Vineyard USA – Are We Emerging? Part 3

In this post:

1. Ministry to the GLBT community is firstly a Justice Issue.
2. Ministry to the GLBT community is secondly a Reconciliation Issue.
3. Ministry to the GLBT community is secondly a Holiness and Purity Issue.
4. In reality, these things are happening all at once, or so close together, they are hard to decipher.
5. Vineyard values express a position which rightly realizes this trajectory.  But, the movement is probably not ready to do anything proactive about it.
6. Examples of this at work.

The Vineyard has Two Core Values that speak to several of the “characteristics” I brought up in my earlier post.

But here, I want to discuss the future of the church (Vineyard churches specifically) with reference to those struggling with sexual identity issues.   Namely, the GLBT community, but this must take into account the fact that many people are struggling with this issue , internally, and would not label themselves GLBT.

For me, this issue is first a JUSTICE issue.  The God of Scripture cares about the oppressed (read Isaiah) and wants them to receive his favor and healing.  The GLBT community is oppressed, primarily by God’s people.  The church of the future must realize this and adapt.  I personally don’t think the answer is putting 2000 years of church history concerning this issue in the can, but we will probably have to completely change the way we interact with this community for the Gospel to even have a chance. God’s Justice now is Jesus.  God’s offering or his solution is Jesus. Therefore…

This issue is secondly a RECONCILIATION issue.  The God of Scripture is reconciling creation unto himself.   Two things stick out to me.  First, Romans 3.   No one is righteous.  A common claim from God’s people is, “God says homosexuality is an abomination.”  Actually, God says that “WITHOUT CHRIST” I am an abomination.  I have no hope without Jesus.  The GLBT community has no hope without Jesus.  The church in the future must be committed to reconciling people to God through Jesus by the Spirit.  Period.  Therefore…

This issue is thirdly a Holiness and Purity issue.  God woos his elect into relationship.  He reconciles them unto himself and restores relationship between he and thee.  And then, the real work begins.  The working out of our salvation or sanctification is the process of God making His people holy.  Why do we, as sinning saints, who enjoy God’s grace in our messiness,  expect that this process would work different for anyone else?  Namely, the church expects the EXACT OPPOSITE TRAJECTORY.  Holiness first (renouncing the GLBT lifestyle), reconciliation second, and then justice.

I think this is why the Conservative Church and the rest of the world (liberal church and secular people) speak past each other.  I often hear Christians say, “we have to stand up for the truth” or, “we have to confront sin.” I would challenge these people to re-read the scriptures, especially the Gospels, to see how Jesus interacted with the oppressed.  Repent and believe is FIRST a call to Change your Mind and Ways concerning UNBELIEF. Jesus said this to the religious people too.  The presupposition being – the religious people don’t really believe God!

Ironically, the only people I have met that like being called sinners are Christians.  Christians get off on reveling in their depravity.  I think sometimes, simply because we are okay with being called sinners, we call others sinners too.  This path does not seem helpful.  It is much more helpful to allow Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and scripture to lead people to a revelation about their lives.  But, whether or not we call homosexuality sin, people who are gay need to be introduced to the just and reconciling God.  The God I know through Christ in the Spirit confronts and challenges the ungodliness in me – constantly.  I trust He will do the same for anyone else, including those struggling with their sexual identity.  Teaching people to hear and interpret the voice of God is much more difficult than just proclaiming my interpretation though.

What does this have to do with the Vineyard emerging?  The Vineyard Core Values –   Compassionate Ministry and Reconciling Community and Experiencing God- position VineyardUSA to be leaders in this contemporary endeavor:  taking God’s justice to the oppressed and displaying the path to reconciliation for the left out and overlooked.

I don’t think the universal church sees this as primarily a justice issue. Obviously.  And, the liberal or progressive church seems bent on throwing out church history and biblical interpretation for a more cultural interpretation.  That is, promoting the ordination of actively gay ministers and championing gay and lesbian marriage.  I think there is a third or middle way.

The conversation is forced into the “sin or not sin” discussion.  Again, Dave Schmelzer’s Stage 4 faith offers a way forward here.  It is not a one way or the other proposition, but a both/and one.  The question is not “out vs. in” but “toward Jesus or away from Jesus.” Stage 4 is primarily concerned with pointing people toward Jesus.  I don’t think a Stage 4 version of the faith minimizes or reduces sin to a back burner issue.  It just highlights the fact that God through Christ in the Spirit is the reveal-er of the truth.  He might use me, or you, to confront someone’s sinfulness, but I find that when I am in this type of circumstance, God has been making that person more and more aware of their sin than I ever could.

