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(1) I speak in a wide range of churches and visit many different sub-cultures of Global Christianity. One week it is a home group, and then a mega-Church with bright lights and smoke machines. One week it is a Baptist church and the next a Messianic Jewish congregation.
(2) One week I am at a Charismatic church, the next week Baptist, the next week yet may be Bapticostal. While I certainly have my own personal preferences, I have learned to truly love the tremendous variety that exists under the broad umbrella called the Body of Christ.
(3) It so deeply grieves me when I see some Christians from one particular segment of the Body of Christ bash another segment. I may not be one who blows shofars or does things like casting out demons over the nation, but I stand with those who do.
(4) I'll stand with peculiar, eccentric Jesus loving intercessors versus jaded, critical, condescending, Christians who eloquently mock other Christians, any day of the week.
(5) I remember some years back speaking at a Black Baptist Church. They didn't believe in the gifts of the Spirit. During the service, however, they exhibited more emotionalism than any Charismatic Church I have ever been to. Women raised their hands, screamed, and fainted.
(6) At one point, half the church nearly created a conga line around the sanctuary. It went on and one and on. As a relative life-long Pentecostal / Charismatic, I loved it. I suspect that most Presbyterians or Reformed Baptists would feel super uncomfortable in such a context.
(7) But imagine if a highly respected group such as @TGC published an article mocking that church, scorning those faithful women who screamed and fainted? What if it called this church a cult and said their worship was blasphemous?
(8) Oh, and did I mention that halfway through the service, the Pastor asked several local Democrat political candidates to come to the front of the church to be prayed over?
(9) Look, the bottom line is that the landscape of American Christian culture is what it is. It is a highly diverse, eccentric, messy, conflicted, struggling community.
(10) The United States is living through an absolutely, incredibly unique moment. It really is the perfect storm times ten times ten. Emotions and opinions are so high all around. That's likely never going to change.
(11) Whether we like it or not, as Christians, we are a very peculiar people. Jesus actually said, "Father I thank thee that you have chosen to foolish." Love it or hate it, we are part of this ethnically, culturally, and very politically diverse family of fools.
(12) Love one another.
