BACKGROUND
In his post of August 27, 2008, Brother Maynard addressed Reinterpreting the Lakeland Fallout. There he brings together a number of “Citizen Journalist” blog reports of fact, analysis, and interpretation, primarily about the role of apostolic leaders related to the falling apart of the Lakeland revival situation, and its fallout. At the end of his post, he encourages bloggers to post their thoughts in September on leadership in this current era:
My informal appeal to post-charismatic and missional bloggers for the month of September might be to spend some time thinking and writing on the forms of leadership (apostolic or otherwise) which we need to see in the church today. What characterizes this form of leadership? How do we recognize leaders, and how is their authority derived and exercised? There are a number of large and significant issues at play here, and I believe that this expression of what the ICA [International Coalition of Apostles] calls the “Second Apostolic Age” which “began roughly in 2001″ is failing to produce the genuine expression of apostolic leadership that the church needs to help it become established, to grow, and to mature. If you blog, offer your ideas for interaction and link back here; if not, feel free to enter a long and rambling comment on the matter below. Maybe we’ll discover just what an apostle is these days – and how we’d recognize one.
Following is the comment I posted on Brother Maynard’s blog. It gives my initial response to the Lakeland situation. It also tells what my plans are for posting on September 22 about leadership in this current era, and what I plan to do in the weeks leading up to that posting.
INITIAL RESPONSE TO “REINTERPRETING THE LAKELAND FALLOUT”
Given the chaotic circumstances of the past few weeks, I would undoubtedly be quite delighted, if I were one of the heresy hunters or supposedly demonically-inspired judge-and-juror dementors who are being castigated in the Pro-Apostle Press, and warned by the superapostles and their advocates to expect God-Zap-Boomerangs.
But I am not. I’m just some blogger guy who must be pretty much off the radar of the actors of this intense drama. And what right do I have to say anything anyway? I’m not directly affected by it. And, while I have done some studies in the theologies and practices of the Charismatic, Pentecostal, Shepherding, Revivalist, or Restorationist movements, I don’t have much personal involvement in them.
Yet I am affected indirectly by this, because I am part of the Body of Christ, and the Body is suffering from some serious wounds. Also, I have other beliefs, experiences, and expectations that are relevant. Plus, could I suggest this is not about the right to write, but the responsibility to discern? The only real qualifications needed to “Bereanize” a situation are to (1) be a conscientious disciple, (2) who seeks to search the Scriptures, (3) in order to see what things are so. When you go public with your thoughts, though, that’s a different matter. More on that in a moment …
Meanwhile, I must say that I’ve found the past few weeks to be exceptionally disturbing – especially related to the activities of some of the so-called apostles. What some demonstrate is not the language, the attitude, or the familial relationship of healthy spiritual fathers. Instead, I’m hearing, seeing, and witnessing the same things as during my now-decades-long work in the “recovery movement.” And I am shocked. I am angry. I am grieving.
I cannot understand as “fatherly” when men call their spiritual sons and daughters “losers.” These are the words of abusive fathers, who curse their children with labels of lies. They are not acceptable.
I cannot understand as “fatherly” when men issue veiled threats by calling upon God the Father to curse those who question their authority. These are the attitudes of abusive fathers, whose overt authoritarianism and lust for power mask their own insecurities and ineptitudes. They are not acceptable.
I cannot understand as “fatherly” when men seemingly embrace a relationship of engagement and responsibility with a next-generation disciple, and then repudiate it when the disciple has difficulties. These are the actions of abusive fathers, whose self-serving abandonment implants chasms of chaos in the souls of their children. They are not acceptable.
And all this being perpetrated in the name of a Savior who came to end the reign of the Father of All Lies who is the ultimate Destroyer and Soul Murderer? What have we come to … what will we become if we continue on this path?
I know I have more to say. I’m not yet released to say it. I need time to reflect, to fast and pray, to make sure my own spiritual house is in order before stating even more about this situation of our anguish. On Monday, September 22, I will plan to blog about whatever I sense I need to put on the public record. Hopefully, it will deal more with what leadership in this current era should be, than to focus on what it is not, or has not recently been.
