Beginning the Third Wave

We will continue our search for Jesus in the churches by talking about the Third Wave. This was a term coined by the Fuller professor Dr. C. Peter Wagner in the 1990's.

The Third Wave is associated with the current Charismatic revival churches. Is this phenomenon real? Is it Biblical?

For over ten years I have asked this question.

In the coming weeks we will explore what I have found. I especially would like to hear from you on what you have found and/or experienced in the Third Wave.

Dr. Wagner says the First Wave revival were the ones in the early 1900's like the Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles and the Welsh Revival (in Wales of course).

The second wave, according to Dr. Wagner, was the Charismatic Renewal in some Protestant mainline and Catholic churches in the 1960's and 70's.

And now he says, we are in the Third Wave.

Next blog we will find out the characteristics of a "Third Wave" church.

Two Megafests

Continuing the task of Finding Jesus in the Church......

The charismanews is an email service by Charisma magazine. About three times a week news of the Christian world comes into your email box.

This past week the charismanews reported a Megafest to be held in Atlanta, GA hosted by T.D. Jakes. There will be lots of well-known people there both from the Christian world and the secular world.

Some of the "entertainers" from the Christian world will be:
Joyce Meyers, Juanita Bynum, Creflo Dollar (yes that is his real name), Paula White, Mary Mary, Kirk Franklin, Magic Johnson, Deion Sanders and Michael Irving.

From the secular world there will be Steve Harvey and India Arie (a singer).

BUT, I wonder if Jesus will be there?

Across the world in Saudi Arabia, the charismanews reports another event occurring.
Perhaps another megafest? Well, it might be called a megaslaughter.

A Saudi Arabian Christian is being held in jail in ad infitum. This is of coure happening all over the world.....except here in the U.S.A. for the most part.
I wonder if Jesus is in the prisons with the Christians?

I bet He is. What do you think?

More on "Where is Jesus?"

Through the years Jesus has slowly been disappearing from evangelical churches, both C/P (shorthand for the Charismatic/Pentecostal groupo of churches); and, non-C/P churches.

The shift has been very subtle. For example, the other day I received this in my email. It is from a well-known Christian teacher and prophetess.

She says this:
"The whole purpose of the Passion...of the cross itself, was so that Christ could be made the head of the church--and that God could be revealed therein."

Well, yes, but that is the result. The purpose of the Passion was those dreaded words that churches do not wish to touch today---atonement, propitiation, cross, sin.

Her entire email post never mentioned these [dreaded] words.

Why are we not hearing more about these words?? Why is the cross and atonement becoming so offensive? Any ideas out there?

Something (or Someone) is Missing

Recently in the past few years I've noticed something missing in many churches.

It doesn't seem to be in the Charismatic Revival Third Wave churches.

It doesn't seem to be in the mostly non-Charismatic seeker sensitive church growth churches.

And what is this that is missing?

Or I should say, WHO is this that is missing?

Jesus Christ seems to be in absentia. He is rarely mentioned.

His work on the cross is almost never mentioned.

That brings a dilemma. And we will approach that tomorrow.

WELCOME--Day 1

Welcome to my blog where we will examine together the Christian faith and church trends with a large dose of reason thrown in.

I hope you will join me on this journey as we meet at the Crossroads.

Diane