iMonk Classic: A Growing and Awkward Silence—Things I can’t talk about with my Pentecostal and Charismatic friends

Classic iMonk Post
by Michael Spencer

Note from Chaplain Mike…
The lively comment thread on our recent post about the 50th birthday of the Charismatic Movement led me to think I should let iMonk weigh in on the subject. I’m not sure when this was first posted, but it’s classic Michael Spencer.

Further note…
See the end of the post for a definition of what Michael meant when he used the phrase, “Pentecostal-Charismatic.”

We used to be able to talk. Over coffee, at church, and long into the night. I actually enjoyed the conversations. Sure, there were always challenges and differences, but we weren’t fighting as much as we were trying to explore a common fascination. We were pilgrims on the same road, discovering the adventure together. We both wanted to know, “What is the truth?” “What does the Bible say?” “How can we find the reality of God, and experience it every day?” We respected one another. Even if the conversation got intense there was always plenty of laughter, and we could pray together in genuine fellowship. Those prayers and conversations always left me wanting to get together again, and dig further and deeper. But this doesn’t happen much anymore, and I miss the good times we shared. Things have changed. There is a growing, awkward silence between myself and my Pentecostal/Charismatic (P/C) friends, and it’s not a good thing.Continue reading “iMonk Classic: A Growing and Awkward Silence—Things I can’t talk about with my Pentecostal and Charismatic friends”

The Beatitudes: Virtues or Proclamations?

By Chaplain Mike

I am working through N.T. Wright’s exhilarating book on Christian growth and character, After You Believe. I hope to post a full review soon. First, I’d like to interact with one small aspect of something he presents.

Wright’s chapter on the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) communicates some wonderful insights about how how Jesus commends the practice of genuine “virtue” from a uniquely eschatological perspective:

God’s future is arriving in the present, in the person and work of Jesus, and you can practice, right now, the habits of life which will find their goal in that coming future. (p. 103)

According to the author, the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount are not:

  • Mere laws or rules of behavior. Jesus did not set forth his teaching to be taken in a legalistic sense—that by behaving this way, we will gain rewards from God.
  • Mere instructions to believers. Jesus did not present his teaching as, “I’m doing my work, and now that you believe in me, here are the works you must do in response.”

Instead, Wright puts Jesus’ instructions in the Sermon in their proper salvation-historical context.

What Jesus is saying, rather, is, “Now that I’m here, God’s new world is coming to birth; and, once you realize that, you’ll see that these are the habits of heart which anticipate that new world here and now.” These qualities—purity of heart, mercy, and so on—are not, so to speak, “things you have to do” to earn a “reward,” a “payment.” Nor are they merely the “rules of conduct” laid down for new converts to follow…They are, in themselves, the signs of life, the language of life, the life of new creation, the life of new covenant, the life which Jesus came to bring. (p. 106)

It is Jesus’ coming to inaugurate God’s kingdom and the dawning of God’s new creation in him, that makes it possible for his followers to begin to practice a new life now, in anticipation of the future consummation when all will be made new.

So far, so good. I just have one problem with Wright’s analysis.

Continue reading “The Beatitudes: Virtues or Proclamations?”

Are We There Yet?

By Damaris Zehner

Last Sunday, the Bible readings included John 13:33-35 and Revelation 21:3-4. An odd conjunction struck me.

  • In the Gospel of John, Jesus says, “I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.”
  • In Revelation, John tells us that he heard “a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.’”

The first passage tells us that God the Son is not with us; the second confirms it by saying that at some point in the future he will be with us. And yet the Kingdom of Heaven is among us now, isn’t it? And the Bible tells us that God is not far from us if we call on him. So is God with us, or is he not? If he is, in what sense is he with us?

Continue reading “Are We There Yet?”

Reflecting on 50 Years of Charismatic Faith

By Chaplain Mike

I’d like to have us discuss an interesting article in Christianity Today by David Neff. It is called, “Ardor and Order,” and it’s a reflection upon the impact of the charismatic movement on the mainline and evangelical churches over the past fifty years.

I encourage you to read it before submitting comments here. (Click the link above)

After testifying of his own encounters with charismatic faith, Neff ponders what has become of this movement:

Some analysts say the mainline charismatic renewal fizzled. It is more accurate to describe it the way Jesus pictured the kingdom of God: like yeast that spreads through bread dough. You can hardly identify it as a movement anymore, but it has changed the way most churches worship. Repetitive choruses and raised hands are now common. Except in pockets of hardcore resistance, the fact that a fellow Christian may praise God in a private prayer language hardly elevates an eyebrow.

Pentecostalism and the charismatic renewal have jointly given believers what historian Chris Armstrong calls Pentecostalism’s chief contribution to Christianity: an awareness of “a deep well of living water from which everything else flow[s] … the personal, relational presence of the living God.”

Neff’s article is quite limited—for example, he does not tackle the subject of how Pentecostal and charismatic faith is growing exponentially around the world, particularly in Africa and Central/South America. Instead, he pulls back to reflect on one simple theological observation from his own experience and reflection:

...the exoteric and the esoteric need each other. It reminds me of Charlie Hummel’s 1978 book, Fire in the Fireplace. The metaphor speaks common sense: fire outside the fireplace is dangerous; a fireplace without fire is useless.

I concur. We need both external forms and personal vitality for faith to be robust and well-balanced.

For discussion:

  • How do you respond to Neff’s reflections?
  • What has been your personal experience with charismatic faith?
  • What contributions has this movement made to the church? What drawbacks do you associate with it?
  • What is the future for charismatic faith in the church?

