...something I notice in charismatic type churches, or churches who have been connected in any way with the renewal movement: we are more transient. We’re looking for something. And if the church loses it or doesn’t provide it, we’ll be faithful for as long as we can, but eventually we’ll move on. When I was a minister in the Presbyterian Church in Canada, I never saw anything like this. There are many churches in this area that people move around in. Like certain birds, we tend to migrate around to wherever it’s hottest and most agreeable. Renewal and charismata does something to us. And it ain’t all good. It plants a discontent deep within us that can never be satisfied, at least for long. I know what I’m talking about because I fight this restlessness all the time. As messed up as it was, Corinth, the conference capital of the Roman world, would’ve been my drug.
A few relections on his piece::
::I think he is right. This transient nature has left especially in mainstream Melbourne Churches hardly anybody of that type in the buildings!
::Pentecostal Churches seem to be the biggest winners in terms of numbers to the migration.
::I wonder if the new explorations of liturgy has something to do with this renewal infection. Eg Todd Hunter who has gone from renewel to a jumping in with the liturgy of the Anglicans. I must admit I'm attracted to it, but only in terms of breathing new life into my spirit. Not some repetitious mumbling of words of which I grew up with.