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| What "Toning It Down" Has Done for the Church of God... https://www.acts20.com/viewtopic.php?t=88673 |
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| Author: | acts [ Tue Jan 14, 2025 2:07 am ] |
| Post subject: | Aaron Scott: What "Toning It Down" Has Done for the Church of God... |
| THIS IS MY OPINION.At first, it seemed like a very good idea to make ourselves more appealing to those who were not familiar with Pentecost. Our first step was making some very reasonable adjustments toward greater inclusiveness (as well as perhaps preserving a significant percentage of the membership we already had) by changing some of Practical Commitments. Then, only in a few progressive churches at first, there was a move toward what we now call seeker-sensitive churches. The sentiment is one to be respected, but the net result, I am afraid, was to cause a largely permanent dilution of Pentecostal worship. I recall a post here a number of years ago that, in so many words, indicated that traditional Pentecostal expression was weird.Eventually, we reached a tipping point. We had--perhaps with the best of intentions--tamped down our traditional Pentecostal expressions long enough, had drawn in enough people who did not engage in weird behaviors, had diluted the congregation with a mix of Pentecostals that had changed their ways and groups that had no example of Pentecostal expression to follow, etc., that we no longer did it like we used to.I want to say that I am no exception to this case. It can indeed by a challenge to really worship when those around you aren't. It's like going to a John MacArthur service and shouting out Hallelujah at some point he's made: It's not going to well-received, I imagine. As much as it might be important to ramp people up to Pentecostal expression, I am afraid that, in many cases, that ramp has worked as worked in both directions. |
| Author: | acts [ Tue Jan 14, 2025 2:07 am ] |
| Post subject: | UncleJD: Its not just the COG |
| May I ask a very tough question? |
| Author: | acts [ Tue Jan 14, 2025 2:07 am ] |
| Post subject: | roughridercog: |
| Are we bemoaning a loss of Pentecost or a loss of Pentecostal style |
| Author: | acts [ Tue Jan 14, 2025 2:07 am ] |
| Post subject: | Quiet Wyatt: |
| Re: May I ask a very tough question? |
| Author: | acts [ Tue Jan 14, 2025 2:07 am ] |
| Post subject: | sheepdogandy: |
| We still have it!Classical Pentecostal expression.Whole lot of speaking in tongues, shouting and all the other stuff that made the Church of God a great place to go to church.More than an outward display but a genuine demonstration of the power of God.We do just about everything the professionals say will kill your attendance.Yet we thrive.Glory to God Charles A. HutchinsSenior Pastor SPWCCongregational Church of Godwww.spwc.church |
| Author: | acts [ Tue Jan 14, 2025 2:07 am ] |
| Post subject: | Da Sheik: Re: May I ask a very tough question? |
| Good question. Perhaps a bit of both, but my guess is the latter. I grew up when it wasn’t cool to be Pentecostal. I think that galvanized us to some degree. I think it’s ironic that the church we look at as the model for what a Pentecostal Church should be (the Corinthian Church) was an example of Pentecost gone wrong. Paul was thankful for the gift of tongues, but saw them subordinate to the preaching of the Word in the assembly. I Cor 14:18-19“I thank God that I speak in tongues more than any of you. But in a church meeting I would rather speak five understandable words to help others than ten thousand words in an unknown language.†|
| Author: | acts [ Tue Jan 14, 2025 2:07 am ] |
| Post subject: | FLRon: |
| The last few churches of God that I have attended are more in line with a “community churchâ€. The type where a lot of different faiths assemble together, with each holding to their own unique distinctives.The church I currently attend is an example of this. Other than the name on the sign out front, you would not know you were in a Church of God. New members are taken in with no prior teaching about what makes the COG unique, and no follow up later.If I’m being brutally honest here, I see far more “form of godliness†than I see the real power of God being displayed in our churches today. Then again, we are witnessing a falling away in this day.Sad, actually “Hell will be filled with people that didn’t cuss, didn’t drink, and may even have been baptized. Why? Because none of those things makes someone a Christian.” |
| Author: | acts [ Tue Jan 14, 2025 2:07 am ] |
| Post subject: | Cojak: Re: May I ask a very tough question? |
| Good question. Perhaps a bit of both, but my guess is the latter. I grew up when it wasn’t cool to be Pentecostal. |
| Author: | acts [ Tue Jan 14, 2025 2:07 am ] |
| Post subject: | Cojak: I wish I had said that. I like the way you put it, |
| I am not the oldest contributor here but I remember back to the time when (trying to be nice here) we had 'some wild fire'. Some folks, me included many times, were despondent when a minister or member would state proudly, I would rather have 'wild fire' than no fire. It was said like we had no choice. I talked to a young man the other day who said, I can speak in tongues any time I want to now.I kept looking back over my life, and it did not seem the same with me. It seemed to be certain circumstances and urging that I speak 'in tongues'. I have always sorta wanted to speak in Chinese to convert a Chinese. (Or any other language) I do wonder why that does not happen more in our society, since we do have many cultures in the USA that we never have before (I will clarify that by saying the South East.) Some facts but mostly just my [email protected]/ |
| Author: | acts [ Tue Jan 14, 2025 2:07 am ] |
| Post subject: | caveator: |
| Galvinizing... |
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