Those who left the Conservative Pentecostalism

[revrandy]

In a conversation with a Pastor's wife who had left the Conservative message to a liberal lifestyle and you here know what I mean..

She said she missed the Pentecostal Services of those who still live conservatively... that services without that commitment were less lively, less "spirited" if you will and people were much more difficult when it came to commitment and having "church"...

What do you think?

If you have left the message of separation from the world not only in Spirit but also in attire have you found the same to be true?

I noticed around here that those that have left it seems many here do not have a church home any longer but seem to be in a pattern of searching?

This is just a conversation, not an accusation...

What is your experience?

[Jack Shephard]

I left. I have lost a lot of things. Mostly by my own doing or my choices. I don't follow the dress code. I don't follow a level of "holiness" that someone tells me to. I do not feel that services are any less "spirited" I do think they are much more authentic. Motion creates emotion and emotion creates lots of things. In the OP movement, especially the more conservative groups, there is a lot of peer pressure involved to "worship" and to do whatever you want to call it. Those that don't participate are often looked down on and even singled out. So, in that movement it is bettter to participate than to not. When I left, the people that I were around were free to worship how the chose. They had freedom from the peer pressure of "how long has it been since you talked in tongues" and it was true, pure and really geniuine. That is what I experienced. Maybe what you mentioned was a female thing. I have heard some women say similar things, but then again it could be due to them having had most of the peer pressure that they developed a bit of a Stockholm Syndrom thing.

[navygoat1998]

Originally Posted by revrandy

In a conversation with a Pastor's wife who had left the Conservative message to a liberal lifestyle and you here know what I mean..

She said she missed the Pentecostal Services of those who still live conservatively... that services without that commitment were less lively, less "spirited" if you will and people were much more difficult when it came to commitment and having "church"...

What do you think?

If you have left the message of separation from the world not only in Spirit but also in attire have you found the same to be true?

I noticed around here that those that have left it seems many here do not have a church home any longer but seem to be in a pattern of searching?

This is just a conversation, not an accusation...

What is your experience?

Hey Rev we have been in the AG almost from the moment we left. Every AG church we have been part of been has been very Spirit filled and Pentecostal.

[Sasha]

I have been attending a "Pentecostal flavor" church for four years now. The attendance has grown from less than 100 to over 2000 in those four years. We have an awesome move of God in all services (and we may sound liberal, but I'm sure we have church more than most here), we believe and preach the salvational doctrine as taught in the Bible, and sometimes someone even runs the aisles! I have heard my pastor's wife speak in tongues from the pulpit, and we baptize in Jesus name. If you were blind, you wouldn't know the difference in the largest Apostolic churches you have attended and the one I attend. We don't follow traditional standards, but everything else is pretty much the same.

[KeptByTheWord]

Originally Posted by Jack Shephard

I left. I have lost a lot of things. Mostly by my own doing or my choices. I don't follow the dress code. I don't follow a level of "holiness" that someone tells me to. I do not feel that services are any less "spirited" I do think they are much more authentic. Motion creates emotion and emotion creates lots of things. In the OP movement, especially the more conservative groups, there is a lot of peer pressure involved to "worship" and to do whatever you want to call it. Those that don't participate are often looked down on and even singled out. So, in that movement it is bettter to participate than to not. When I left, the people that I were around were free to worship how the chose. They had freedom from the peer pressure of "how long has it been since you talked in tongues" and it was true, pure and really geniuine. That is what I experienced. Maybe what you mentioned was a female thing. I have heard some women say similar things, but then again it could be due to them having had most of the peer pressure that they developed a bit of a Stockholm Syndrom thing.

I agree with your comment Jack. Regarding the highlighted above, I would like to comment further.

At our local community's July 4th celebration, there was a country music band playing. There were many of the songs played that had me tapping my toes, and feeling like just moving to the music. I watched little kids, older kids, grandmas, grandpas, and actually people of all ages get out of their seats and begin to juke, and jive and dance around to this music. It just feels good. The beat, the rhythm, the talent of the singers... it was all a feel-good kinda thing. There was nothing about the Lord in any of the music, and yet I felt the same desire to get up and shockamoo a bit, just because shockamoo or dancing physically feels good.

