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
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In the last week I’ve seen two items from major Xian news outlets: 1) a Charismatic “prophet” referred to the US Constitution as God’s “covenant with America” 2) Xians are marching around the Georgia capital 7x’s (a nod to Jericho in Joshua 6).
This is not good.
I’ve grown increasingly grateful for my Pentecostal heritage, but these sorts phenomena* undermine that heritage. Profoundly.
*the Ga event isn’t exclusively “Pentecostal,” but the Jericho March feels like us.
What adds to my consternation is that “we” uncritically embrace/celebrate this nonsense (blasphemy?), yet are quick to condemn written prayers, creeds, observance of the liturgical calendar, or suggestions that Eucharist should be celebrated weekly. (or use the word “Eucharist”)
There many of us who deeply cherish our Pentecostal heritage. By that term, I'm referring to the value it placed on divine encounters, a real/experiential sense of God's manifest presence, worship that included body & soul, and a profound sense of expectation.
By "Pentecostal heritage" I think of boldness, courage, passion, emotional/expressive freedom, and the holy audacity to genuinely believe that A) God really did the stuff in the Bible, and B) he could do it in our time.
At its best, Pentecostal heritage refers to a faith that is passionate about Jesus, prayer, Scripture, corporate worship, and global mission. It's radically open to and hungry for the mystical, which includes all sorts of supernatural expressions.