A glimmer of hope...

I was having a conversation with a good friend the other day and he made the statement, "You know I'm not Pentecostal Holiness. I'm barely charismatic." And though he was joking in a way, it was also a serious statement. It's exactly that kind of statement that sums up how a lot of people around my age are feeling about charismatic denominations right now. Just kind of tired of it and fed up.

I certainly feel that way at times. I grew up in charismatic churches, mostly PH*, and have attended/worked at a PH college for almost ten years now. I've seen pretty much everything the PH denomination has to offer. I've had some amazing experiences and grown so much in my faith, but I've also become kind of cynical at times because of the downside that seems to be inherent in a charismatic denomination...hype, emotion for the sake of emotion, catch phrases and buzz words, and some teaching that is just not theologically sound. I've really been thinking lately that I might want to separate myself from charismatic denominations for a while and move to something more liturgical, more consistent.

Last night**, I had the opportunity to be part of a Pentecostal service that will go down in my personal history as one of the best experiences of my spiritual life. Understand, I'm using "Pentecostal" to describe the service, not the denomination of the audience in attendance. It was such an awesome and refreshing experience. Such a wonderful reminder that when a time of corporate worship comes out of an honest and sincere place, the Holy Spirit can move in a way that truly changes lives. It was something I really needed, I think, to renew my faith in the more charismatic facets of praise and worship (not the genre, the actions).

I so want to find a church body that is able to humbly embrace all sides of a life lived for Christ. There should be liturgical elements, ways to honor those who have gone on before us, a sacred approach to disciplines, a respect for and regular practice of communion. But also joyous and even boisterous praise and adoration of God, an allowance for the Holy Spirit to work through us in Pentecostal ways.

Does a church like this exist? Shouldn't it? Are there any of you who are feeling the same frustrations as me? If so, please share here.

Peace. Out.



* PH stands for Pentecostal Holiness. I'm not picking on the PH denomination in particular in this post. It's just what I've been part of for the majority of my life.

** Last night, I attended the Crabb Family concert in Warner Robins, GA.

Movie Update...

Here's an update on the movies I watched over Christmas break along with my thoughts about each...

- The Holiday - so much better than I thought it would be! It's not going to win any awards or anything, but if you're looking for a feel good romantic comedy that's hilarious, heart-warming, and slightly related to Christmas - this is your movie!

- The Pursuit of Happyness - really good, but kind of a drag. Will Smith's performance is excellent, and the story has a nice ending, but it's one of those movies that's hard to watch. You do get the chance to look at Smith's adorable son, Jaden, for almost two hours, though! I felt like it was a little too long and dragged a bit in parts, but the last fourth or so is absolutely great.

- Good Night, and Good Luck (on DVD) - definitely worth the hype, but you may want to brush up on your American Communist history before watching it. The direction and camera angles are flawless for those of you who are interested in that kind of thing. And the integration of actual old footage is seamless and effective. This is not an action movie! It's one you really need to have time and freedom to sit down and watch and concentrate on the dialog. It's short, but packed with great one-liners and amazing actors.

- The Last Kiss (on DVD) - What a wonderful movie! It has a lot of bad language and a good bit of sex, but if you can get past that, it's great! It's sort of a commentary on relationships and quarter/mid-life crises about growing up and settling down. Zach Braff is wonderfully hilarious on Scrubs, but I love that he's doing these movies that give him the opportunity to really show his acting chops. And, of course, the movie has an awesome soundtrack! It also has one of the best endings I've ever seen in a movie.

- American Dreamz (on DVD) - Such a disappointment! I generally love Hugh Grant in any and everything, but even he couldn't save this horrible movie. There are some laughs and satire in there somewhere, but the movie fails miserably at conveying them.

What I really watched the most over the break was 24. We watched all of Season 1 and the first eight episodes of Season 2. It's so good and addictive! We had only ever watched the most recent season, Season 5, so it's cool to go to the beginning and get the back-story. If you aren't watching this show, you must! Except for Battlestar Galactica, it's probably the best show on TV right now.

Peace. Out.