Post-Charismatic!?!
I just finished reading Post-charismatics? by Rob Alpine. Until I read this book, I have always considered myself to be a left-brain charismatic with brief but profound right-brain moments. Now, I believe I am a post-charismatic. Not anti-charismatic by any means. Not a charismaniac. But a post-charismatic, a charismatic minus the weirdness-for-weirdness-sake. I understand that there are times when the Holy Spirit comes on you and He tells you to do some “weird” things, that eventually results in spiritual fruit. There are plenty of “weird” prophets in the Bible, but their weirdness always had a prophetic impact. However, what I see among some charismatic folks is that somehow the level of weirdness has become the measuring stick for their Spirit-filled-ness.
I have been to many charismatic meetings where I have been profoundly touched by God and even had some “weird” manifestations of the Holy Spirit. However, it took me many years to be comfortable and even celebrate my intimate-but-no-strange-manifestations-like-everyone-around-me moments. As a post-charismatic, I value the intimacy that is experienced through the very presence of the Holy Spirit that often leads to holy tears rather than holy laughter, the resulting courage to face the difficult challenges in my life rather than pray their supernatural disappearance, and the power that comes through confession of weaknesses and meek dependence on His Power rather than shouting motivational speeches to yourself.
I am all for continuation of the full manifestations of the Holy Spirit, but I cannot help but to be little concerned at what is going on within the charismatic movement.
yes – I think I probably fall in the ‘post-charismatic’ bracket too.
in the light of recent developments in florida, i think it’s important that charismatics examine themselves and ask the questions that need to be asked – this is something that is not done enough within the movement.
and i am right there with you