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A few questions I asked myself 
"Slain by the Spirit", "Holy Laughter" & other stuff... (Ian Morris)
Questionable Practices (John Doe 666)
Ah! you are on the right track, John. (Interested )
How do altered state of consciousness take place in public meetings? (saved-by-grace)
some light (John Doe 666)
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Hi all,
I must state upfront that I belong to the group of christians that prefer the "quieter" type of worship. As I read the postings in this thread, I agree that it is good for us to have healthy skepticism. We should be discerning in the Spirit to avoid being misled by man. We should not leave our brains at the door when we step into the sanctuary. However, as I try to put aside my personal preference, I started to ask myself the following questions: 1. Is it fair to assume that pyschologyical ploys are being employed (either knowingly or unknowingly) by certain groups of people whose preferred style of worship defers from mine? When I sing the good old hymns and am moved into tears; when I'm overawed by presence of the Holy Spirit in a solemn moment of prayer; when my heart burns with the hearing of the passionate preaching of God's Word by a minister behind the pulpit...can I come up with psychological explanations for what I am experiencing, instead of attributing it to the working of the Holy Spirt in me? Most likely than not. I may say that the hymn writers were experts at crafting melodies and lyrics designed to manipulate the emotions. I may say that silence has been deliberately used to create an atmosphere of reverence so that I can "feel" God's awesomeness. I may say that the preacher is a good public speaker skilled at motivating people with the right combination of words used, tone of voice and body language. I can analyse everything logically and come to a conclusion that the church I'm attending is using psychological methods to control the congregation. Sounds rational. Makes sense. But should I do so? Am I being fair to do so? Which brings me back to the original question I asked earlier: Is it fair to assume that pyschologyical ploys are being employed (either knowingly or unknowingly) by certain groups of people whose preferred style of worship defers from mine? 2. Is it reasonable to say that something is not of God when we can explain it from the pyschological perspective? Have we not, before we accepted Christ into our lives, like many of our unbeliever friends, used pyschology to explain away the spiritual experiences of the those who believe? It is interesting to think about how we defend against such lines of arguement now that we are believers ourselves? Now, try putting ourselves into the shoes of the "crazy charismatics" (no offence to my charismatic brothers and sisters here) and think about what is going through their minds when they hear of similar arguements against them (from their non-charismatic brothers and sisters)? 3. Is it reasonable to reject practices just because they resemble practices by the occults or other religions? Could it be that occults and other religions are counterfeiting what are genuinely of God in the Church? Before I'm misunderstood, I must state that I do not condone disrupting behaviours in church that draw people's from the Lord. I believe that as long as a practice (which may include raising of hands or even dancing/jumping) helps us focus on, and express our love to and joy in our Lord, I don't see why they should be discouraged. Haven't we seen modern Budhists singing songs in christian praise and worship style? Haven't we heard of so-called "divine" healings in the occults? Do we then stop singing praises during our worship services? Do we then stop believing in God's ability and willingness to heal in the church? Of course not. Which brings me to the last question: 3. Is there a possibiltiy that a worship service is "noisy" and "rowdy" not because the worshippers are psychologically manipulated or emotionally controlled by the worship leaders, but because the worshippers are truly celebrating the Father's love? Could it be that they are truly intoxicated with the beauty of the Lord Jesus Christ? Could it be that they are genuinely drunk with the fullness of the Holy Spirit? Possibly. Probably even. That's what I would like to think and believe. I trust that our Lord is raising up people in our land who are truly passionate for Him and His Kingdom. Blessings, Keith
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Thank you very much Keith. God bless you for yr insights. eom by saved-by-grace, 2001, Nov 22
We are all blessed. We are joint heirs with Christ and we have a good Father. eom. by Keith, 2001, Nov 22
I asked myself by John Doe 666, 2001, Nov 22
Hi Keith, by Interested , 2001, Nov 22
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