Friday, December 02, 2005
The Key Convergence
I am teaching my high school group through Acts this year. That's one of the reasons I have been so active in the whole cessasionism/charismatic/continualization thing. The prime source material is staring me in the face daily. Last night we covered Peter's resurrection of Tabitha.
One of the questions I am continually asking the kids is "Do you wish is was that 'simple' today?" Christian life in Acts seems hard, but simple. God was there; He was very real. It was easy to believe when your leaders were bringing people back from the dead. Sometimes, my heart aches for that clarity.
It has been said over and over in this discussion that we all want God to be made experientially real in our lives. But by the same token its amazing how the good Prebyterian kids in the group are afraid of this stuff. They said as one last night that their response to the Peter/Tabitha story was fear -- it would be scary to have or even witness that kind of power.
And then it struck me -- in all this discussion of convergence, I think I have stumbled on the key point. The problem with so much that is charismatic is that people view it about what it means to them instead of to God. I talked yesterday about what a blessing a private prayer language had been to some of my friends, but that is the wrong perspective, because it's not about them, it's about God.
When charismatics go awry, as they so often do, it is closely related to mega-churches, worhsip style debates and everything else - we focus on the wrong thing -- we focus on what God can do for us instead of what we can do for God. the gifts are only useful in the context of how they are useful to God.
There is nothing reformed thought does better than stay focused on God. See, my Bible study kids, being from this backgroud are, really focused on God, and a God that has that kind of power really is scary. In the miraculous, we confront not only God's blessing, but His strength. In our hurry for the miraculous, we are quick to grab the cute little miracles, but how come no one is claiming the power to move mountains? It's been promised to us.
The problem with charismatics isn't that they aim too high, it's that they aim too low, they look out for themselves instead of for God. The problem with the reformed is a God more idea than reality. No, what we need is the charismatic call to very real, very active God, combined with the reformed focus that it's all about God, not us. Then, we really will see mountains moving around -- and God and Him alone glorified.
I wrote this post then happened upon this one by Brad at 21st Century Reformation saying some of the same things. Proof great minds run in the same gutter.
One of the questions I am continually asking the kids is "Do you wish is was that 'simple' today?" Christian life in Acts seems hard, but simple. God was there; He was very real. It was easy to believe when your leaders were bringing people back from the dead. Sometimes, my heart aches for that clarity.
It has been said over and over in this discussion that we all want God to be made experientially real in our lives. But by the same token its amazing how the good Prebyterian kids in the group are afraid of this stuff. They said as one last night that their response to the Peter/Tabitha story was fear -- it would be scary to have or even witness that kind of power.
And then it struck me -- in all this discussion of convergence, I think I have stumbled on the key point. The problem with so much that is charismatic is that people view it about what it means to them instead of to God. I talked yesterday about what a blessing a private prayer language had been to some of my friends, but that is the wrong perspective, because it's not about them, it's about God.
When charismatics go awry, as they so often do, it is closely related to mega-churches, worhsip style debates and everything else - we focus on the wrong thing -- we focus on what God can do for us instead of what we can do for God. the gifts are only useful in the context of how they are useful to God.
There is nothing reformed thought does better than stay focused on God. See, my Bible study kids, being from this backgroud are, really focused on God, and a God that has that kind of power really is scary. In the miraculous, we confront not only God's blessing, but His strength. In our hurry for the miraculous, we are quick to grab the cute little miracles, but how come no one is claiming the power to move mountains? It's been promised to us.
The problem with charismatics isn't that they aim too high, it's that they aim too low, they look out for themselves instead of for God. The problem with the reformed is a God more idea than reality. No, what we need is the charismatic call to very real, very active God, combined with the reformed focus that it's all about God, not us. Then, we really will see mountains moving around -- and God and Him alone glorified.
I wrote this post then happened upon this one by Brad at 21st Century Reformation saying some of the same things. Proof great minds run in the same gutter.
