Denying the Holy Spirit...

I talked with a woman today who had visited my little "soulcafe" church once, but didn't return because it wasn't right for her.

"They were sweet people," she explained, "but I need to be in a place where they are living out the gifts of the spirit."

I said, "hold on, they are functioning in the gifts of the spirit. Those women are volunteering at the hospital, cooking dinners for their neighbors, and I've never seen a group that prays so much."

She said, "yes," but no one there could lay "annointed hands" on her if she was sick, or to pray over her in tongues when she needed strength. She needed her needs met at whatever cost.

I suggested, humbly, that I had left my last church because I felt they had turned God into a gift-dispenser. I said that I didn't speak in tongues because I had watched too many young people in the youth group admit to "faking it" simply because it was the expectation. I didn't want to be a part of that, so I spent my prayer time in quietness before the Lord.

She told me I was denying the Holy Spirit because I didn't speak in tongues.

I said I revered the Holy Spirit too much to play games with it.

It was an awkward conversation. She smiled a huge grin the entire time, but I felt her hating me from behind her eyes, somehow.


...please read more about my thoughts on the evolution of Christianity at http://www.emergingchristianity.blogspot.com/

Finding time for the world...

I think the ongoing struggle in my life is (and will be) the need and desire to keep myself "in the world" when so much pulls me out.

I work a more-than-full-time job, and while that could certainly be called "in the world," it isn't enough for me. I want more. More people, more perspective, more shared experience.

In seminary, I'm surrounded by Christians. In church: by Christians.

As passionate as I am about listening to the voices of the cultures around me, I make little time to be quiet and pay attention. Slave to the paycheck, bills, and practicality.

I wonder if I really have a clue about what the world is saying. Most of what's in me right now is personal bias, personal vendetta and my microcosmic perspectives.

This morning my wife and I visited a church we don't normally attend - just for a brief change of scenery. It's a little local "Emergent-style" plant. We showed up late, and the young man (maybe 20ish) attending the front door attacked us enthusiastically.

"Hey, hey, how are you guys doing? Have you been here before? Come on in - there's music inside. They're rocking out, but nothing hard. We save the hard stuff for later on - when we're battling demons, stuff like that. Yeah! There's a war out there!" yadda yadda...

If we didn't speak Christianese, we probably would have found him frightening. Even so, we found him frightening. I wanted to tell him so, but didn't. I'm wearied by militarism - of any bent.

Inside we saw a brief clip from "Nacho Libre" and the pastor talked about the Gospel and our need to impact the local community. Not bad, kind of nice actually, but the Spiritual-Battle-Boy had already soured my attitude.

I'm too easily frustrated, I think.

Back to the world: I'm trying to listen but I'm having a hard time finding... time.

please read more about my thoughts on the evolution of Christianity at www.emergingchristianity.blogspot.com