I recommend Andrew Marin’s book Love is an Orientation.  It needs to be required reading for the Vineyard as we move forward on this issue.

Andrew is also doing a long term empirical study with the GLBT community concerning issues of faith. It will be interesting to see some of that evidence.

A Long Obedience

These two verses have been highlighted for me this year:

2 Peter 1:10-11 (Jason Smith Translation):

For this very reason, my brothers and sisters, do not lack the diligence, moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perserverence, godliness, kindness, and love I just spoke of.  If you do, you are blind, short-sighted and forgetful concerning God washing away all of your previous sins and making you pure.  You are not living into what Christ has already accomplished for you.

Instead of taking this path of forgetfullness, my brothers and sisters, make haste to constantly verify the relationship God has called you into by choosing you as his own.  Then, live it out.  Live into the truth of it.  This requires a long obedience to the God who chose you and called you by name, but as long as you do this simple thing, you will never turn away from or leave the Him.

Al Mohler – Study Video on Vimeo

Al Mohler – Study Video on Vimeo on Vimeo

via Al Mohler – Study Video on Vimeo.

Sail-World.com : Phoenicia – they’ve reached South Africa

Sail-World.com : Phoenicia – they’ve reached South Africa.

Leg by leg, they’re getting there.

Recreating the first circumnavigation of Africa in a 600BCE replica boat was never going to be easy.

But this week Phoenicia was greeted with a very warm welcome at Richards Bay in South Africa, a little north of Durban.

A convoy of 21 yachts came out to meet Phoenicia and back at the Zululand Yacht Club a party of journalists, television cameras, port officials and local supporters were ready to welcome the Phoenician Ship Expedition team to South Africa.

Vineyard USA – Are We Emerging? Part 2

In this post:

1. Why the VineyardUSA core value – EXPERIENCING GOD – is relevant.
2. A brief history of “Experiencing God” Vineyard style – the legacy of John Wimber.
3. How John Wimber’s Experiencing God DNA is infused in the Vineyard’s forward movement.
4. How this core value positions the Vineyard to develop and practice a “post-Charismatic” theology.
5. Incarnation over church growth.
6. Contemplative Spirituality
7. “INCARNATIONAL POST-CHARISMATIC EXPERIENCE OF GOD”

The Vineyard has the following Core Value:

EXPERIENCING GOD

Really….I think this core value is primary and the rest are subsets of it (my opinion, not the position of the VUSA).

This is a tip of the hat to the John Wimber era of the Vineyard Movement.  John often spoke of joining God in what he is already doing, which is the thesis of Experiencing God, the book and workbook most of us Gen Xer’s did in a college bible study.

Also, John wrote two books that are now classics; Power Healing; and Power Evangelism.  The thesis of these books is that the Kingdom has come already.  Although we only have a foretaste of the Kingdom, which will be fulfilled at the end of the age (not yet), this foretaste gives us access to the Power Jesus displayed and passed along to his disciples.  After Wimber became a Christian, he voraciously read the Gospels.  His first question for the bible study leader was, “When do we get to do the stuff.”  Namely, the stuff Jesus and the Apostles did.  The unfortunate answer was, “well, after the Apostles died, so did the miraculous gifts we read about in the New Testament.” John was satisfied with that for a while, but over time, he knew there had to be more to the Christian faith than he was experiencing.  He left his Friends Church and joined up with Calvary Chapel – which soon launched him out on his own to lead the Vineyard Movement.  His church, which met in a gym, prayed and prayed and prayed and prayed for people without any supernatural encounters.  I think it was about a year later when a church member called John to come over and pray for his wife, who was sick with the flu.  He was discouraged and begrudgingly went and prayed.  On his way out of the room, the woman stood up, completely healed and went into the kitchen to make breakfast for them.  The rest is history and John Wimber ended up traveling the world conducting “signs and wonders” meetings.  He was used to instigate a renewal in Evangelicalism and the Word and Spirit movement is largely due to John Wimber’s work.  In addition, John Wimber and C. Peter Wagner taught a Doctor of Ministry course called “Church Growth through Signs and Wonders.”  They routinely had over 500 pastors in this class.

