According to Wikipedia we ARE a cult:

In religion and sociology, a cult is a cohesive group of people (often a relatively small and recently founded religious movement) devoted to beliefs or practices that the surrounding culture or society considers to be far outside the mainstream. Its separate status may come about either due to its novel belief system, because of its idiosyncratic practices or because it opposes the interests of the mainstream culture. Other non-religious groups may also display cult-like characteristics.

When I tell people outside of this community about the prayer room, I feel like I need to translate it out of my context and into theirs. I usually say that for whatever spiritual beliefs we have, it's nice to spend an hour thinking about, and communing with, something bigger than ourselves. I could go on forever about the language of Christianity, and that when we use words like 'prayer' and even 'church' people are attaching very different definitions fom the ones that we hold, but that's a whole other essay.

No matter what, it's hard to be accused of being in a cult and I feel your pain. Do we get a chant or something??

Always go back to your conversion. Our faith, and the reality of Jesus Christ is based on what we KNOW, not on what we feel.

Bless you for living your faith in front of your family.

Thanks all for you prayers!
Im feeling better already :)
Cheers
Mieke

i hear ya...will be praying :)

Mieke,

Prayer is on you and your mother's way even as I write this.
I have struggled with a similar response from my mom. Gentle persistence and leaving it up to the Lord to give me the words He wants her to hear has
worked for me.
AND!!! Self-doubt is one of the enemy's favourite weapons, run to Jesus and tell on him. It's always cool what He shows you.
Blessings sister,
Paul
AND!!, GOOD GRIEF! Please do not feel that prayer requests for self are selfish in any way, you are part of the body as we all are. If the body
doesn't care for it's parts it will suffer. (That's gotta be a scripture
reference of some sort - anyone know it?)

Nothing wrong in asking for prayer during times when we feel weak.
I would caution, though, about depending too much on the "Jesus high". Those times are GREAT......when we can feel the presence of God so strongly that we can almost reach out and physically touch Him. (And we've been having a lot of those moments lately).
But there are also lots of times when we are not feeling it so much......But be assured He is still there......All the things we know and experience while on the "Jesus high" are just as true during the times of struggle.
As passionate followers of Jesus, it is to be expected that our Christian walk will include both ups and downs but that's OK.......'cause we're in it for the long haul! :-)
Prayin' for you, sweetie.......and for your Mom as you continue to be the light of Christ to her.
Marianne