Segmented and Regimented or Spirit Led? by Pam Clark

By Pam Clark
I grew up Methodist and learned that when John Wesley went throughout the colonies, he left people with a liturgy to help them understand God and the tenets of the faith better.  It's why they were called Methodists - because there were methods in place to "jump start" the activity of the Spirit.   It was to keep them on track and with a rounded education, similar to what we do in our schools. It is easy for people to like one part of the message or activity and lean on that.  Some are really into the music, some could care less.  Some really like teaching, some really like preaching, some like the prophetic and ministry gifts, and some really like the praying for people time.
 
 
 
 
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I grew up Methodist and learned that when John Wesley went throughout the colonies, he left people with a liturgy to help them understand God and the tenets of the faith better.  It's why they were called Methodists - because there were methods in place to "jump start" the activity of the Spirit.   It was to keep them on track and with a rounded education, similar to what we do in our schools.
 
It is easy for people to like one part of the message or activity and lean on that.  Some are really into the music, some could care less.  Some really like teaching, some really like preaching, some like the prophetic and ministry gifts, and some really like the praying for people time.
 
Today church is fairly predictable with little treats inside, but people have lost how to be Spirit led.  And when they are, so much more of the Presence of God shows up.  But today most all church services have four basic parts:  the welcome and announcements, the worship music time, the offering, and then the preaching and then in some there may be prayer available for folks.  Any other gift has to be worked in and oftentimes there is much controversy and "rules" on how that can happen and by whom.
 
No group can operate well without a leader, especially if you are inviting new folks to come in and learn, but today church is boring and predictable and regimented and segmented.  And it almost always falls in the same order of sequence!  Just a few share in the actual service.  People think these little rote activities please God and they tell people "Go to church!" But unless they are babies, there is not a lot of fresh "God stuff" going on.  It's just tokens of honor, but it's not really engaging with Him.
 
Where is Abundant Life?
 
If people are hungry, they are searching on their own, and especially now in the day of the internet where they learn from all the streams, or they wait for the pastor to hopefully give them a word like "a reading" to give them a little bit of help to get them through the week, like they are limited in that little bit to qualify as an engagement with God.  Abundant life is nowhere near, even if it is talked about and often promoted like a commercial on TV.  Many people are not going to church because they can do better on their own.
 
This is not easy to write, because people will take it personal, and it is!  We are not prospering as we should in this generation of time because we have God on the back burner for when we want Him and have put Him on the "feature list."   We "feature" the music, the announcements, the preaching, the activities, and think we have done "our duties" because we are works oriented.
 
And if we do our duties or our work right, then God must surely be pleased with us, but then why is He NOT answering our often serious prayers?  And surely it can seem like the world offers more answers and solutions, so the church is competing (and often losing) to the world!  Church becomes your "hobby" or your "activity."
 
On my way to church last Sunday I saw city park parking lot FILLED with cars and wondered what might be going on!  It was a whole huge crowd of little leagers who found the kids' sports more interesting than church!
 
People are seen as religious, and needy of a crutch because they "need" their little rituals, and then often just hang out with their crowd in their neighborhood and anyone new "must" fit into their views or be sinners and outcasts or "lacking" because they don't do or perceive it exactly "their" way!
 
When the Spirit Flows…
 
I'm not picking on just one church here - I have been to many, many churches!  A "big deal" person is the one who sings or preaches or ministers.  We exalt them as the Sunday special people.  We have to have the rules because the Presence of God is not there to monitor it for us.  Now understand, I am not saying that church is a free for all, it is not.  God has appointed leaders according to His will and plan and order, and for a reason.
 
When the Spirit flows, and the gifts are activated and expressed, we see the explanation of it in the Bible, not the other way around.  We don't fill the positions we find (according to our own ideas of it), and then expect God to bless that.  No, people are prompted by the Spirit with respect and love to serve - and then we better understand that by what we have been taught from the Scriptures.  All this is a matter of approach and how we come before Him in our spirits.  Many people now are coming up with their own ideas because they leave the Bible out of it.
 
We have to remember that God is the Father of our spirits, and many are not even close to that revelation because everything is done with head knowledge and organizational teams that have been in meetings to plan how it should go!  There is not the free flowing Presence of God because it takes Spiritual maturity for that to happen.  Oh, I am sure this is going to upset some folks, but I'd like to ask America, "How is it working for you?"  How many are respecting God today and understand His fear/respect?  Commercials use the Hallelujah Chorus and many other sayings and things that are from the church as casual things to be toyed with.  Holy is long gone from their minds if it ever was there.  Instead, church folks are fair game for mocking!  Is this what we want?
 
When we are not engaging with God - in our spirits - then we are using our minds and trying to convince others to go along with our way of doing it, or we copy others.  And with all these "features" and "segments" that we have, it's obvious there is a lot of "copying others."  People don't hear from God and then move in a flow, which will often have all these components, but every service should be.
 
The Real Body of Christ
 
Of course there should be seasoned oversight, but God has something awesomely special for every individual and it's an ongoing thing.  And when you come to church, after a while, you should be going there TO minister and then receive the ministry when you need to receive it, because others can carry the load too.  It eliminates idol worship and depending on the world for our inspirations.
 
Today, hungry people are watching meetings or messages all week long and then going to church to see if God is moving there.  And often He is not so much, and what they see is rules or regiments and so they take it and leave it and come back from time to time, but the real fellowship is out there where they can express themselves.  This is why home groups and outside meetings like conferences do so well.  People really are hungry for the real Presence of God because He IS good!
 
But too often cliques are formed and create the outsiders and insiders and that becomes a social club with an agenda.  You figure it out after a bit.  So you see if you can fit, and maybe you do, or maybe you don't, or maybe you can but it's not real to you, so you stay away.
 
You find other groups work for you better, but they may not be God's will or His best for you.  And really facing all this will require some humility!  You DO need God and He does have requirements!  But they are to work for your GOOD, not your regimented segmented program that is just "a token" to please Him, flying on your own to make it work.
 
Drug crazed profane rock stars wear crosses around their necks.  Does that make them Christian or Christ like?  God's Presence is not here because we have rejected it!  For many ministers, their "calling" is just their employment!   There is a REAL Body of Christ in the earth, and they are seeking Him for His will!  Will we find it?
 
Pam Clark
 

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