sometimes the things of life contain very little sense...this past week was a very intense week in our lives and we're still trying to figure out where we go from here.
My good friend Scott resigned his position as the pastor at our church and surrendered his credentials for the Church of the Nazarene.
Ultimately he did so because there was a document that was brought to his attention that clearly indicated what the nazarene stance was on "neo-Pentecostal manifestations such as being slain in the spirit, shaking, incessant laughter, speaking in tongues, and other similar phenomenon." Apparently anyone who participates in any of these activities will be asked to leave the church of the nazarene according to this new document written in Dec. 2002 in response to some of the fallout from the brownsville florida happenings. It seemed that the stance shifted from "we don't want those things in our corporate worship times" to "we don't want anyone that participates in those things to keep coming to our churches"
So, Scott(for the past 5 years) has had a prayer language, or praying in the spirit, or gift of tongues, or whatever else you want to call it. Upon seeing this new document and its clarity about the church's stance he felt obligated to surrender his credentials because this seemed to make his spiritual practices incompatible with that of the doctrine of the church of the nazarene. The general superintendent was contacted and the ruling was that Scott had interpreted the document correctly and would need to surrender his credentials.
This has obviously been a blow to what our vision had been for staying involved with the institution and doing what the Lord had lead us into for the sake of bringing change, reform, and a new way to "be" the church.
Through this whole process of this past week I have heard these statements from people and I just don't understand how they can all be true.
1. We believe that these kinds of manifestations can be of God
2. We want everything that God could ever want or desire for us
3. If anyone participates in such practices they will be asked to find another church
These three things just don't go together in my mind. I am trying to get some clarity on these things, but I don't seem to be getting anywhere. Also, i think it is wise for us not to begin an "us and them" kind of thing where someone is right and someone is wrong. Who am i to say that my interpretation of scripture is right. However, it seems that if you disagree with the nazarene doctrine you will be asked to leave and find a church that supports your practices. At least that is what this document from Dec. of 2002 seems to say.
There seems to be no middle ground on these issues...you have the one side that says if you don't speak in tongues that you aren't really filled with the holy spirit, then you have the other side that says if you do that here you'll be asked to leave.
What if they are both wrong...what if I'm wrong and there is no middle ground.
I guess I feel like having such firm and immovable stances on such issues can't help but cause us to have an "I'm right, therefore you're wrong" mentality. Pride begins to well up within us and we have to defend our position, defend our rights, defend that we have a right to be right...now at the same time I would hope that there are a group of absolute truths that we could all agree on that are not open to interpretation, but beyond that, why can't we embrace the diversity of the body and quit being so exclusive in our language and practices. If we could all just allow for the possibility that our views aren't correct...that maybe we don't have a monopoly on the truth on some of these secondary issues...
Paul's intention with his instruction on tongues seems to be one of allowing for its practice without abusing it...to have balance...but not to make such a huge deal about it...not to allow it to become more important than it should be, but not to forbid it altogether either.
Maybe my interpretation is wrong...but I'm ok with that
