Beyond The Upper Room

I encourage you to join us to "contend for the faith that was once and for all entrusted to the saints." (Jude 1:3b)

To begin with, I particularly appreciated the insight evidenced in the statement posted by Matthew Lee Anderson in the Evangelicalism category on MereOrthodoxy, where he wrote:

“What I would propose is not that the experience-based aspect of evangelicalism recede, but rather that it mature–and that we properly locate it in the context of sound doctrine, a robust ecclesial life, and the practices of the spiritual disciplines.”

Personally, I think that hit the theological nail squarely on the head. As a life long Pentecostal—although, never really a Charismatic—I have struggled with the task of balancing orthodox theology against anecdotal theology on a practical scale.

Sometimes, they balance. Sometimes they don’t.

Speaking from a personal perspective, I feel that we Pentecostals are for the most part pretty sound in our theology; however, we are also very weak in our spiritual disciplines. And, this may come as a surprise, I really don’t think our doctrine on the Holy Spirit has had all that much to do with it.

The problem began much earlier, in my opinion—when, pietistic fideism was booted out (granted many left on their own) of mainstream orthodoxy and was able to find a comfortable home in Christian mysticism.

History is resplendent with the likes of the shouting Baptists, the trembling Methodists, and, of course, the tongues speaking Pentecostals of which I proudly endorse under proper Biblical norms. The question at hand, however, is what are those norms; and what does it mean to be Pentecostal?

Unfortunately—and, this may come as a surprise to some—we have failed miserably; and, in my opinion, have only managed, at best, to develope a cursory Pentecostal theology on the most elementary levels. We have majored in “How to Grow a Church” without bothering to develop a comprehensive ecclesiology. We have pontificated on the Holy Spirit without a fully developed pneumatology. From my particular perspective, 16 fundamental points of dogma and a few position papers is hardly a corpus for thorough theological apprehension.

True, our fellowship (denomination) does serve the purpose of a loose bureaucratic fellowship that functions as a licensing and monetary funneling agency for eleemosynary and ministerial purposes (including institutions to disseminate those purposes)—which is well and good; I have no beefs with that. However, as a body of believers (primarily, I speak to the clergy) far too many of us have in many aspects taken on the norms of the prevailing culture, rather than the norms of a New Testament church.

Will you join with me to make this happen?