Searching for the Balance Between 'Hogwash' and the Holy Spirit: Pondering Pentecostal Expressions
This morning I decided to catch up with some friends who are in ministry and discover what is happening in their life and ministry these days. Most of these friends have an online presence, so I browsed blogs and websites. Interestingly, I realized (once again!) the diversity that exists among my friends in Christian ministry—Charismatic, Pentecostal, Reformed tradition, Roman Catholic—really all over the place doctrinally and experientially. However, my focus was drawn to the level of diversity existing among my Pentecostal and Charismatic friends. In some cases, it seems these opinions and expressions are as diverse as are the views among my Baptist and Catholic friends.
There are many different expressions among my Pentecostal/Charismatic friends, each of whom seems to feel he or she is in the very center of what God’s Spirit is doing in the earth today. (Okay, so how much of this is hype, clever advertising, or genuine truth? Call me a skeptic, but I’ve seen so much promoted in the name of Jesus that is clearly different than the Jesus represented in scripture.) So now, I’m thinking… what is the proper balance in Pentecostalism?Firstly, I’m not sure I’m comfortable being classified within Pentecostalism. While I am Pentecostal in my experience, I’m not sure it means the same thing as what is often promoted in contemporary Pentecostalism. (And, it is the “ism” part of Pentecostalism that troubles me deeply. I wish to be true to scripture and open to the continual guidance of the Holy Spirit, but what if Pentecostalism has become so structured that it can no longer see “outside the box” of its own religious norms, conditioning, and perceptions? It happens to so many movements.) Having noted that, I wish to reaffirm my belief in the operation of spiritual gifts and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Nonetheless, more than anything else, I consider myself an individual on a spiritual journey seeking to follow the life and teachings of Jesus Christ as my guide. Going a step further, it is my daily goal to transfer my personal will for the will of God. I desire to be led by the power of His Spirit. I’m not sure what label is appropriate for such a philosophy.
So, what is a Pentecostal to do these days? I turn on the television and hear many things promoted as Pentecostal or Charismatic that do not seem to be properly aligned with scripture. I sit in churches and listen to sermons that seem to be more entertainment-driven than scripture-based. I go to a conference to discover that if I am not communicating with angels on a regular basis or constantly speaking a word of prophecy to someone then I must not be in the “flow” of God’s Spirit. I am made to feel spirituality immature. I see more about personal power, fame, ego, and success than I do about humility, serving others, faithfulness, and sacrifice.Frankly, friends, I think much of what I hear espoused as Pentecostal expressions today is what my grandmother would call “hogwash”. While I wish to be careful not to discredit a genuine work of God’s Spirit or become so calloused against the fanatical that I fail to embrace the sacred, it seems to me it is most appropriate to use some “old-fashioned horse sense” (another of my grandmother’s sayings, which translated means a person will accept what is real and reject what is not, just like a horse will refuse to move forward when danger is near).
Sometimes I feel the Pentecostal movement has become so diluted by various “pet doctrines” that the real power of God’s Spirit has become overshadowed by a less-effective substitute.After reviewing my Pentecostal/Charismatic friends’ blogs and websites today I am left with a few questions:
What is the central message among Pentecostals and Charismatics? (There is a great deal of talk about Jesus, but I’m not certain He is the central focus any longer).
What is the proper balance between biblical understanding and spiritual expression among Pentecostal/Charismatic groups today?
Please do not misunderstand me. I still believe, but sometimes I am not sure if I still belong.
Read more from Louis Morgan At: http://www.morganonmission.blogspot.com/
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