Bad Habits to Break

J. Lee Grady is the former editor of Charisma magazine who still writes a weekly column for them called “Fire in My Bones.” Brother Grady often points out things done by Spirit-filled Christians that need changing. One of his best articles is titled “9 Bad Charismatic Habits We Need to Break” (which was published five years ago). I encourage you to read Lee’s article in its entirety but will share the list of habits…

1. The body slam

2. The courtesy drop

3. The song that never ends

4. The amateur flag corp

5. The wannabe telethon offering

6. The sermon with seven endings

7. The praise-a-go-go dancers

8. The ear-shattering amp

9. The “jump-start” glossalalia

After reading Brother Grady’s article, I thought of two more annoying Pentecostal practices...

* Telling the congregation to “turn to your neighbor” numerous times to say something. I think it’s okay to do this once or twice during a service (I even tried it years ago when giving a speech on Bible prophecy at a Toastmasters meeting) but some preachers overdo it. I’ve been in meetings where the congregation was instructed to “turn to your neighbor” at least ten times during an offering. Depending on who’s preaching, I now sometimes sit in an isolated part of the sanctuary so I won’t have a neighbor next to me uttering vain repetitions.

* Adding an “a” to words when preaching. I heard Andrew Wommack point out how one could recite a nursery rhyme like this to make it sound holy (“Mary had-a little lamb-a, its fleece was-a white as snow-a...”). It actually sounds like one is trying to talk Italian here.

Two other religious habits previously written about on this blog could be included in this list:

* Overusing the word “just” when praying or praising the Lord.

* Worship singers inserting many filler syllables to songs.

Every church has its traditions and every minister has habits that are part of his or her personality. Nevertheless, congregations shouldn’t feel obligated to participate in certain practices if they are not grounded in Scripture.

“making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.” - Mark 7:13

Standing Up for the Word

50 years ago when Bud Grant became coach of the Minnesota Vikings, he instructed his players to stand still at attention during the national anthem. This discipline helped them become one of the least penalized teams in the NFL. Nowadays, a select number of players are dishonoring the national anthem by taking a knee or staying in the locker room. President Trump’s recent S.O.B. comment was a bit harsh but I agree with reprimanding players who won’t participate just like they are fined for other acts of unsportsmanlike conduct.

In some churches, the congregation is asked to stand whenever the preacher reads the opening text of his sermon. The first time I noticed this practice was while watching Pastor John Hagee on television ministering from his church in San Antonio, Texas. A short time later, I started making trips to Pensacola, Florida to attend revival meetings at Brownsville Assembly of God. Then-pastor John Kilpatrick also had everyone stand up as he read from the Bible during Sunday services (I don’t remember the other revival speakers doing this).  

Since then I’ve visited additional churches where they “stand up for the reading of the word.” Once I posted a question on Facebook asking friends if they knew of any Bible verses supporting this. One pastor made reference to Nehemiah 8:5…

“And Ezra opened the book [of the law] in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up.” 

If I’m visiting a church, I will honor the pastor and stand up if he asks the congregation to do so. Otherwise, I prefer sitting when reading my Bible during a service. Either way, we shouldn’t be ashamed to take a stand for God’s word both physically and in a spiritual sense. Just yesterday while witnessing at Burger King, a pastor friend and I met a fellow minister who invited us to stand and pray with him right there in the restaurant. Sinners often use the Lord’s name in vain in public. I’d like to see more Christians boldly praising His name in public.

It’s often been said, “If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything.”

“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” - Ephesians 6:13

Critiquing Confirmation

During the late 1970s, I went through two years of confirmation at the Lutheran Church I attended as a kid. Back then I didn’t have much interest in spiritual things. It didn’t help I was mistreated by some of my classmates. Nevertheless, I learned more about the Bible from reading assignments and listening to tapes. One of the latter was a comedy routine by Bill Cosby about Noah that had me laughing hysterically.

Occasionally I served as an acolyte, which the dictionary defines as “a person assisting the celebrant in a religious service or procession.” My duties were to light candles and put them out at designated times while wearing a long white robe. Another thing confirmands had to do was turn in critiques of the pastor’s sermons. That was an adjustment for me. I was used to letting my mind wander while sitting through unemotional messages containing few (if any) Scriptures.

My confirmation class also went on retreats. We traveled to a campsite in rural North Dakota on a bus that often broke down. Aside from the obligatory lessons, we played volleyball and other games. A couple times the pastor practiced hypnosis on us for fun (I didn’t know at the time that can open up doors to the devil).

Finally in October 1979 I was officially “confirmed” during a Sunday morning service. Hands were laid upon me but I felt nothing significant happened. It was simply a ritual I had to go through. Afterwards I ate lunch with family members and received a few gifts. One of them was a small wall cross a Lutheran business gave to all the confirmands. Included was a note suggesting I write a thank you letter. My parents told me I didn’t have to do that. They suspected it would put us on a mailing list to receive solicitations.

Looking back on all this, I can see why confirmation influenced me to stop going to church for a while. I wasn’t taught how to be born again and live a victorious Christian life. Instead we studied Lutheran doctrine through a catechism booklet. Jesus criticized the Pharisees for “…making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down.” (Mark 7:13)

We also made recitations like the Apostles’ Creed, which meant nothing to me since it was said rote like the Pledge of Allegiance. Jesus said in Matthew 6:7, “And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.”

Two decades after going through confirmation, I reconnected with one of my old Sunday school teachers. She was thrilled to hear I became born again and filled with the Holy Spirit. Although my former teacher had remained a member of that Lutheran church (I just found out this morning she passed away ten days ago), I don’t desire to go there again. I’d rather go to fellowships where miracles are happening and God confirms His word through accompanying signs (Mark 16:20).

All churches that have confirmation classes need to teach their students the whole counsel of God. Joining a church or denomination will not get anyone into heaven. Without knowledge of the new birth, confirmation will lead to damnation.

“how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him” - Hebrews 2:3