#14. 'IN THE CHURCH'S WORSHIP, YOU CAN'T MIX CHARISMATIC ELEMENTS WITH TRADITIONAL FORMS'.

Probably, in retrospect, it will be seen that in corporate worship, 'in the sphere of liturgy and preaching, that the pentecostal movement [will have made] its most important contribution, and not in the sphere of pneumatology, as is constantly and quite wrongly supposed.' (30)

Pentecostal/charismatic worship features are invading traditional churches with a rush! It's becoming more common for worshippers of all kinds to raise their hands in adoration, as they sing scripture-songs in their morning worship-services. However these songs are as limited as is charismatic theology: there are very few about mission and justice, for example; they're mostly 'God loves me and 1 love him' songs. Nice, but there's more: love issues in a life of witness and obedience in a hostile world. (31)

The way forward ultimately is to integrate the unique insights and results of charismatic renewal into the full life of the church with a submission to the order, tradition, doctrine and spirituality of the church as a whole. It's not helpful to go 'underground'. Every special movement needs the whole church body to give focus, direction, discernment and correction; it needs to be tested, evaluated, encouraged, improved and admonished. As Leo Cardinal Suenans says: 'To be useful, the charismatic movement must disappear into the life of the church' (32).

# 15. 'THE PROBLEM OF ELITISM SHOULD EVENTUALLY GO AWAY'.

I'm a pessimistic on this one. We enjoy sorting others out according to false hierarchies of value. There have always been 'haves and have nots' in the church. Only the categories change. In one era the priestly caste takes special prerogatives to itself and we have the evil of clericalism. In others there are 'heresy charismatic renewal. Experience is the watershed: those who have 'arrived' have been 'baptised in the Spirit' in a discernible experience subsequent to conversion, and speak in tongues. But the New Testament mostly uses ethical rather than experiential categories to define stages of Christian maturity (e.g., Barnabas, was 'spirit-filled', i.e. he was a man filled with goodness and faith, Acts 11:24).

#16. ' "MAGIC" ISN'T A PROBLEM IF WE'RE MINISTERING IN CHRIST'S NAME'.

It is possible for a miracle-centred theology to become 'theurgical' (Gk. 'theourgia' - magic). An openness to signs and wonders can easily degenerate into 'miracle-mongering'. When Oral Roberts asks us to 'expect a miracle a day' how would Jeremiah have felt? There are no miracles attributed to him (nor to the majority f the biblical leaders).

Biblical miracles are mostly clustered around three great events: the Exodus, the ministry of Elijah and Elisha, and the in breaking of God's reign in the ministries of Jesus and the apostles. Being healed or guided, via a miracle is great - but let's not presume that God acts that way all the time. There are two opposite errors here: to expect miracles never, or to expect them invariably.

Miracles are not just for show. 'Jesus resisted the temptation to work miracles to dazzle people or to seduce them into believing in him.He refused to give the Pharisees a "sign from heaven" .It was not as a wonder-worker tat he desired to be sought after.' (33)  John Bodycomb writes: 'I am uneasy about theological assumptions implicit in either that impassioned roaring heavenward (reminiscent of the prophets of Baal) or in that sycophantic sweet-talk that begins "Lord, we just simply ask you to ." (whatever it is). (34) Magic involves repeating formulas ('vain repetitions'). It's wanting blessings more for my sake than God's. It's manipulating Deity for my ends.

#17. 'THE CHARISMATIC RENEWAL IS ECUMENICAL'.

'If it is charismatic, it is ecumenical says 'Mr. Pentecost', David Du Plessis. But, he says, there has been a dangerous tendency by Pentecostals/charismatics to criticize the church, leading to the formation of schismatic, independent groups:

The more schismata the less charismata (1 Cor. 12:25,26). I have a passion for unity because the prayer of Jesus was for unity that the world may believe. And I have very little hope for the world unless unity comes to Christianity... I look forward to the day when the charismatic movement will die and the church will be charismatic. (35)

The charismatic renewal has probably been the cause of more denominationally-diverse Christians getting together than any other phenomenon, the modern conciliar movement included. It can truthfully claim to be a spiritual ecumenism, not merely organizational or ecclesiastical - an ecumenism not achieved so much through theological dialogue, but given through the renewal of the Holy Spirit.

But it can be a restricted ecumenism, based on charismatic experience, and a particular mode of praise and preaching rather than on a confession of Jesus Christ as Saviour, Lord and God.