Becoming the Answer to our Prayers

Shane Claiborne and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove have some terrific and important things to say in their book, Becoming the Answer to our Prayers.  Here’s a quote: “One of the greatest dangers of the church, especially amid a buzz that our faith has to be “relevant” to the culture, is losing the peculiarity of our politics.  The great challenge is maintaining the distinctiveness of God’s kingdom, which is so radically nonconforming to the patterns of this world.” (p.60)  It’s true!  How often do we allow the divide of our national politics (liberal and conservative) to define the politics of God’s kingdom?!?!  “Conservatives stand up and thank God that they are not like the homosexuals, the Muslims, the liberals.  Liberals stand up and thank God that they are not like the warmongers, the yuppies, the conservatives.” (p.48)

So what do the politics of God’s Kingdom look like to you?

Embrace the Charismatic.

I have been noticing that not many people in the “30 and under” demographic are beating down the door of our church to be a part of Light and Life Goleta.  But a few are.  Here’s what I am noticing about this crowd.  The majority of them come out of brokenness–particularly the brokenness stemming from or directly caused by substance abuse.  This very big group of people has had a variety of wild and exotic “trips” on drugs.  The stories and experiences are wild, zany, exciting, life-threatening, funny and adventurous.  To reach this crowd with the life-changing power of the gospel, I am convinced that church can’t be BORING.  Especially for this crowd, we must be fully self-convinced that the life of faith in Christ is the greatest adventure of them all, and we must lead and teach in ways that reflect this.

I believe that one of the ways we can do this is by embracing charismatic expressions in our service.  By this I mean that we should leave space in our service for God to move.  This might mean a protracted worship set or a time of prayer that includes the “laying on of hands” or a time of personal prayer wherein God might speak a word to a needy soul.  In whatever way this might look (always “decently and in order”), I am becoming more convinced that this postmodern culture is hungry for an experience of God…not business as usual, not safe and refined, but raw and real and awesome.

In the past, folks were attracted to the church culture because it gained them a measure of respect as being a well-built family or something like that.  It was socially smiled-upon.  Christian leaders were intelligent and well-spoken and well-educated, and people liked that association.  Today this isn’t the case.  We Christians are thankfully known for our good works in the community and helpful social programs, but you don’t need to go to church to be well-thought-of in your Kiwanis, Lions, PTA, or Bridge Club. youknowwhatimean?

Here’s what has us really excited at LLG.  God is moving!  At our prayer night, God has been speaking words of encourgement and edification to our prayer warriors as we take communion together at the end of the evening.  I believe there are three things to always keep in mind when you think the Lord might have “a word” for someone you are praying for.

1.  Be Humble.  Don’t be in a hurry to say things like “The Lord says…”  It’s usually better not to say anything like that at all.  I usually introduce a word by saying, “I am just feeling in my heart that the Lord wants you to know he loves you and is going to work this out” or something like that.  Remember that prophetic words are always subject to the witness of the Holy Spirit in that person and in mature Christians and elders around you.  Don’t allow people to get into “parking lot prophecies”.  Those usually come from a wrong motive.

2.  Be Biblical.  Stay within the bounds of Scripture.  Extra-biblical stuff should set off all sorts of alarms.

3.  Be Encouraging.  Words of judgment, gloom and doom are extremely rare.  People should leave with a renewed sense that God loves them, at peace, with hope, and a reinvigorated faith.  That’s the point.

OK.  The reason that I am blogging this and sharing this with all of you is that I am not an expert on this subject.  I have a number of years of experience with charismatic expressions but am still a novice in many ways.  Please chime in with your thoughts and ideas and corrections if you have any.

Blessings,

Dave