About fizz and suds and such

I wrote a rather long post over at The Anglo-Catholic just now. Here are the opening paragraphs:

I used to frequently visit other churches, often making excursions with a friend or two in tow, to check out the latest charismatic speaker or healing service. When the Toronto Blessing hit, I visited the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship, in a building the size of a hangar, and watched prayer team members get the jerks and punctuate their loud pleadings with “Ho!” The body contractions and the shouts seemed like involuntary reflexes. Many people without any exposure to this kind of thing would have been shocked and hightailed it outta there. But I had already seen some of this type of thing before, so I was unfazed.

Some people lay on the floor weeping, a few could not stand up because they were laughing so hard. Though I don’t remember seeing this myself, there were reports some people roared like lions, what they called a prophetic representation of the Lion of Judah. A charismatic pastor whom I respect deeply told a story about how he had been disturbed to hear about this roaring and thought there was something weird about it. He was listening to a pastor–maybe from Korea–speak and loved the man’s message. Then he found out this was one of the roarers! “Too late,” my friend said, “I loved him already.”

Before the staid readership at the Anglo-Catholic dismisses all this as nonsense, let me say that I have met many, many Christians, some in leadership positions, who were deeply healed and blessed doing carpet time during the height of the Toronto Blessing. But there were others who came from the experience so insufferably hyper-charismatic and eager for the next high that church splits resulted. When I went, I inwardly said to the Lord, “I am not too proud to roll around on the carpet, if this is of you, but if this is not of you, please protect me.”

I allowed myself to be prayed over, but no fizz, no suds for me. Nothing happened. Perhaps I should be grateful. But maybe something happened in the unseen realm that did not need some kind of outward manifestation.

I say fizz and suds because I heard once that shampoo works perfectly well without suds, but most people would not think the product was working without them. I have come to know that deep things do happen on a spiritual level without lots of outer manifestations.