by Pastor James Bell

Somewhere in the peaceful meadowlands, between spiritual flights of fantasy and hardcore religious fundamentalism, there lies a treasure. It is the true purpose of God for His church. It has been significantly absent from many church growth seminars, prophetic conferences, and Christian ecumenical movements and events. But it is already being discovered and embraced by many. Could 2010 be the year of spiritual sensibility?

Christianity has always been perceived in a negative light by those who love darkness, and often marginalized by the media, but the last decade has been a tipping point for many Christians. They are sick and tired of being embarrassed by the inane antics of false prophets. They are weary of one moral failure after another by self-proclaimed spiritual leaders. They are fed up with the three-ring circus approach to defining a “move of God”.

On the other hand, faith-filled believers are not ready to capitulate to an alternative that denies the power of the Holy Spirit at work and in the church. They long for the stability of biblical truth, but feel emasculated by an anemic, mostly academic approach to Christianity that many hold responsible for emptying mainline churches across America in the last century.

As we begin 2010, there is a fresh wind of the Spirit blowing across this land! It is erasing cultural prejudice, tearing down denominational fences, and setting free both those in religious bondage and those deceived by charismatic extremism. The big question mark is where, among the religious landscape of the next decade, will these ones who are being set free from either wild-eyed fundamentalism or cold, faithless liberalism put down roots? The miracle to make this year especially significant might be the place where the minds of both groups ultimately meet. Here is a visionary glance at what this place might look like:

• The Bible being simply and clearly taught, replacing both enthusiastic-but-erroneous sermons and trendy, self-esteem raising messages.
• The ordinances of communion and baptism restored as a vital part of worship, presenting these ordinances not as symbolic rites, but as relevant experiences in God’s presence.
• Allowing Jesus to set our agendas and the Holy Spirit to mess up our plans (very popular in the church described in Acts).
• Realizing that spontaneous miracles of healing (physical and inner) happen during worship songs of all genres.
• Plainly spoken (as opposed to vague and rhetorical) prophetic words shared as a part of our worship services in either evangelical or liturgical settings.
• Prayer ministry by Christians to others at work, in our schools, and in relationships in our neighborhoods.
• Seeing Jesus in the faces of the poor, and doing something about it.
• Being effective conduits through which the love of God will flow out from the churches and into the communities, based on the needs of those communities.

More than those emotionally charged “outpourings”, so often concluded by strife or immoral and/or unethical behavior….or “hip and cool” trendy services, where we try (with a spectacular lack of success) to emulate the world and imitate Christ…a real move of God is needed in our land. What if something authentic, powerful, and transformational started right here at Hosanna?