I mentioned that experience to say this.... music stirs the emotions of the soul, and many times when those emotions are felt, one can be led to believe that they are "of God".... when they are simply pure fleshly emotions reacting to music, and have nothing whatsoever to do with worship.

There is a lot of "shockamoo" that goes on inside OP churches with whooping, hollering, shaking, twisting, screaming, and such... that many times is simply an emotional reaction to the music being played, much like my reaction to the good time country music show we saw on the 4th.

I challenge anyone the next time you are in a "red hot" praise break type service - Watch people when the music stops, and see how many people are still dancing the shockamoo. That ought to be an eye-opener for you. If something is true worship, then why does it stop when the music stops???

I personally think that other churches may not have so much of a "hoedown type worship" but instead have the kind of worship that is deep, genuine, and not emotionally, or musically charged.

The deepest and most wonderful life changing moments of worship that I have had with the Lord have not been in the "swingin' from the chandeliers" type service, but in the weeping, quiet, still place of an altar or a prayer closet.

[Sean]

Originally Posted by KeptByTheWord

I agree with your comment Jack. Regarding the highlighted above, I would like to comment further.

At our local community's July 4th celebration, there was a country music band playing. There were many of the songs played that had me tapping my toes, and feeling like just moving to the music. I watched little kids, older kids, grandmas, grandpas, and actually people of all ages get out of their seats and begin to juke, and jive and dance around to this music. It just feels good. The beat, the rhythm, the talent of the singers... it was all a feel-good kinda thing. There was nothing about the Lord in any of the music, and yet I felt the same desire to get up and shockamoo a bit, just because shockamoo or dancing physically feels good.

I mentioned that experience to say this.... music stirs the emotions of the soul, and many times when those emotions are felt, one can be led to believe that they are "of God".... when they are simply pure fleshly emotions reacting to music, and have nothing whatsoever to do with worship.

There is a lot of "shockamoo" that goes on inside OP churches with whooping, hollering, shaking, twisting, screaming, and such... that many times is simply an emotional reaction to the music being played, much like my reaction to the good time country music show we saw on the 4th.

I challenge anyone the next time you are in a "red hot" praise break type service - Watch people when the music stops, and see how many people are still dancing the shockamoo. That ought to be an eye-opener for you. If something is true worship, then why does it stop when the music stops???

I personally think that other churches may not have so much of a "hoedown type worship" but instead have the kind of worship that is deep, genuine, and not emotionally, or musically charged.

The deepest and most wonderful life changing moments of worship that I have had with the Lord have not been in the "swingin' from the chandeliers" type service, but in the weeping, quiet, still place of an altar or a prayer closet.

Amen, I think the so called music ministry can be a huge distraction to the moving of the Holy Ghost. It is used often as "mood music", to manipulate our emotions. The only music that I have seen set the congregation on fire consistently, even with no music is old fashioned red book songs, that everyone sings together, resulting in praise and an explosion of worship. These song bring Holy Ghost joy. Some of the new song these days can be sung to a lover or God.

[Sasha]

Service should be decent and in order. If the music stops, nobody should continue singing, shockamooing, whatever. There is a time and place for worship, but it shouldn't drown out the Word being spoken and other things going on.

[ILG]

I have lost things and gained things. I have grieved the things I have lost and praised the things I have gained. I have gained more than I have lost for leaving. I have no intention of going back. However, it is definitely a search and a sifting when a person leaves because you have to live by faith and make your own definitions, rather than having everything defined for you.

As for worship, I had attended an evangelical church for 4 years right after leaving UPC. At first, I felt that it wasn't as spirited. But later, I felt what was missing was hype and not, in fact, what we were led to believe was the Spirit of God. So, sifting and redefining are intense and what some will define as one way, another will define another way based on experiences both past and present.

There is a saying: Not all those who wander are lost.

Indeed.

[navygoat1998]

Originally Posted by ILG

There is a saying: Not all those who wander are lost.

Indeed.

[Sean]

Bro. G, we still keep our standards but we have a few doctrinal beefs as you know... I am an average conservative Pentecostal, but have no church home for now....Just waiting on the Lord.