ELCA + Episcopal

SPALATIN said:

Kep,Since you come from a Pentecostal background perhaps you could give me a comparison contrast of Pentocostal and Charismatic theology. Are there stark differences between these two theologies or are they very close in nature to one another. Please give some details if you will.Scott

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All charimatics are Pentecostal; not all Pentecostals are charismatic. Pentecostals tend to be well-schooled, and have a well-thought out (if mistaken) Pneumatology. They tend to emphasize the continuation of the Spiritual Gifts, [edit] demanding manifestation (speaking in tongues) in every believer.

There are indeed some very thoughtful and intelligent Pentecostal theologians out there; the most prominent is probably a guy named Gordon Fee, whose biblical studies and commentaries are well worth having in your library.

Charismatics are the more "touchy feely" of the two, and are more inclined to work within existing denominations. They are more likely to lean toward anti-intellectualism; eg. there is no such thing as a "charismatic Seminary", but there are many "Pentecostal Seminaries". Non-charismatic pentecostals emphasize order in worship, and execise church discipline to maintain the order. Charismatic worship tends to be a free-for-all.

For an inner glimpse (of Pentecostal thought), I suggest the blog of George P. Wood, an AoG minister whose father (George O. Wood) is former General Secretary of the Assemblies of God. George Jr. is a smart guy, with a good blog. It has many different "categories" to explore.

CHANGING TOPIC...So far, FWIW, I give the new format of CF a thumbs-down. I can hardly see it on my screen, but perhaps there's a "preferences" button I need to find. Ugh. It's screwing up the formatting of my post. I did use paragraphs, but it deleted them. eidt: now it's allowing them, so I added them back in.

Kepler

KEPLER said:

CHANGING TOPIC...So far, FWIW, I give the new format of CF a thumbs-down. I can hardly see it on my screen, but perhaps there's a "preferences" button I need to find. Ugh. It's screwing up the formatting of my post. I did use paragraphs, but it deleted them. Kepler

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I would have to agree, but one thing I see that will help is to click on the size button before you start typing, then its nice and big. Funny thing is, I believe that you typed your post in size 4 or 5 and now in my quite screen its real teeny, even with Tri-focals.

Did some research and answered my own question.

When we were in Texarkana, we went to a Lutheran/Episcopal church. Yep, they had combined. It was still very liturgical Lutheran. . .but, I don't know about others, really. Nor do I really get the difference between Anglican/Episcopal. . .

I've been very blessed that wherever I've gone, there's never been a huge disagreement with the basic Lutheran theology or way of service. . .which is really interesting in a prominently Catholic/Baptist/Pentecostal (charismatic nondenominational) area.

I don't have much great to say about the theologies of the groups that belong to that last genre, though. My high school was full of them. The one guy claimed that he was a minister in his church. He said that our prayers did NOT reach God if we didn't speak in tongues because the devil would stop them. Unfortunately, he had a huge following at school.

Stein Auf!
Bridget

I live in a predominant area of Methodists, Baptists and Pentecostals. I had stopped one sunday morning to put gas in my car by my house on my way to church, someone I know asked where I went to church and I told her where. Though she knew I had a church I went to she still asked me to come to hers, it was an Assembly of God church. One thing, they are persistant in inviting people to their church anyway.

I take a more casual approach. Last summer two of my friends asked me if they could come to church with me. I said "Sure, It's a free country" One is Calvinist and he isn't about to become a Lutheran, but the other had been an atheist and was baptised on Jan 8th

The huge AoG church here is majorly into sheep stealing. However, they tend to ALWAYS invite people when they have these stupid "recruiting" type services. A friend of mine had invited me once, and of course, it was on one of those services.

This poor girl who was Catholic - them telling her that she wasn't a Christian.

I left feeling pretty put down, but I didn't let anybody really know until I got home and talked to my family. I've not been there since. . ..I don't even think a concert has come there (only time I head to that church now). . .it's next door to St. Paul's church building, too. . .quite depressing how they act if you aren't a member of that church.

At least ALL the members aren't like that. I know and have met some really great ones.

Stein Auf!
Bridget

Tetzel said:

but the other had been an atheist and was baptised on Jan 8th

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Thank the God of Mercies for that! Amen!

K

I would politely decline their invitation but would invite them to my church.

I would politely decline their invitation but would invite them to my church.

I politely declined. I don't agree with some of the stuff the pentecostal type churches believe.

i also am not a big fan of call to common mission. i learned of it when i was a senior in high school. besides my personal beliefs of it, i am more bothered how it was passed at the national assembly. 60% of hte synods passed something explicitly against ccm or would not pass something supporting it, yet it was passed by something like 80% at the national assembly. i realize that the elca is not an elected democracy and that the reps did not have to vote in accordance with the synods. but what bothers me is that despite the uncertainty at the local and synodical levels, the assembly had no reservations passing it. to me actions like that seem like a betrayal by the "leaders" and calls to question the whole concept of whether or not the ELCA is a grassroots church that follows the common conceince of the congregations.

I don't like it...I used to be Episcopalian...I left for a reason...I don't want Church hierarchy putting me back in...