Sooo, what exactly is "charismatic"?

[WolfGate]

It's just something that happens sometimes when someone gets prayed for. It is horribly named.

I'm not even sure what it is??? What happens when they get prayed for?

 

[All4Christ]

I'm not even sure what it is??? What happens when they get prayed for?

It's supposed to be essentially falling to the floor in a state of religious ecstasy from the power of the Holy Spirit overcoming the person. Often, people are prayed for with a hand on their forehead and they fall to the ground. (I never fell myself even when they prayed over me - a long time ago in my Pentecostal days).

From Wikipedia (and verified by my personal experience, though I only saw it and never experienced it myself):

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slain_in_the_Spirit

Slain in the Spirit or slaying in the Spirit are terms used by Pentecostal and charismatic Christians to describe a form of prostration in which an individual falls to the floor while experiencing religious ecstasy. Believers attribute this behavior to the power of the Holy Spirit. Other terms used to describe the experience include falling under the power, overcome by the Spirit, and resting in the Spirit.[1]

Sociologist Margaret Poloma has defined slaying in the Spirit as "the power of the Holy Spirit so filling a person with a heightened inner awareness that the body's energy fades away and the person collapses to the floor".[2]:28 Slaying in the Spirit may occur in a variety of settings, including while a person prays in solitude. However, it usually occurs in group settings, including small prayer groups, religious conferences or retreats, regular church services and large healing crusades.[3]:232

In church services or healing crusades, attendees may be invited to the front of the church or other venue to receive prayer from a minister or a team of ministers.[4]:91 Often, the prayer is accompanied with the laying on of hands and anointing with oil. Those being prayed for perceive the Spirit of God upon them and they fall, usually onto their backs. In most cases, their fall is broken by ushers or "catchers". Once fallen, a person may lay on the floor face up and eyes closed for several seconds to several hours in some cases.[3]:232–233

People who have experienced the phenomenon report different degrees of awareness ranging from total consciousness to complete unconsciousness. They also report feelings of peace and relaxation.[3]:241 While lying down, they may speak in tongues, laugh, weep or speak praises to God.[1] ...

 

[WolfGate]

All4Christ - thank you. I have seen that on video before. Had no idea what it was called.

Interesting to me, I finally (perhaps a sign on my denseness) figured out a few years ago that much of the modern P&W music in churches comes from church bands with charismatic/pentacostal backgrounds. Bethel Church (Jesus Culture, Bethel Music), Kari Jobe and Hillsong among them. Attended concerts by all of those as well. Makes sense I guess given what I understand about charasmatics and even what has been discussed in this thread. The reality that I never saw or heard anything at those concerts that was a concerning error in how I understand Christianity also highlighted to me that what joins us as believers is way larger than the doctrinal differences - despite what I have heard and read from some more Calvinistic believers.

 

[Dave-W]

I finally ... figured out a few years ago that much of the modern P&W music in churches comes from church bands with charismatic/pentecostal backgrounds.

Back in January I had a long conversation on this subject with my best friend from highschool. He was raised Catholic but now is a pastor in the Disciples of Christ denom. He brought it up as we were planning on visiting a Vineyard midweek service in a town neighboring our home town. (I live some 800 miles from there now)

He commented on how different kinds of worship music naturally lead to different things and to NOT go that way can often feel jarring and disconnected. Classic Hymns lead more to an intellectual frame of mind and leaves the congregants open for a biblical teaching and liturgy; while contemporary P&W leads more naturally to using the gifts of the Spirit like prophecy and words of knowledge or wisdom. He finds ending up the song service with intensely emotional P&W and then going into a teaching just seems like an artificial jog in the flow of the service.

So we discussed how that has impacted congregations that are cessationist but wanted to have the P&W. It was the same dilemma my dad had 50 years ago as a vehement cessationist but LOVED southern Gospel music (which was all Pentecostal)

 

[WolfGate]

Back in January I had a long conversation on this subject with my best friend from highschool. He was raised Catholic but now is a pastor in the Disciples of Christ denom. He brought it up as we were planning on visiting a Vineyard midweek service in a town neighboring our home town. (I live some 800 miles from there now)

He commented on how different kinds of worship music naturally lead to different things and to NOT go that way can often feel jarring and disconnected. Classic Hymns lead more to an intellectual frame of mind and leaves the congregants open for a biblical teaching and liturgy; while contemporary P&W leads more naturally to using the gifts of the Spirit like prophecy and words of knowledge or wisdom. He finds ending up the song service with intensely emotional P&W and then going into a teaching just seems like an artificial jog in the flow of the service.

So we discussed how that has impacted congregations that are cessationist but wanted to have the P&W. It was the same dilemma my dad had 50 years ago as a vehement cessationist but LOVED southern Gospel music (which was all Pentecostal)

I can see his point. We tend to take the offering in the last song before the sermon, and that means we usually do a worship song with more theological meat in the lyrics. Not a hymn, but the same philosophy is there. Fortunately, there are a good number of contemporary songs that fit that category.

 

[LinkH]

I can see his point. We tend to take the offering in the last song before the sermon, and that means we usually do a worship song with more theological meat in the lyrics. Not a hymn, but the same philosophy is there. Fortunately, there are a good number of contemporary songs that fit that category.

Do they ever sing, "I surrender all" for that last song?

 

[WolfGate]

Do they ever sing, "I surrender all" for that last song?

Don't think we've ever done that one, no. Any particular thoughts on that song?

 

[LinkH]

Don't think we've ever done that one, no. Any particular thoughts on that song?

I used to hear "I Surrender All" in church lot growing up. One time, the church sang it during the offering and a guest speaker commented on what an interesting choice that song was for a song to sing during the offering before he gave his message. I think the comment got a laugh out of the congregation.

 

[WolfGate]

I used to hear "I Surrender All" in church lot growing up. One time, the church sang it during the offering and a guest speaker commented on what an interesting choice that song was for a song to sing during the offering before he gave his message. I think the comment got a laugh out of the congregation.

LOL!! Yeah, that was a great line.

 

[DZoolander]

The hymns we used to sing in the Lutheran church I grew up in were pretty routine. Things like "Onward Christian Soldiers", "Rock Of Ages", etc... No such humor could be found from those. lol