Picture I took of the Holy Ghost. It didn't develop, though. Go figure.
The baptism in the Holy Spirit is certainly one of the most polarizing issues in Christianity (I feel dirty calling it an ‘issue’). There’s tons of confusion, a fair amount of accusation, and not nearly enough open and thoughtful dialogue.
As with any polarizing ‘issue’ people tend to run to one side or another…and then just keep running to one extreme or another (so as to make sure that there’s no question about which side they’re on).
Please keep reading, even though I’m about to use a rather crude illustration.
Let’s say that two people felt very differently and very strongly about the act of kissing.
One person insists that it’s an unnecessary risk.
- They point out studies that detail more than 500 diseases that can be transmitted by a single smooch (syphilis, herpes, bacterial meningitis, certain forms of hepatitis, mononucleosis, the common cold and many others).
- They then reduce the benefits of kissing to something merely emotional and ultimately unnecessary.
The other person will insist that kissing is essential to human thriving, and that one simply cannot be great without it.
- As such, it becomes crucial that we determine who’s a kisser, and who isn’t.
- To eliminate any confusion they issue a statement defining it carefully, and in sheer physical terms:
“Two people press their moist, creased facial orifices together, cinch tight the sphincter muscles to draw the flesh around the orifice into a bulbous mound, creating a vacuum, and exchange saliva and breath.”
In so doing our passionate and well-intentioned friends have taken something as mysterious and beautiful as a kiss, and turned it into something that’s either terrifying and dangerous, or disgusting and creepy.
This is what much of the church has done to the baptism in the Holy Spirit. One side insists that the measurable risks far outweigh the immeasurable benefits, and therefore it’s not to be pursued. The other side has embraced it’s value. However, in an attempt to defend it they’ve given it definitions, standards, and tests that are not only unmerited biblically, but make the whole thing creepy and divisive.
In so doing our passionate and well-intentioned friends have taken something mysterious and beautiful, and turned it into something that’s either terrifying and dangerous, or disgusting and creepy.
I’m convinced that the truth is in the middle, far away with from either extreme, and beautifully simple. That simple, beautiful middle ground is what I’m teaching about at the Maryville Vineyard this Sunday. I hope you’ll join us!
- Any suggestions for the sermon?
- Questions you want me to address?
- Or thoughts about the above?
Leave a comment below!
Don’t know if I’m more scared about kissing or the Holy Spirit now! However, I am not prepared to give up either…definitely excited about Sunday.
Josh, I’m glad you’re not giving up on either!
I thought this post was going to be about Medlin Hall… I hope the sermon goes well. Take care buddy.
There was a lot of apparent drunkenness at Medlin Hall! Sometimes because of tomfoolery, sometimes because the of the Holy Spirit…and, let’s be honest…sometimes because of actual drunkenness.
That’s cool you’re talking about the Holy Spirit. We were just talking about the Spirit at a meeting last Sunday.
God is one but shows up in different three persons. Obviously, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. So, my point is I think one is missing out on the fullness of God if you don’t experience the Holy Spirit. It’s like having a tripod with two legs, something crucially essential is missing. It’s just as important to know the Holy Spirit, as it is to know Jesus (or the Father). They’re one and to not have one apparent in your life is life-threatening.
People get so scared of the Holy Spirit and his manifestations (primarily of tongues), and I don’t blame them – it’s really weird and out-of-this-world. But, let’s be honest here: our God sometimes works in some seriously weird ways and He’s “out-of-this-world.” The danger about the Spirit and his manifestations are that they are always slightly different from one person to another. You know naturally as humans we try to analyze the situation and come up with a formula. It gets so ritualistic that people might say something like, “You know, if you hold your right hand up at a perfect 75.7 degree angle and hum some old hymn, THEN God will do X,Y, & Z.” What a load of bologna! We can’t box God in. And I think that’s why most people get to freaked. God doesn’t show up in the way we want him to.
“What if God makes me speak in tongues? Am I gonna sound like a babbling moron?”…Probably to some lol. “What if I start convulsing like I’m having a seizure? Are people gonna look at me funny?”…. Yup, most likely. So, are you gonna look weird? Probably. But like you said, “the benefit outweighs the risk.” It reminds me of what Wimber said, “Faith is spelled, R-I-S-K.” What if God wants to use us for something amazing that he’s doing and all it takes is us being willing to look like a fool?
I think that the gifts, the charisma, the Holy Spirit imparts is for his Church to ultimately draw nearer to Him and also to grow us closer as the Church. Once it becomes about performance and anything else then you’ve missed the whole point.
Anyway, this whole thing was really interesting man. Thought I’d chime in with a couple of thoughts. Hope I’m not too scattered in my points. Keep on rockin’ dude!
Jesus, thanks for sharing your thoughts! I think you’ve hit on a major issue: fear! What will happen if? It’s a shame that so much our theology can be shaped by what we fear. It’s a shame that we can get caught in the trap of fearing GOD!…whom we can trust more than anyone else. thanks for sharing!