What does that have to do with the Emerging Church and the contemporary expression of the Vineyard.

John Wimber blew people away with how down to earth he was.  People speak of him saying “there are people here who need to get saved” and hundreds jumping up and coming to the altar.  He did not hype up the crowd and often ministered in a self-deprecating fashion as people were having powerful encounters with the Spirit, experiencing healing and restoration in split seconds.  This is the DNA John Wimber infused into the movement and continues on today.  Maybe the best example of this is Dave Schmelzer’s book Not The Religious Type.  Dave carries on a discussion at his blog:  Not the Religious Type.  Dave has developed an Alpha – like introduction to Christianity called SEEK which focuses on “experiencing God” in a relational context.  Check his stuff out.  His website has become a gathering place for younger emerging Vineyard pastors.

The Vineyard is uniquely positioned to formulate a post-Charismatic theology and lead by example the outworking of such a theology.  Most Evangelicals have a bad taste in their mouth concerning Christian Television and Televangelist.  It is all about Hype!  Although God might be doing something with these Christian entertainers, it is typically fodder for John Stewart, Stephen Colbert, CNN and Fox News.

Ironically, I think the early Vineyard push was edgy Church Growth.   It looked different and felt different than Willow Creek and Saddleback Church Growth, but it was dependent on some of the same concepts.  The Charismatic realities in the 80’s and 90’s were seen as church growth techniques and ultimately were a consumeristic product to be used by the participants.  John Wimber was a church growth guru before he was a Power Encounter guru.

The post-Charismatic context requires we dismiss the church growth possibilities and understand how Power Encounters are a very real and present reality of the Incarnation.  Jesus is making himself known through the power of the Spirit to those that know him already AND those that are a far way off..  The post-charismatic context requires us to see growth as organic – deep as well as wide.  The yeast working its way through the entire loaf.

This is why, in my estimation, the post-Charismatic theology will explore Contemplative Spirituality.  The ancient power encounters of the mystic monks and nuns are being brought forward into our contemporary experience with God through Christ in the Spirit.

A movement that defines itself as Empowered Evangelicals, Naturally Supernatural, and The Radical Middle is primed and ready to offer another option.  An INCARNATIONAL POST-CHARISMATIC EXPERIENCE OF GOD.

I don’t know what form this will take on, but I have a feeling it won’t be Mega or Multi-Site.  It will probably be grass roots organic missional.  Power Encounters in the Living Room or on the Mission Field of our Neighborhood, if you will…

Vineyard USA – Are We Emerging?

In this post:

1. What is a Generous Orthodoxy?
2. Realization that some in the Emerging Church argue for (their) Orthodoxy over/against a “generous Orthodoxy.
3. Why VineyardUSA’s core value – THE THEOLOGY AND PRACTICE OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD – can act as a center for sound doctrine going forward.
4. How the Vineyard is uniquely positioned to lead by example while taking the Gospel of the Kingdom outside the church and into the streets.

I mentioned in my last post, that I would have a discussion regarding my TEN Emerging Characteristics in relation to the Vineyard.

The first characteristic I wrote about was “A Generous Orthodoxy.”  And, what I meant was I see the church moving into a position of generous orthodoxy for the sake of unity.

Regardless, I know there are some tribes that desire “generous” be taken out of that comment and are hellbent on their interpretation of orthodoxy being lifted up and exalted.  The problem with this is it is not what the bible calls for and it is not what is needed.  (I think of the Jerusalem Council here – there was a Gospel that was preached and very little else was required – freedom from sexual immorality and eating meat sacrificed to false gods.)  We want sound doctrine, but not at the cost of mercy and grace for those desiring to come home.  We want a center, but not at the cost of  shame being lavished upon the brother or sister who struggles.

The Vineyard is uniquely positioned to bridge this gap because of this core value:  THE THEOLOGY AND PRACTICE OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

Kindgom Theology is a centering resource.  Reformed thinkers agree with Kingdom theology, dispensational theology has moved toward the already not yet position, anabaptist’s and baptists are kingdom minded.

