What I liked about the Worship Gathering, and what I didn’t
Last night (Friday, March 30th) there was a gathering of several hundred Christians in Newark at the Metropolitan Baptist Church. Lamb of God’s worship team was involved in leading the worship for the evening along with a pastor from Benardsville named Peter Roselle (a great brother). There were many things that were wonderful about it. It was very racially mixed, which was a blessing. It was very passionate and filled with exuberant worship.
There were as well some great prayers prayed, as well as some very encouraging prophetic words given during the night. It was very centered on Newark, NJ. which was okay, since it was in Newark and that city has seen its fair share of troubles. So I didn’t really have a problem with the fact that the rest of Essex county was ignored. In someways Newark represents some of the greatest trouble plaguing the region and so it is fair to have the time be very focused on those needs. All in all I was blessed by the time, even if at moments it may have been a little over the top.
One of the things that I have to say is that I don’t fully get the whole “decreeing” thing. I’m not saying it is wrong, I’m just saying I don’t really get it. There is a certain element of what we witnessed last night that comes our of a particular perspective that some elements of the prayer movement have adopted. That understanding sees spiritual warfare as involving “decreeing” certain things over a region. Now, don’t get me wrong; all of what I heard last night were things I think we should desire for Newark. I’m just not sure there is a scriptural basis for “decreeing” them. Perhaps it is a principal that could be deduced from scripture, but its not something that I’m familiar with or feel particularly comfortable in doing.
Let me also say that there is a diversity in the body of Christ that can be a little ovewhelming at times. I guess my comfort zone was occassionally breached last night. There are some things that people do in worship, or church that sort of freak me out a little. But I try to tell myself that its probably a cultural thing and that I should just loosen up and deal with it. I am reminded that if you really want to see unity in the body of Christ then you have to be willing to lay down your comfort zone and let Jesus do the knitting together. I sure don’t want to get in his way…. what are your thoughts.
April 4th, 2007 at 8:17 pm
When i was a freshman in college, I was a “lone Christian”. I had been a Christian just a little over a year, and my first meeting at the Christian fellowship was a big turnoff as they were ignoring big parts of Scripture. I decided not to be a part of it. Was that a good idea? I don’t know. Maybe it saved me from a lot of self-righteousness at the time. In any case, that year was for me a spiritual wilderness, but such a good good year overall as it forced me to own my fledgeling faith and get strong in what I believed. The only 2 times I went to church that year were to very hyped-up southern charismatic churches, at which I saw a lot of hypocrisy and show that turned this hippie off right away.
So what was my BFF (Best Friend Forever, for those who weren’t children of the 80s)? It was TBN. Yeah, that cable channel. I’d get home from classes and turn it on and some nights fall asleep to it. (Thank God I had a single room that year.) It was the only thing that got me through that year. OK, I had to get past Jan Crouch and her 500 white fur coats and pink hair, but I really did feel the Holy Spirit speaking to me through that TV channel.
One particularly bad night, after going to see “Legends of the Fall”, a movie so devoid of hope that it had me literally crying in the rain alone for the rest of the night, I went back to my room and turned on TBN and there was Marilyn Hickey (?) talking about the gift of the Holy Spirit. It was so intriguing; I hadn’t really thought much about him before. I was hooked. I had no lights on, it was 2 in the morning and there was just the blue glow of the TV surrounding me like a bubble. At the end of her little schpiel, she prayed that the Holy Spirit would fill us all, and then she said, “Now, let’s all speak in tongues.” And I did. Completely unbidden. Funny enough, when I heard Portuguese for the first time several years later, I realized that I had spoken in Portuguese. In that moment, I felt so safe, so protected, so close to my Lord who was sustaining me through that year of despair. I thank Him for that experience.
Now, I have never spoken in tongues since, and actually kind of hope I never do again. It was a little freaky and even though I’m thankful for that moment, my close moments with Him since have had nothing to do with outward things. I firmly reject the doctrine that holds signs up as proof of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
All this to say that I think all of these things have a place in the diversity of the body, as we each practice our own gifts and bring them as gifts to each other. I was bothered by some of the stuff that went on at that Newark prayer gathering, too, but I think that just possibly it’s that we need a bigger vocabulary. Not just for us to understand “them”, but for all of us to understand what it is we’re doing. For instance, those of us that often have visions (as I do) need discipleship in how to share those things. Just what exactly is prophecy, anyway? A foretelling? A decreeing in faith? Just what is the “healing gift” anyway? As I follow the Lord’s calling and the elder’s anointing in that gift, I need discipleship in it (and thankfully God has equiped several people to do that).
I think, too, as an artist, of how we at Lamb have grown into the arts. I remember the first banner I did for the church (the annunciation) and how several people came to me having big problems with having images in the church at all. I wanted to say, in my flesh, “get over it! What’s the problem?” but thankfully, I didn’t say that. We walked it out together and now look at the building we’re in! Not to mention the monthly gallery shows, etc. Maybe as we all learn each other’s language we can not only affirm each other, but bring correction where it’s needed. I thank God for the encouragement and correction I’ve received in so many areas of my life.
Love,
Vesper
April 17th, 2007 at 10:13 am
I also went to this prayer gathering at the Metropolitan Baptist Church. Because it was an evening gathering I was able to bring my husband which made me happy to share my new church experience with him. I was overwhelmed with the outbursts of freedom and joy during the service. I was concerned how my husband would react and hopefully not freak him out about my new church. I kept explaining that my Sunday services were not quite so loud and free. After several explainations of mine, my husband turned to me and said “It’s OK”. I’ve been to Baptist revivals before and this is not knew to me”. I was so relieved and could enjoy everyone else’s freedom and joy. I felt from that moment on that this celebration was with God’s presence and know one should feel uncomfortable with rejoicing with our Lord.
Just a new Christian’s opinion.