Style vs. Substance

Early in 1985 we attended a conference of pastors of a certain denomination, in Los Angeles, CA. The keynote speaker that year was the late John Wimber. At that time, John was pastoring the original, Vineyard church in Anaheim, CA., teaching at Fuller Seminary, and writing about what he called, "Power Evangelism." His idea was that if The Church could somehow reconnect with the power of the Holy Spirit as the first disciples had, the world would understand the reality of God. Those were the reasons he was invited to speak at that august gathering of ministers from around the world. However, the reason he is the subject of his post is that he had arrived for his keynote address without his belt. Before I explain that, let me tell you what happened in the meeting.


John's message was all about power evangelism and physical healing. He shared a few stories of people receiving healing as well as his personal experiences. He did mention during the message, on more than one occasion, that he had to continually hitch up his pants because he had forgotten his belt. When he finished speaking, he invited anyone who wanted to pray for the sick to join him on the platform. When he made that invitation, I knew that was why I was in the meeting that night. Starting from the balcony, I was within the first half dozen or so people to reach the platform. (I was much younger and faster at that time.)


After speaking just a few words to those of us who had moved to the platform, John invited anyone who needed a physical healing to join us on the platform. I could not guess the number, but there were a lot of people who came forward. A lot of detail is probably not necessary here, but I did have the blessing of praying for a woman with some kind of back problem and watching her as she was able to straighten up for the first time in years.


The next night, the final night of the conference, one of that denomination's, well-respected, ministers brought the closing message. I still sometimes wonder, with all the things the Lord did the night before, why the only thing this minister seemed to hear was that John Wimber had forgotten his belt. His assertion was that the mentions of the belt were mere style and served no purpose. He thought John would have been better off and the assembled ministers would have been better served had John simply bought another belt before he ascended the steps to the platform the previous night. Point taken, but I honestly cannot remember anything else he said that night. I suppose that is really the point here.


People will criticize us for any reason or no reason. We will be criticized for what we do and what we do not do. We will even be criticized for what we think and what others think we think. We have to think people who do those things have never read, or at least never really understood, James chapter 3. I suppose the key verse in this context would be verse 10, "Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so." Without further explanation, James is writing to The Church.


I was listening to a relatively famous, female minister recently who said the best way to deal with our critics is to live our lives with such integrity that whatever they may say bad about us is a lie. I cannot say I am quite there yet, but it does seem like a worthwhile goal. That will not stop the criticism, but it will diminish it's quality and effectiveness.


If you read this blog regularly and have not yet figured it out, the winds of change are blowing around us. As far as I know, none of us really knows exactly what the change will bring. If anyone does know, please let me in on it. What we do know, is there is still some spiritual interference to fight through. Along with that will come accusations, recriminations, and criticisms. (Shoot, that sounds too close to prophetic to me.) Not to worry, whatever it is, God is doing it. I can tell you with complete confidence that it will be good. Everything God does is good! Praise His Holy Name!