Also, the practice of Kingdom theology moves the church (universal) out of the church (building) and into all of creation (friends, family, work, coworkers, activism) and calls for it to come under the lordship of the King of Kings – Jesus – who has reigned over creation from the first to the last and is calling his servants to help him redeem it unto the Father.  This includes individuals, corporate bodies, and creation itself.  The power of the Holy Spirit is at work feeding the poor, giving sight to the blind, freeing prisoners, and proclaiming God’s favor (both spiritually and physically), so the church should be partnering with the Spirit to accomplish this end.

The Vineyard has been at the forefront of this movement since the late seventies, while John Wimber was hanging out with George Ladd.

The Vineyard re-emphasized this last year when it reorganized its core values.

Now, the Vineyard must become an activist for this trumpet call as we move into the next decade.  This is a crown jewel of the Vineyard Movement and it will unite brother and sister with brother and sister under the banner of God.

Abby’s Blog: Day 5 and Wind!

Abby’s Blog: Day 5 and Wind!.

Ever wonder what it would be like to sail around the world – solo?

I have…

Abby is trying to set the record for youngest solo circumnavigation.  Her brother holds the record.

Check out her blog.

If the Emerging Church is dead, how is the Church Emerging? – Ten Characteristics

(I’ve been working on this post for a while.  Especially in response to something Jason Coker is wrestling with.  I plan to follow up with a post about how the Vineyard is uniquely positioned to emerge.)

I don’t know if the Emerging Church is dead or not.  But I still think “a universal church” is emerging which has not existed recently, if ever. Here are characteristics of the church I see emerging in the US:

1. A serious desire for generous orthodoxy.
   1. In Essentials Unity,Non-Essentials Liberty, All Things Charity
   2. This requires re-thinking, re-engaging, re-articulating theology.  That’s okay.  No one is going to go to hell for changing their mind about some theological truth.
   3. This needs to be a renewed focus if the Universal Church is to live in unity.
   4. In my estimation a generous orthodoxy is:
      1. The supremacy of Christ (salvation in Christ Alone by Grace through Faith, and an emphasis on his life, death and resurrection as victorious actions against sin and death),
      2. A high regard for Scripture
      3. A focus on evangelism and discipleship.
      4. Social justice (as true religion) as out-working’s of the Gospel (healing the sick, feeding the poor, giving sight to the blind, and freeing the prisoners),
   5. I see an ecumenical church working for these things through disagreements on essential issues.
   6. This has nothing to do with method, form, or practice and everything to do with the church unifying around a common orthodoxy and mobilizing to reach the world with the Gospel, including just actions towards the poor, sick, and homeless, etc.
2. A renewed interest in the Gospel, the Church, and the Mission of God
   1. The EMC was initially interested in defining these things.  It seems to have shifted, but I think there is still an emerging church calling for definition and action in these areas.
   2. Primary, is mobilizing the American Church for mission to those in their neighborhood, versus those across the sea.  Global missions are critical, but we are numb to the need for mission in America.
3. Dissatisfaction with attractional ministry models.
   1. The reaction to “attractional” has been “missional” but that word is neither descriptive or clarifying at this point.  It means different things to different people.
   2. In one sense, the new reaction is, “not attractional.”
   3. There is a desire for organic simple church planting models.  This, to me, will be one of the most interesting things to watch over the next decade.
      1. Will the church establish sustainable ways to do this?  I hope so.
      2. Does the church naturally grow more dependent on institution and bureaucracy as it grows?  I hope not.
4. Need for Bi-Vocational Ministry Models.  Because of the dissatisfaction above, and the planting of organic/simple/missional churches, Bi-Vocational Ministry is necessary.
5. Mistrust of hierarchical forms of leadership.
   1. The desire is for flattened leadership forms, but these seem to leave people wanting.
   2. I would say that the bible is hierarchical, but upside down.
      1. Spiritual Leadership is one of a servant and not a lord.
      2. The role of Pastor/Shepherd is to serve a congregation, not lord over it.
      1. I also think the biblical model of leadership structure is presbyterian and elders and deacons lead from the bottom, serving the congregation.
      2. For what it’s worth, I think a Presbyterian-Pastor-Led-Church can function with a flattened leadership style and still be biblical.  We’ll see if these things come to pass.
6. Desire for creativity concerning Evangelism and Outreach.
   1. Evangelism is an imperative in the New Testament.  Just actions are also.
   2. Older forms of Evangelism, especially systematized ones like “the Four Spiritual Laws” no longer work or if they do, work in a truncated fashion.
   3. No one seems to have explored this in an effective way that can be articulated and widely communicated (book form).
   4. It seems difficult for the church to believe that just acts can lead people to Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit, but that is biblical and mandated by Christ.  We should get on the ball.
7. A desire to be “charistmatic,” but not if if looks like TBN, Daystar, or any other Television Evangelist/Pastor
   1. The young, restless and reformed appear to be charismatic or continuist.
   2. My church movement (Vineyard) is trying to figure out how to be all things at once.  I don’t think this is possible and individual churches will have to decide how charismatic their culture will be.  This will probably “follow the leader.”  That is, the churches will be as charismatic as their pastors, elders and deacons are.
   3. I think my generation and the one younger than me (I am gen X, so I’m talking about Millennials) will work out a post-charismatic faith.
8. A renewed focus on holiness and purity.
   1. I don’t know that the entire church is emerging into a new holiness movement, but I do see an emerging generation that is interested in and passionate about holiness and purity.  See my posts on IHOP and the global prayer movement.
   2. A new kind of focus on the family is present here too.
9. A focus on healing reconciliation ministries.
   1. These are both individual and corporate.
   2. Jesus’ mission is to reconcile the world to the Father.
   3. That manifests itself in healing and deliverance.  Corporate healing and deliverance is complicated and a power encounter.  But, it is a JUSTICE issue.  It is what God desires.
   4. I think people are being raised up with supernatural ability to cross cultural boundaries to speak healing and reconciliation to people who do not know God or who do and are unable to reconcile themselves.
   5. This has something to do with #8.
10. Sexual Identity Issues:  the emerging church is intent on changing the way the church relates to people who have a sexual identity other than hetero.
    1. See Andrew Marin, for the best example or model of the direction this is going.
    2. It will be interesting to see where this goes.  Battle lines have been drawn here, but no one seems willing to cross the lines to engage the other position.
    3. To be honest, I have no idea what this looks like, but it starts with following Jesus.  The church has made it against the rules for people struggling with sexual identity issues to follow Jesus before they figure out their identity.  That’s just not how it really works.  Identity is a process.  As we cast of the old and put on the new, our identity continually changes.

