Conversations With My Cousins, I

My cousin asked me, "Is your church charismatic?"

I replied, "Moderate charismatic."

But after that, I wondered, what did she really mean by charismatic?

One who goes for the manifestations of the Spirit?

And how should I reply when asked next time?

I think next time I'd ask back, "What do you mean by charismatic?"

"If you mean charismatic as in those who seek the manifestations of the Spirit in every power encounter, as a measure of how close God is to them, as the sole measure of how much they walk with God - not being aware of the Lord's warning about counterfeit miracles in the last days - then no. We're not charismatics. Boo.

"But if you mean charismatic as in those who learn to humbly ask for and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, whom the Father is pleased to lavish on all who ask for Him, and who want to be empowered to live and walk in obedience to His Son, Jesus Christ, and delight in every measure of the manifestations of the Holy Spirit, as signs and wonders authenticated by the Word of God, as a demonstration of the Spirit's power to a lost generation... signs that draw men closer to Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word of God - and seeking to bear the fruit of the Spirit in exceedingly abundant measure day in day out, showing grace and living truth to those around us just as we have received grace and truth through Jesus Christ - then, oh yes, baby, we're shamelessly charismatic. Woo!"

:P