I got a good chuckle out of this article by Tim Schraeder, and I agree wholeheartedly with his appreciation for our mutual charismatic upbringing. Although I have expanded my theological horizons and grown in my understanding of and appreciation for other traditions, I am grateful for the passionate stream of Christianity I was raised in and which continues to impact me profoundly. One of the books that has been so helpful for me on the road of my spiritual journey in embracing a robust theology and practice is Richard Foster’s excellent book Streams of Living Water: Celebrating the Great Traditions of Christian Faith. I highly recommend it!
Here’s the article by Schraeder …
“My Christian journey was profoundly shaped by the fact that I was raised in what some would call a charismatic church. I was raised in an Assemblies of God church and the first five years of my life in ministry were working on staff at an A/G church. I am grateful for how I was raised and after no longer attending an A/G church, I have come to value the impact growing up in a charismatic church made on my life. I will, however, note that there are some unique and quirky things that come along with it.
“This list is by no means intended to belittle the charismatic upbringing I had, but more to celebrate some of the oddities that can be associated with the heritage we charismatic kids can share.
“You may have been raised charismatic if…
- you’ve recommitted your life to Christ more than 10 times per year.
- you would say a quick prayer asking for the forgiveness of as many sins as you can remember when the traveling prophet would start walking around in the congregation.
- Click here to see the full list.
During our Youth Winter Fest we invited students to come forward and write on white flags the things they needed to surrender to Jesus. Of 353 people attending the weekend, we received 337 flags! Here’s the list of responses and a window into the issues our students are struggling with. Would you join me in praying for these people?
REVKEVJR.COM 