3 Days @ The International House of Prayer – IHOP-KC – Part 2

(As I just re-read this, I realize it might sound like I’m a cook, but hang in there.  It is what it is.  I just want to be honest about my own experience.)

I mentioned in my last post that I attended the IHOPU Awakening Meeting on Wednesday night.  God TV has been airing some of these, but not regularly.  I think you can see it on their webstream if you want to check it out.

This was somewhat surreal for me, because IHOPU is housed in the building that used to be Metro Vineyard Fellowship.  It was strange to be back there for a meeting like this.

Let me qualify this by saying I have absolutely no idea why God works through “outpourings” or “awakening” type events.  It is weird.  It is uncomfortable.  It gets abused.  And much more.

I don’t think the fact that there are people present responding in the flesh means God is not working.  I just think it is messy and I would really prefer to see God do something that fosters my sensibilities.  But believe me, God is not concerned with how I think about these things or how I think they should go.  Do you think Jesus was concerned about Paul’s religious sensibilities when he knocked him off a horse and struck him blind?

With that said, let me explain some of my history with this stuff.  In the mid-nineties, my home church in St. Louis hosted Rodney-Howard Browne for several weeks and I went several times.  I experienced holy laughter, travailing for lost people, and spent an entire service on the floor under the power of the Spirit, unable to get up.  After I got up, I couldn’t speak for a few hours.  I went home and woke my dad up and shared my testimony with him and preached the Gospel to him.  (Weird, I know, but true.  My dad is now a believer!  Praise God.  Although, he was not instantly converted.)

I was in college in Kansas City at the time and went to several conferences at Metro Vineyard and began attending there are on a regular basis.  I experienced other manifestations of the Holy Spirit there and observed a lot of weird stuff during that time.

I have asked God about this a lot.  I sometimes wonder if there was any fruit from that time period.  I think my personal experience with Jesus as Savior and Lord is part of the fruit. But, the fruit in particular ministries seems minimal.  Unfortunately, some of the leaders have even fallen since.  But I also cannot see the mustard trees that grew out of the mustard seeds of faith planting then either.   Through some powerful manifestations, I was encouraged in my faith.  My experience gives me confidence that God is very real and present and that He wants to be experienced.  It marked me for a long obedience.  It set me on a path to full-time pastoral ministry.  And, it made me open to the works of God through Signs and Wonders.

