Comments on: The Wonder and Weight of Being Born American http://www.viraljesus.org/2009/07/the-wonder-and-weight-of-being-born-american/ a dialog about authentic faith Fri, 10 Sep 2010 15:11:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Dave Arnold http://www.viraljesus.org/2009/07/the-wonder-and-weight-of-being-born-american/comment-page-1/#comment-1444 Dave Arnold Mon, 14 Jun 2010 03:44:11 +0000 http://www.viraljesus.org/?p=212#comment-1444 I love Rich Mullins as well. He once said in an interview on a local radio station: (and I'll paraphrase): -People come up to me after concerts and talk about how they felt the Spirit move. ANd I ask them, "How could you feel Him when the music was so loud and all of the people were cheering?" The Holy Spirit is a still small voice and it is in the smallest, quietest things that you'll hear him, like folding your laundry. People confuse an emotional moment with a spiritual one. - (End paraphrase.) When I heard that, it validated my discomfort with the typical Pentecostal methods of "pumping" or "priming" people to have a "religious experience" at their event. Trust me, when the Holy Spirit really shows up, nobody needs to be primed for it. And nobody looks at their watch, and very few even leave to eat. Problem in America is that we settled for an emotional high and leave before the spiritual high of actual contact with the Spirit. Read I Kings 19:9-14. If Elijah had experienced the wind, earthquake and fire and then left, thinking surely he had been in the presence of God, he would have missed God completely, because the Bible says that though each of these came, God was not in them. God was in the gentle whisper (NIV) that followed. I pray that we would turn off the TV, stereo, and even the contemporary worship music (gasp - blasphemy) more often and seek the gentle whisper behind the earthquakes and fire. That is where the real work is done. Preach on brother, glad you've turned the corner. I love Rich Mullins as well. He once said in an interview on a local radio station: (and I’ll paraphrase): -People come up to me after concerts and talk about how they felt the Spirit move. ANd I ask them, “How could you feel Him when the music was so loud and all of the people were cheering?” The Holy Spirit is a still small voice and it is in the smallest, quietest things that you’ll hear him, like folding your laundry. People confuse an emotional moment with a spiritual one. – (End paraphrase.)

When I heard that, it validated my discomfort with the typical Pentecostal methods of “pumping” or “priming” people to have a “religious experience” at their event. Trust me, when the Holy Spirit really shows up, nobody needs to be primed for it. And nobody looks at their watch, and very few even leave to eat. Problem in America is that we settled for an emotional high and leave before the spiritual high of actual contact with the Spirit. Read I Kings 19:9-14. If Elijah had experienced the wind, earthquake and fire and then left, thinking surely he had been in the presence of God, he would have missed God completely, because the Bible says that though each of these came, God was not in them. God was in the gentle whisper (NIV) that followed.

I pray that we would turn off the TV, stereo, and even the contemporary worship music (gasp – blasphemy) more often and seek the gentle whisper behind the earthquakes and fire. That is where the real work is done.

Preach on brother, glad you’ve turned the corner.

]]> By: Jon Shimeall http://www.viraljesus.org/2009/07/the-wonder-and-weight-of-being-born-american/comment-page-1/#comment-454 Jon Shimeall Wed, 29 Jul 2009 01:51:59 +0000 http://www.viraljesus.org/?p=212#comment-454 Amen and Amen. Well said, but don't get a big head as Pastor says. Amen and Amen. Well said, but don’t get a big head as Pastor says.

]]> By: Timothy Stewart http://www.viraljesus.org/2009/07/the-wonder-and-weight-of-being-born-american/comment-page-1/#comment-427 Timothy Stewart Sun, 05 Jul 2009 19:53:08 +0000 http://www.viraljesus.org/?p=212#comment-427 A nice look at tension between this "good of this world" (USA) and the next. A nice look at tension between this “good of this world” (USA) and the next.

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