Charismatic Anyone?

For at least the past ten years, and maybe longer, I've been a student of churches. I might be an oddball, but I study churches. I watch church dynamics. I observe church behavior. I am intrigued by this institution called the church, which Jesus planted in the first century. I am intrigued by what it has become. I am appalled by what mankind has made of it. I think God shows me things because He wants me to take notice and learn. In fact I believe God has a point to make about today's churches.

Having grown up in traditional churches ... Quaker, Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist and being married to a recovering Catholic, I've always had what I think is an inherited perspective on what church is supposed to be. Throughout my entire religious experience, I've been surrounded by people who've shaped my own views. I'm sure this is how it is supposed to work. But one of the views they've given me appears to be inherently wrong. In fact, I believe the point God has made with me is that this view is absolutely not even biblical. I'm talking about the charismatics.

You know them, they're in those churches that tend to be pretty wild. The stereotypical charismatic church has this outrageous music, maybe even dancing and banner waving. It usually has preachers that get really excited and jump around the stage, often yelling and wiping the sweat from their brow. There are lots of "Amens" in the audience. There may be speaking in tongues. There is usually prophecy. Often we associate black churches in this vein. And for the most part, we traditional fundamentalist Christians are probably judging those charismatics. You think not? Then ask yourself if the Holy Spirit could really be expected to deal with black people or other groups of people so differently than he does the Catholics, Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, etc. Of course, that would be absurd! So why the difference? I believe the rest of us are probably judging those charismatics, assuming that they've "gone overboard" in their interpretation of their faith. In fact, my own religious experience convinces me that this is true.

Walk into any church in the traditional fundamentalist denominations today and look for prophecy, speaking in tongues, miracles, and other experiences of the supernatural. What you'll most likely find is that they "don't encourage it." The truth is that mankind has, somewhere along the line, been exposed to what it believed to be false religion. Probably people were prophesying something not believable or something that didn't actually come true. Maybe they were speaking in tongues that no one could understand or interpret. Maybe the miracle healings were exposed on a news show as being fraudulent. Experiences like these have taught most of us to be leery, even suspicious of the supernatural. We don't trust that it is real. We're afraid of being deceived. In the end, we tend to shun anything that smacks of the supernatural. And if we're really honest with ourselves, we tend to think of those churches where the supernatural experience is really "out there" as being somehow less sincere, more likely to be phony, etc.

But what is God's view? What is the truth? Where does the supernatural fit into the broader Christian experience? I think there's no better place to look for answers than in the book of Acts. It's the history of the Christian church through the first century. After Jesus' resurrection, the Christian church was born and spread, in that century to all people groups in 39 cities and 30 countries, islands or provinces. It was a movement to be reckoned with.

Jesus told His disciples, "... when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about it everywhere ... to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8) Shortly after He told them this, they got to actually witness Jesus' ascension into heaven. Not long after that, they were indeed filled with the Holy Spirit, when He came upon them, just as Jesus promised. Then, empowered by the Holy Spirit, this courageous (and obedient) band of men preached, taught, healed and demonstrated Christ's love in synagogues, schools, homes, marketplaces, courtrooms, streets, hills, ships and desert roads. It seems that wherever God sent them, lives and history were changed

So this phenomenon, where the Holy Spirit comes upon you, produces miraculous things in the lives of the most ordinary people. Through the Spirit-led boldness of these first-century believers, the church was born and has flourished ever since. Take Peter, for example. He preached boldly and performed many miracles. His actions really demonstrate to us the source and the effects of Christian power --- which we are all supposed to have today. Because of the Holy Spirit, God's people were empowered so they could accomplish amazing things. They had a power and faith that offered hope to all of humanity. Do we have that power and that faith today?

It is clear from God's Word that His intent is for today's churches, just as in centuries past, the church is supposed to be a vibrant agent for change. Our faith in Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit that dwells in believers makes that possible. How many of today's churches then, are really "vibrant agents for change?"

The Holy Spirit's work demonstrated that Christianity is indeed supernatural. In fact, that is the very essence of Christianity. As we become more focused on the Holy Spirit, we become less conscious of our own problems. So it would seem that those most focused on Christ are those that are most able to transcend the problems that they have. This doesn't sound like a picture of today's traditional, fundamentalist Christian!

God's Word tells us that when the Holy Spirit works, there is movement, excitement and growth. So I'm looking for a church that exhibits that! He gives us the motivation, energy and ability to get the gospel to the whole world. In fact, He gives us the power to change lives and change the world. Is your church doing that? Where do you and I each fit into that movement?

We are God's people, chosen to be a part of His plan to reach the world. So why aren't we? I believe it is because we have become unaccustomed to the supernatural. Charismatics and their antics make us uncomfortable. We have maybe even become afraid of the supernatural. Perhaps the supernatural seems just unbelievable to us. In our cynical minds, watching someone get up out of a wheel chair or fall face down in prayer just doesn't seem like it could really be happening. We somehow conclude that it must not be real --- and therefore we put little or no stock in such things.

Folks, I think this is a movement of Satan himself, in our churches today. He has subtly convinced us that the supernatural isn't supposed to be a part of our religious experience. We have been deceived into thinking that deception is what accompanies those things we consider supernatural. This just isn't true! In fact, we should be walking into our churches expecting the supernatural. We should be anticipating miracles, answered prayer, unusual power. Our churches should know their role --- as agents for radical change in this world.

I don't know about you, but I have turned a corner. I'm now very firmly a charismatic. Probably that will make you uncomfortable. Oh well. To be sure, I'll still be on my guard for true deception. When someone speaks in tongues I'll look for the biblical traits that are supposed to accompany that phenomenon. If someone gets up from their wheelchair, I'll check to make sure it really happened. But I will no longer start with the predisposition to not believe in these things. From now on, I will anticipate the supernatural. I know the Holy Spirit lives in me and from God's Word, I know what He can do!

As Christians, let's set aside our cynical, judgmental attitudes. Let's start expecting the Holy Spirit in us to makes us vibrant agents for change. And as we come together in our churches, let's expect the supernatural. Even more importantly, let's learn to embrace the supernatural and watch our churches grow into vibrant, pulsing hubs of change and transformation for a world that is desperately broken, dark and in need of supernatural transformation. For if we do anything less, can we answer to the God who saved us?