Side note:  I would also say that the International House of Prayer in KC is fruit of that time period.  I think God was doing something powerful in that ministry, preparing the way for what is now a national and international prayer movement.  The prayer movement kind of blows me away to be honest.  It’s intense and God is doing something radical through it.  In particular, I think Mike Bickle did not fall prey to the “prosperity” aspects of that movement.  He was inspired to develop his ministry in the way of Campus Crusade for Christ and all IHOP missionaries raise support and live on a humble pay structure.  Also, Mike Bickle travels little and is committed to being in Kansas City raising up intercessors and providing resources to take the prayer movement forward.

With all that said, I don’t think manifestations are something we, as Christians, seek after.  I think we should seek after God and the manifestations are a by product of a relationship with Him.  Concerning the argument:  “How do you know this is not Satan or Demonic Influences causing these manifestations?”  I would say, the testimony of the manifestations God brings upon his people throughout scripture and throughout church history, especially the American Great Awakening, display evidence that this is not something new, or of the devil.  Anyone that spends time at IHOP would quickly realized that this is a movement committed to the centrality of the Word of God and to humility and holiness in lifestyle.  It is difficult to argue against this kind of evidence.  Remember, most religious leaders during Jesus’ ministry thought he was producing signs and wonders under the power of the Devil.

Now, theologically, you can disagree with IHOP and be offended at some of their ideas.  I think these things are non-essentials and there is going to be disagreement in the body of Christ, but it should not lead anyone to believe they are heretics or worse.  They believe in the essential elements of orthodox Chrsitianity.  Holy Spirit manifestations, healing and deliverance, and Prophecy are not categories of orthodoxy.  And, they are biblical.  The disagreement comes in how they are expressed now and whether or not they should be practices.  I have read heresy hunter articles on line and most of the arguments fall under:

1. Healing and deliverance – can a Christian be demonized?
2. Prophecy and Prophetic Ministry – is the gift of prophecy and/or the church office of Prophet active today?
3. Manifestations – are the manifestations of the Holy Spirit experienced in the 90’s through the Toronto Blessing of the Devil?

I think there is biblical evidence that God’s people can be tormented and influenced by demonic forces.  I do not think that a Christian can be demon possessed, but don’t think the bible expresses demonic influence (tormented and influenced) in the same way it expresses demon possession (being under the control of demons).  Paul says, our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities.  The Christian Life or Sanctification is articulated as something we run in, fight or box, stand in, hold fast to.  Those are active things.  We have to run the race and stand our ground, etc.  The enemy wants us to fail and disengaging from the battle is as much failure as anything else.  He also claimed he was attacked by a thorn in the flesh that wouldn’t go away and God would not deliver him from.  I would articulate powers and principalities as demonic and fleshly or worldly powers and systems.

I think the Prophetic History of IHOP is intriguing and awe inspiring.  I think that people with the gift of prophecy are people who live in the flesh reality and are not 100% accurate.  The OT prophets were accurate and spoke the direct words of God.  I have reconciled this issue for myself, so I operate from a position of activity in listening to, hearing, and speaking things I think God is saying.  I think the gift of prophecy Paul speaks of is not necessarily the OT calling of a Prophet.  That is, I think it operates differently and all words spoken by  me, to me or over someone in my church should be weighed against scripture.  If it is found to be true, we should pay heed.  If it is not, we should move forward.  You have to admit, some of the prophetic words spoken to the IHOP community have been extremely accurate.  I’m sure there have been plenty, positive and negative words, that have not hit the mark.

Manifestations are present throughout the entire bible.  Blindness (Paul), Speechless (Zechariah – John the Baptist’s Dad), laid out prostrate (John), visions and dreams (Peter, John, and others).  Saul was demonized.  Anyway, you get the point.  Also, John Wesley, George Whitefield, Charles Finney and other evangelists reported strange manifestations of the Spirit.  Shaking, burning, screaming, travailing, falling to the floor as if slain in the Spirit, etc.

I do not claim to know what any of this means.  I think God has given me some insight into it.  I personally don’t go seeking after it, but just last year, I experienced something very powerful with God and manifested some stuff that I would rather have avoided.  He just doesn’t seem to consider my sensibilities in the process.

