Talking about the Holy

Without confusing the issue I will lay it out flat. I am a Christian. I don't seek to follow a brand of Christianity, that being said from my perspective the celebration churches, as I call them - charismatic/pentecostal, have a better stance on some of the doctrines related to God the Spirit than some of the denominations that have been around longer, at least in practice if not in writing. Now I realize that sounds like a contradiction and is almost offensive to me to say so undoubtedly would be offensive to other people but it does go with the general course. Churches start out passionately, really desiring nothing more than to seek after and serve God. Call Him the Father, Jesus, Lord, the Spirit, all names for one God which is in three parts but that threeness far too often over shadows the oneness.

I am a Charismatic. I don't like stogy and boring worship. I don't like churches that don't allow for God to be active in at least their sunday services. Historically my stance has always been that I can go to any church regardless of the denomination. On a small scale that's still true but for a prolonged period of time, it would be difficult which is not to say that I wouldn't go to a church where I dislike some elements and am in favor of others. That sort of makes me typical for this age though. Just looking for a church that fits what I want and I have a great disdain for the typical so I will work on that.

I don't need to go to a church where everybody is freaking out and it's a wild mess. I don't think it's biblical. But I equally dislike where the atmosphere in a church is so oppressive that on a subconscious level everyone in attendance feels no need or desire to worship how they desire. Stand, sit, kneel, raise hands, dance, cry, shout, wave a flag, be silent in awe of God. And that last one is the one that we miss out on. We so want what we want that we lose sight of how awesome God is.

I'm guilty of it too. Talking about, thinking about, praying to the one true deity and forgetting about what He did. GOD BECAME A MAN! DIED FOR SINFUL ONES LIKE US! ARE YOU SERIOUS. We talk about it like we don't even care. My opinion, so few have actually experienced God that we don't know how glorious He is so of course we won't get out of our comfort zones to praise Him, give Him everything. We have emotional highs, false mountain tops but never allow for God to move. We have liturgy and hold it to such a sacred standard that to stray from it would drive half the congregation out if it happened more then once. Well fine, let them go. This order of service, liturgy for the "protestants," who don't really protest much anymore, is biblical in that it provides a guideline for the service, but it should only be a guideline.

How many times have you gone to a service where you get a bulletin but once the service starts rolling the pastor will get up on stage and say that the time will be taken in intercession and ministry from God. If He actually wants to be around us then why do we deny Him? He, the infinite, every present and so fantastically awesome God wants to be with us, BUT WE SHUT THE DOOR ON HIM. We all want what we want and wouldn't take anything offered to us for that to change. No level of sanctification, no level of increased passion, no blessings and giftings could ever get us to want to change. 

So we shut the door on the one who would come. The third person of the Trinity, Holy Ghost, Holy Spirit, Spirit of Jesus, the one that Jesus said it would be better for us if He were here. I love Jesus, I want to honor Him for all my days and have had the opportunity to know my own sick depravity but really He said that it would be better for us to have the Pneuma. Everybody loves Jesus but few want that guy. Because occasionally things may get a little weird. He may actually stretch you a little bit. Oh what a tragedy that would be, for the "church" to actually get stretched.

Now, don't get it twisted, the Spirit doesn't glorify Himself. He is the witness to Christ. He is the equiper for us and we far to seldom allow Him in. So shut up, stop justifying and listen to God for a few minutes, He might just say something.

Psalm 81

¹ Sing for joy to God our strength;
   shout aloud to the God of Jacob! ² Begin the music, strike the timbrel,
   play the melodious harp and lyre.

 ³ Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon,
   and when the moon is full, on the day of our festival; ⁴ this is a decree for Israel,
   an ordinance of the God of Jacob. ⁵ When God went out against Egypt,
   he established it as a statute for Joseph.

   I heard an unknown voice say:

 ⁶ “I removed the burden from their shoulders;
   their hands were set free from the basket. ⁷ In your distress you called and I rescued you,
   I answered you out of a thundercloud;
   I tested you at the waters of Meribah.^[c] 8 Hear me, my people, and I will warn you—
   if you would only listen to me, Israel! ⁹ You shall have no foreign god among you;
   you shall not worship any god other than me. ¹⁰ I am the LORD your God,
   who brought you up out of Egypt.
Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.

 ¹¹ “But my people would not listen to me;
   Israel would not submit to me. ¹² So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts
   to follow their own devices.

 ¹³ “If my people would only listen to me,
   if Israel would only follow my ways, ¹⁴ how quickly I would subdue their enemies
   and turn my hand against their foes! ¹⁵ Those who hate the LORD would cringe before him,
   and their punishment would last forever. ¹⁶ But you would be fed with the finest of wheat;
   with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

a pathetic perfection etc.

perfect* 
1. conforming absolutely to the description or definition of anideal type
2. excellent or complete beyond practical or theoretical improvement
3. exactly fitting the need in a certain situation or for a certain purpose
4. entirely without any flaws, defects, or shortcomings5. accurate, exact, or correct in every detail
6. thorough; complete
7. pure or unmixed
8. unqualified; absolute
9. expert; accomplished; proficient.
10. unmitigated; out-and-out; of an extreme degree
*Courtesy of Dictionary.com. There were a few more definitions but I thought that this sufficed. Examples are also available on the website if you want them.

Hows IT going?

One of the guys that is living in our apartment this summer is a french guy named Nathan who is here trying to learn English. Well last night he was talking with one of the other guys and made the comment that we use the word get very often. "Get up" "Get out" "Get in" It wasn't the sort of comment that someone who is nationalized would make but was right on. Well it got me thinking about some other very American sayings. From my perspective, the most ridiculous one is "hows it going?" Like when you ask it people do know how to answer, or at least people usually do answer. But really what does "it" actually mean? Most of the time I would guess people mean how is life going but really "it" becomes a subjective word with no clear meaning or value. I kind of feel like Bill Clinton making a foolish statement but really it's kind of valid right? And no, I am not an English teacher or even an English buff but I just find it funny how we have this inherent knowledge about something that kind of means nothing.
Well there's the ramblings for now.