Thread by @MarkAarstad

This past week some of the most prominent Charismatic voices of the last 30+ years have conducted themselves in the “pulpit” in ways that are embarrassing at best, and abhorrent at worst.

There may be a silver lining in these beyond-the-pale displays... /1

1) the past week’s ridiculousness/absurdity has exposed what many have seen for years: a large swath of Pentecostals-Charismatics have an adulterous relationship with partisan politics.

This is the sort of cultural alignment that led to Israel’s exile. /2

2) the “Evangelical” church in the U.S. was sold a reductionistic “bill of goods” in the midst of the culture wars, claiming America was a “Christian nation.”

This simplistic notion has fueled their contentions for last four years. /3

3) the Evangelical/Pentecostal-Charismatic church expression has confirmed its lack of theological substance, intellectual skill, and capacity for meaningful wrestling with contrary viewpoints (ie, tension). #KeepItSimpleStupid rules the day. /4

4) how many Pentecostal-Charismatics (esp those who are political conservatives) suddenly feel homeless. Where do they go when they don’t want to abandon authentic spiritual gifts OR embrace Social Gospel 2.0...? /5

All of this to say: maybe some folks *needed* to see the absurd in order to consider movement into a significantly different way of being Pentecostal-Charismatic...? The shame/anger endured by such blind “leadership” could be a good thing. /6