This is what I wrote in my journal while at the IHOPU Awakening event:

See Jason, I am preparing a people with my name emblazoned on their hearts.  I am wooing them into a long obedience.  What is ahead requires a long obedience.  Without my love in their hearts and upon their lips, they cannot withstand.  They must know I am real.  I am real and after their hearts.  They will give their hearts over to me and abandon everything for the Glory of My Name.  I am worthy.  I am worth it.  I fulfill my promises and I will fulfill every promise I made.

3 Days @ The International House of Prayer in Kansas City (IHOP-KC)

I spent three days at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City this week.  A spiritual retreat of the first order!

Disclaimer:  I came to faith as a teenager and college was an intense time of discipleship, committing my life to Jesus, and ultimately giving my life to Christ in ministry service.  I went to college in Kansas City (1992-1995) and attended church off and on at what was the Metro Vineyard Christian Fellowship, which was pastored by Mike Bickle – the founder and leader of IHOP-KC.  I was also able to go to multiple conferences, including one of the first Passion for Jesus conferences.  Mike Bickle has been a mentor to me from afar since, and I listen to his podcasts every week.  (www.mikebickle.org)

Also, I am an admitted charismatic, so I place myself firmly in that camp theologically.  The Holy Spirit stuff doesn’t freak me out.  If it does you, I will pray for you , but I would not recommend jumping into IHOP-KC’s Global Prayer Room with out reconciling some of that first.

Here are some of my observations:

1. When I arrived, around 2:30 on Tuesday, I was overwhelmed with the amount of activity at the Missions Base.  I couldn’t find a parking spot.  I went into the Higher Grounds Coffee, which is extremely large, and couldn’t find a seat.  I went into the Global Prayer Room and couldn’t find a seat.  The prayer room seats around 450 or so and I couldn’t find a seat!  Eventually, I stepped over four or five people to get in the middle of an isle, sitting next to several strangers.
2. The Prayer Room is immediately overwhelming to all your senses.  There are a few older people here and there, but by far the majority of people in the Prayer Room were under 25.  The most unique thing was the amount of people pacing back and forth, bible in hands, praying.
3. The prayer room has a formal etiquette statement.  People are encouraged to be quiet, not have conversations, not be loud enough in your praying or singing to distract people around you, etc.  Children are allowed, but required to stay seated next to their parents (so, there aren’t many young children).  Also, people are encouraged to curb their “freedom” in worship to make it as comfortable as possible.  On that note, the prayer room was peaceful and quiet the majority of the time, but during Intercession sets, it could get pretty wild.
4. There are tables around the edges of the Prayer Room and many people have computers and text books out studying scripture or studying for classes at IHOPU.  Also, a lot of people in the rows of chairs are journaling and reading books.
5. After two days, I felt extremely comfortable and fell in love with it.  I spent 6 hours each day in the Prayer Room and went to the IHOPU Awakening Service Wednesday Night for 3 hours.  That’s a lot, but I didn’t feel like it was a lot.  I could have done more.
6. As a Pastor, this was extremely refreshing for me.  I was ministered to deeply by people that prayed for me and by the revelation of the knowledge of Jesus Christ in my own personal life.  I don’t get to do that often.  I am pouring out more than filling up.
7. I went into a healing room on Wednesday.  I have been struggling with chronic migraine headaches for 7 years now and am fervently seeking healing this year.  The healing rooms are open at various times throughout the week.  I signed up at the desk in the lobby and was taken into a prayer “soaking” area where I was served communion, given some instructions on how to position myself to receive healing, etc.  While I did that, I people laid hands on my head and shoulders.  It was powerful.  (more on that later).  Then, I went into a small room just off the prayer room and two people prayed healing over me.  Nothing extravagant happened, but it ministered to me DEEPLY.
8. The last thing I wanted to mention is this:  I think I heard 10 different worship leaders lead worship while I was there and everyone was as good as any of the popular worship artists in the Contemporary Christian Music world.  This is awesome, but also extremely humbling as everyone of those worship leaders has sacrificed “worldly” success and fame to be in Kansas City doing worship and prayer 24/7.  I know some of the IHOP worship leaders have achieved acclaim, but they do not benefit from it financially or with personal fame.  They live as missionaries on a base salary – a system based on Campus Crusades pay and benefits system.  Incredible.