How 'Spirit-filled' are the services at your church?

[Amisk]

Personally I am not very happy in any church service where they sing choruses over and over, where dancing, and tongues are said to be manifestations of the presence of the Spirit.

In the Nazarene Church that I grew up in the emotional high and the presences of the Spirit were felt when the alter was lined with folks seeking a closer walk with Christ, and sinners crying out, "God be merciful to me a sinner." (Sad to say, we don't see much of it anymore.)

Our place in the church and the community is to win the lost. If I understand correctly from scripture the Christians mission is to preach the gospel to every creature by word and by action. We are not here to swing from the rafters emotionally.

If people are coming into the church and getting saved, if the Christians in the church are actively living a life of Holiness, if they are busy both in the church and the community witnessing to the unsaved (both on and off the job), then the Spirit is present in the church. If they are not then no amount of clatter in the pulpit and the pew proves anything.

I hear too many folks calling the pastor down for what amounts to "no emotionalism" in the service, or not doing his job when they go to Sunday Services and don't go away all geared up emotionally. Real Christianity is not emotional highs, it is the steady grind of living the life of day to day service both to Christ and the Spirit. No, not with the face a mule, but joyously, respectfully living a life becoming a Christian. Not putting on an act, or claiming that Christians don't have any troubles.

The problem with most of these so called Spirit filled services is that about Wednesday the emotion is gone and church folks look much like a commission salesman feels when he has failed to make a sale in the last two weeks.

No, I want a church service where the old hymns of the faith are sung, the preacher steps into the pulpit and preaches a sermon about the problems I'll face this coming week. A service where it can not be said that a good number of people in the pew are comfortable in spite of the fact that they have never made a decision for Christ.

I'll know the Spirit is there not by the carrying on, but the number of weekly conversions and people confessing their need to live a holier life.

 

[BobfromSales]

I hope I haven't offended anyone with my word choice of "boring".

No, not at all.

 

[T2woman]

Our church is a traditional church. If someone were to raise their hand during the service the usher would probably come and see what they needed.

We have what I would call an aging congregation. I myself am of a more pentacostal slant. But I realize that we respond to the prompting of the spirit in different ways. I beleive in All Of the Gifts of the spirit. However, more importantly I believe in orderly worship. I know that the spirit flows over those who are open to him. While at the same time there are those who are merly bench warmers they come to church for mainly social reasons.

When I am alone I find that I can get as spritually extactic as I want to. It is my personal relationship with the Spirit that really counts to me.

 

[cristianna]

Our church is a traditional church. If someone were to raise their hand during the service the usher would probably come and see what they needed.

We have one service like that too.

 

[DaSadez]

'Spirit-filled' services have always fascinated me. Not the fluffy stuff you see on TV, but the real thing you may be fortunate enough to experience in your church in Anytown, USA.

I grew up in a Methodist church on the Gulf Coast, and our services were always pretty subdued -- no dancing or speaking in tongues or 'falling out'. Just good people worshipping, and I like it that way. However, I've come across a few variations over the years.

My sister attends a UMC in Arkansas, and they are more outwardly spiritual than how we are here on the GC. I want to stress that this is legit spirituality, not just showing off for the crowd. There are often 'Amens' and "Praise the Lord's" called out, and every now and then someone will jump up from their seat. It's a very energized vibe by UMC standards (at least mine), and I like it too.

I've also lived and attended services on the East Coast and upper midwest, and the services I attended there seemed to be more calm and ritualistic.

So here's my question to you:

How outwardly spiritual are your UMC/Nazerene/Lutheran/(whatever) services? Are they relatively calm, or is there dancing, speaking in tongues, prophecying (spellcheck), etc?

Also, what's the most significant spiritual event you've ever witnessed? A healing, an exorcism, a powerful repentance?

Thanks for your responses. I really love to learn about this kind of sprirituality taking place in 'Wesleyish' churches, or anywhere for that matter.

Peace-

willem

well, personally im pretty active in worship tho not all ppl are. the basic @ my church camp/impact team service is hands held high, tears, jumping up and down, and alot of amens. but i went to a district event and a group of teens like me were dancing up by the altar, head bangin (we were more rockish type), raising our hands, singing loud, stuff like that. also jumping up and down was common.

whatz really awesum is when ppl get OUT of the service. lol, my bff and i ran around barefoot praising God and singing. needless to say, we were up late that night. lol...