In case the date of September 22 is unfamiliar, it commemorates the birthday of Bilbo Baggins, a true father of Middle-earth who not only adopted his orphaned nephew Frodo, but rejoiced in giving away much of his treasure to others, and relatively resisted the evil Ring of Power. If I cannot seem at the moment find a heroic earthly “spiritual father” to learn from in this sad situation, I know I shall at least glean something from this flawed but ultimately faithful character from the heart of J.R.R. Tolkien.
Speaking of Tolkien, in 1969, a young girl asked him to explain “the purpose of life.” Tolkien provided a wondrous, theological answer. He wrote her that …
“the chief purpose of life, for any one of us, is to increase according to our capacity our knowledge of God by all the means we have, and to be moved by it to praise and thanks. To do as we say in the Gloria in Excelsis. … We praise you, we call you holy, we worship you, we proclaim your glory, we thank you for the greatness of your splendour. And in moments of exaltation we may call on all created things to join in our chorus, speaking on their behalf … all mountains and hills, all orchards and forests, all things that creep and birds on the wing.” (J.R.R. Tolkien’s Sanctifying Myth: Understanding Middle-earth by Bradley J. Birzer, pages 64, 138.)
I pray for the restoration of that kind of spirit of worship, which can lift us all up and bring exaltation to God our Father, in the midst of this current gloom.
August 30, 2008 at 12:15 pm
Amen, brother. You will probably appreciate the work of Justin Peters, also. See http://www.justinpeters.org and be sure to watch “demo.” God bless you!
August 30, 2008 at 2:15 pm
Hi Caron, and thanks for dropping by and for suggesting the link to Justin Peter’s website. I checked it out, and he looks to have some excellent material available. For those who are interested, Justin offers a seminar he developed on “A Call for Discernment: A Biblical Critique of the Word of Faith Movement.”
There is a demo video that is 35 minutes – and well worth watching – that summarizes his three sessions on the faulty theological beliefs that lead to harmful practices in the health-and-wealth/prosperity gospel. I appreciate both his clarity and his kindness. He seems very balanced, and states publicly that while he is not charismatic, he is also not anti-charismatic. He distinguishes carefully between what he terms as “clear-thinking charismatics” (whom he forthrightly says hold to the same orthodox core which he does as a Baptist) versus the Word of Faith followers with their “metaphysical cultic origins.”
Over the years, I’ve done a fair amount of apologetics work myself on beliefs and practices of various alternative religions and spiritualities, especially those that end up meshed with Christian terminology and ministry. In the postmodern era, I suspect we’ll see a strong shift in the emerging forms of syncretism, as the false modern-era overfocus on rationality is overtaken by fusing Christianity with spirituality and spiritism – especially animism, shamanism, and other types of occultism. In fact, I think we’ve recently witnessed shades of that in the doctrines and practices at Lakeland.
All of this is a reminder on how important it is to discern. While some members of the Body of Christ are uniquely gifted and empassioned to pursue apologetics studies, which are really about discernment of belief systems and their origins, all of us should … no – must … practice the spiritual discipline of discernment. This kind of careful thinking that leads to “spiritual preventive health practices” is open to all who follow Jesus Christ, and I seek to follow my own exhortation on that account.
September 6, 2008 at 12:46 pm
Hello – couldn’t resist a note of appreciation for this item and your reference to Bilbo. A glance at my blog will reveal why but I meet regularly with a group of young adults with whom I attempt to share “anything that would be helpful” Acts 20:20. They have affectionately christened me ‘Mr Bilbo’ and the group has become ‘the Frodos’ for the reasons you mention. Elsewhere your concern for the next generations resonates so strongly.
September 9, 2008 at 6:58 am
Hi Rowland – A delightful moniker to be called Mr. Bilbo, eh? There is such an importance to having spiritual “fathers” and “mothers” to mentor us. You are a hero and – as befitting all heroes – there is a Bilbo Baggins action figure floating around out there … with your name on it!