Appearances of the Risen Christ, 11

By Chaplain Mike

We are marking the Great Fifty Days of Easter with a series of devotional thoughts on the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus.

Today we look at the final narrative in Matthew’s story of Jesus’ resurrection and appearances, from Matthew 28:16-20 (NRSV).

Text

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Continue reading “Appearances of the Risen Christ, 11”

A “Sound” Argument

By Chaplain Mike

Let’s move away from theological topics for a few minutes and talk about what’s really filling people’s ears and minds in these days when life is lived to a continual soundtrack.

In Sunday’s New York Times, Joseph Plambeck examines how life has changed when it comes to what we expect from our music. An entire culture of stereophiles, concerned about the sonic quality of the recordings they listen to, has essentially disappeared in this age of computers, iTunes, compressed digital music formats, and portable listening devices.

Go read his article, and then come back and comment.

Continue reading “A “Sound” Argument”

iMonk Classic: Too Much Heaven? (part 2)

The classic Michael Spencer piece “Too Much Heaven?” that we ran last Saturday has raised some good questions and comments. That piece was originally part one of a three-part series, so this week we will post the other two articles. That way, readers can get Michael’s complete message.

The message of many evangelistically-focused conservative Christians is about heaven: How to get there. What will heaven be like. Why heaven is our ultimate destiny. “Salvation,” in this version of Christianity, is about going to heaven. Purely and simply.

If you died tonight, would God let you into his heaven? Is your name in the book? When the rapture occurs, will you be taken or left?

At another level, however, this message has a more ambiguous, even dark, side: the rejection of the value of earthly life in favor of life in heaven. The longing for heaven can sound like a near suicidal longing to escape this world, something that would set must psychiatrists reaching for the phone.Continue reading “iMonk Classic: Too Much Heaven? (part 2)”

Appearances of the Risen Lord, 10

By Chaplain Mike

We are marking the Great Fifty Days of Easter with a series of devotional thoughts on the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus.

Today we look at a unique narrative in Matthew’s story of Jesus’ resurrection and appearances, from Matthew 28:11-15 (MSG).

Text

Meanwhile, the guards had scattered, but a few of them went into the city and told the high priests everything that had happened. They called a meeting of the religious leaders and came up with a plan: They took a large sum of money and gave it to the soldiers, bribing them to say, “His disciples came in the night and stole the body while we were sleeping.” They assured them, “If the governor hears about your sleeping on duty, we will make sure you don’t get blamed.” The soldiers took the bribe and did as they were told. That story, cooked up in the Jewish High Council, is still going around.

Continue reading “Appearances of the Risen Lord, 10”

Sure…Bring Your Glove!

Update: I can now mention one of the surprises I allude to below. Our very own First Lady, Denise Spencer, will be joining us, along with her daughter and son-in-law, Noel and Ryan Cordle. Worship, baseball, great food and a chance to visit with the IM’s First Lady. Don’t miss it!

There is still time to sign up to join us for the first annual Internet Monk Day At The Reds on Sunday, June 13. We will start the day off with worship at the Oaks in Middletown, Ohio. There will be plenty of time to get from the church to the Great American Ballpark in time for the 1:10 game with the Kansas City Royals. Be sure to get your fill of hot dogs in the early innings–you will want plenty of room for dinner at the world famous Montgomery Inn Boathouse to close out our day. Dress for the entire day, including church, is casual. Jeans, shorts, Reds jerseys–it’s all good.

And yes, you can bring your baseball glove to the game. There’s nothing like seeing a bunch of balding old guys sitting in the stands with their gloves ready to catch a foul ball. (I would recommend leaving your glove in the car for church–unless, of course, you are hoping the pastor will bless it, giving you an advantage over the rest of us for that ball.)

The cost for the day is just $99. That includes your game ticket and your complete meal. It does not include parking, food at the ballpark, souvenir hats and shirts (but not one of those big foam fingers–resist those, please), or any adult beverages you want to consume at dinner.

Let me know via email if you are planning to join us. (jeff@emoonpublishing.com) We hope to have some surprise visitors with us, and I may have one or two other surprises as well–if we can work them out.

How much more could you ask for? Baseball, barbecue, a Gospel-centered worship service, and meeting your IM friends in person. We hope to see you there!

Recommended: Dialogues with Tom Wright

By Chaplain Mike

As we drove around Chicago last week, and then home to Indy on Sunday, we had the privilege of listening to some of the messages from the recent Wheaton Annual Theology Conference—“Jesus, Paul and the People of God: A Theological Dialogue with N.T. Wright.”

If you would like a good overview of Tom Wright’s perspectives on Jesus and Paul, the messages he presented in Wheaton would be a good start. Clink the link above and you can download them, as well as other talks from the conference that interact with this premier NT scholar.

Wright has never said an uninteresting sentence, and you will find his teaching stimulating and spiritually encouraging. In my view, his greatest contribution has been to “re-Israelize” the New Testament. No scholar I’ve read or heard has explained the Biblical story in as coherent a narrative as the one Tom Wright has set forth. I am convinced that he has done the church a great service in helping us know the real Jesus of the Bible, rather than a Jesus of our own making, one who so often arises from our own conceptions and traditions. Likewise Wright’s presentation of the Apostle Paul and his theology.

(Yes, I know Wright is a lightning rod. Yawn. Don’t bother casting stones in your comments unless you’ve read his writings or listened to these talks and can show intelligent interaction with his actual teaching, rather than with the caricatures that abound.)

In days to come, I will be listening to the talks given by other participants. You will receive reports on it all.