The Trouble With Apostolics is...

[KeptByTheWord]

Yes, indeed it is a broad brush, because of course not all churches are like that, and I would never want to say that. But there is enough of it that goes on, that for someone who has gone to a church like that, it is hard to get past that experience.

Thankfully, there are wonderful people here on AFF who can attest to the fact that there are churches where none of that takes place, and where moderation is a key factor.

But I have been in many church circles, and these not being just UPC, but other apostolic groups where if you were not moving during worship, the preacher would throw a songbook at you, and that indeed is a fact. Bro. Eply may know of the one preacher I speak of. He was known to do this. Every time I went to a service he was in, when he was playing the organ or accordian, you were always a little bit worried a songbook might come flying your way... lol!

The best services I have ever been in have been ones where you couldn't get to the altar fast enough, where a spirit of weeping, and intercession literally shook the building. Those were the services that brought about complete changes in my heart and life. The shouting, and hoop-la services seemed to last until you went out the door, and then there was a sort of emptiness in your heart later.

I have been in services where I could have stayed all night, if I could have, just laying on the altar weeping, and being in His presence, and a time of rejoicing would sometimes come after being in His presence like that, and that to me, was true worship. Dancing before the Lord with tears streaming down my face in love and adoration to Him, after my heart had been cleansed, and cleaned up at the altar.

Those are the kind of special times with the Lord that really did work a change in my life.

I would rather have that kind of worship any day, than the worked up, emotional frenzy that some seem to think is the only way God can move in a service (notice I said some, not all...)