Not by might
Many years ago I had a Leslie Phillips album that had a song called "Not by might". A beautiful song (though the dancing may be a bit distracting- I couldn't find a version that I liked without video)- I haven't heard it in years but I was at Kim's Church on Sunday night and one scripture that the pastor said triggered the song :)The first Christian Church I attended was a lot like Kim's church. At the end of the service they both routinely have people come forward to be prayed for. I tend to avoid such demonstrations as I prefer to pray and be prayed for on a more personal level. But I also try to be obedient and on Sunday, they had the whole Church come down for prayer. Now, so really not to be rude, I guess, I went to the front with Kim. Sometimes when people are prayed for they fall to the ground 'slain in the spirit' as it were. One of my best friends when I went to the Church many years ago was a 'catcher' and he would tell me that he could tell the difference when people went down in the spirit or in the flesh. He said if they truly go down in the spirit they are light as a feather to get down and really wouldn't have needed a 'catcher' at all. The catchers catch the flesh. People who go down because it LOOKS 'spiritual'. They need to be caught so they don't get hurt, so I was told.
Anyway, I have no objection to falling if that is what God would have me do.
At Kim's church, the guy who prayed for me was Pastor Bill. And I think Pastor Bill was maybe a bit too enthusiastic. He put his hand on my head and shouted a couple of words- but he was pushing really hard- I thought my head was going to pop off- and not in a good way. But I wasn't about to be pushed down. Wouldn't you rather pray lightly and see God move?
posted by Aphra @ 7/27/2010 10:09:00 PM
3 Comments:
oh my goodness aphra..i had two similar experiences like you in my life..one with shari at a youth weekend in kingston when we were in high school in oshawa!! it scared me to death..the other was when my dad and i sang at this men's breakfast recently..it scared me too but i actually walked away to the bathroom!! that to me was not from God..they were trying to make something happen for show and using me in the process. I wouldn't allow them and it bothered them..oh well...my God doesn't work that way!!!
PS by the way, this song of leslie phillips was one of my fav's. i have the sheet music still. i'll have to revisit it and sing away!!
I think that whole "slain in the spirit" thing is kind of cultural. I mean by that it seems to be isolated to certain church cultures. I can't remember an example of this from scripture. It certainly seems to be important to some folks, though. And who knows - God does work in mysterious ways...! (Maybe even weird ways.)
Post a Comment
<< Home