The Relationship between Empowerment Ministry and the Church
I've been thinking about this for a while and I think it applies to more than simply charismatics, but I'm going for it any way.
There is something the Reformed community has that I believe would be a huge help to the charismatic community and that is the role of the Christian community in discernment, oversight and submission. I'm giving this suggestion as one who grew up Reformed and considers himself both Reformed and charismatic, and having spent time with charismatics, Pentecostals, Third Wave, and others.
One more note before going on: by "covenant community" I mean a group of believers who are committed to following the Lord and to loving and serving each other. This is a much more than agreeing to meet together regularly. These are the people who agree to stick with each other and work out whatever issues may come up (within the reasonable limits, of course).
Covenant Community and Empowerment Ministry
There's a tendency in American churches (especially?) to make the individual the center of gravity for all things spiritual. That's not all bad, as in the past the significance of individual decision and obedience has not always been emphasized. This is especially true, I believe, in Reformed and Lutheran circles where membership in the local church was treated fairly synonymously with being saved. Thankfully, this is no longer the case, although sometimes we Reformed folks will say "So-and-so is going to church now," by which we mean "So-and-so is saved."
Yet, belonging to a believing covenant community (a local church), is also extremely important, if not essential to the Christian life (for now I'll ignore the exceptions of people isolated from the possibility of being a part of a local church for whatever reason). By using the term "covenant community" I am intentionally avoiding the idea of "going to church." We don't "go to church" we are a member of a church. Church is not an event on Sunday mornings, but a community of believers committed to loving and serving each other, as well as joining together to extend the Kingdom of God.
Among charismatics (including Pentecostals, etc.), there is a tendency to individualize empowerment ministry to such a degree that the covenant community seems almost an afterthought, or perhaps simply a place to get your "spiritual batteries" charged for another week of empowerment ministry. Like many evangelicals there are charismatics who "go to church" to "get their [spiritual] needs met." This is odd. It's odd because somehow we've come to believe that the church exists for the members. In one sense it does, but in a more important sense it exists for the Kingdom of God. Like Jesus, we should come "not to be served but to serve" (Mark 10:45). The idea that we go to something called a "Worship Service" in order to get our needs met seems the height of self-idolatry, when you stop and think about it.
Okay, calm down, Rich. [takes deep breath] Back to the point.
Ministry, all ministry, belongs to the Church, not the individual. This is a basic principle of Reformed church polity (the way we organize ourselves). Individuals are called to ministry, but their ministry has its roots in the church. Ephesians 4:11-13, states quite explicitly that the purpose of calling (particularly the callings to spiritual authority) is for the body: "so that the body of Christ may be built up." But notice that Paul in verse 13 and 14, says "we." These ministries (apostle, prophet, etc.) do not exist so that "they" may reach unity in the faith, or so that "they" will no longer be infants, tossed by waves, but so that we won't (including apostles, prophets, etc., even the apostle Paul!).
We need each other. And just as important, God's design for us is that we work together, each contributing a part of the whole.
This is also seen in Romans 12:4-5 and 1Corinthians 12:7, in the context of discussions on spiritual gifts. The gifts exist for the sake of the body, and no one exists in isolation from, or in a relationship of spiritual superiority to the church. We're all in this together, even if some have a different spiritual authority than others. In that context we are to recognize that we are a part of a whole, not something complete apart from others.
In Ephesians 5:18-21, we are told to be filled with the Spirit. In the Greek text, there are three participles that follow the command to be filled. They are treated (properly) as imperatives (commands) in most English translations, but in so doing we can miss the connection between these three and the first. Being filled with the Spirit includes: 1) speaking to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs... (v.19); 2) always giving thanks to God the Father... (v.20) and 3) submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ (v.21). (The participles, usually translated as commands, are underlined.)
In Ephesians 5:21, we see that part of what it means to be filled with the Spirit is that we submit to one another. We do this out of reverence for Christ, who submitted Himself to the Father, but also to His disciples, even washing their feet. As we submit to each other, we approach each other out of a position of humility with a willingness to hear correction, suggestion, encouragement, etc. We agree to adjust something in ourselves for the sake of, or in response to the others. In so doing we don't turn over responsibility to each other, but we do share responsibility with each other. This doesn't mean that just the regular members do this, and that the leaders don't. No, everyone in the Spirit-filled community submits to everyone else in the Spirit-filled community.
I know this may be confusing for some, especially the idea that people don't have spiritual authority over others, especially with some of the teaching about having a spiritual 'covering' (meaning some individual with some authoritative office). I'm not rejecting all that teaching, but suggesting that our submission must go beyond yielding it to certain individuals. Instead, we submit to one another, that is, to the covenant community.
To this I'd like to add one more thought, and that's in the area of discernment. In 1Corinthians 14:29, we read that only a certain number of prophets should speak (in a public gathering? worship service?), and that the others should weigh carefully what is said. This implies that the discernment process is shared by the whole group. Although some suggest it's only the other prophets that do the discerning, there's nothing in the text itself that would require such a limitation.
Related to this is the basic process for discerning a calling in Reformed circles.We recognize two parts to this process: the inner call and the external call. By the "inner call" we mean what the individual person senses as God's call. By the "external call" we mean what the Christian community senses about God's call on the person. Interestingly, often the external precedes the internal, although perhaps just as often it's the other way around. The point here is that discernment is not merely an individual thing, it's a covenant community thing.
But I think this idea of discernment of calling finds an easy application to discernment of other things: prophecies, dreams, visions, etc. I've found that sometimes God decides to distribute the interpretation to more than one person. I might have a 'picture,' someone else an interpretation of what it means, and a third person an application. Sometimes God works this through a process, where after a discussion the interpretation of a dream (for example) gets more and more refined as bits and pieces are revealed to different members of a group of people. In fact, just by my experience, I'd suggest that the exception is that one person receives a 'word' and its interpretation and application all by him/herself. And more often than not (by experience) when it's just one person doing it, it's off in either a small or a big way. (But that may be just my experience.)
Among charismatics, there is a strong tendency for an individual to have it all. They have the word, interpretation and application before coming to the meeting, or before sharing it with anyone. There is a tendency to be the one to bring healing, rather than consider that God wants to bring a part through me, a part through you, and another part through a person not even in the prayer-circle yet! (I've seen that happen too!) As I pastor people through this, I find myself saying over and over "give what you got and no more." If it doesn't make sense, don't worry about it. But it's a battle against the idea that the first one to receive is supposed to have it all before giving anything. Can I just say it? That's silly.
I think we just need to get over ourselves a bit and realize that God loves to show us how we really do need each other, and how delighted He is in distributing His grace just as he determines (1Cor. 12:11). After all, it's not about any of us becoming spiritual "lone rangers" or spiritual superheroes flying above the crowd. It's about displaying His love, power and glory in whatever way He wants to do that.
Just a final word of caution. Too often, the "lone ranger" types, those who are not a submitted member of a local covenant community end up losing their moral or spiritual bearings. They get "weird," and start to say and do stuff that's just goofy. It happens too often not to ignore. I believe we should see this as a reminder that we are not meant to go it alone. Ever. Not even a sinless Adam was whole until God created someone to meet his need for companionship.
We need each other. Let's live and minister like that's true. Besides, it's actually a lot more fun to minister as a part of a covenant community than going it alone.
