I have been a Charismatic believer for forty-two years. I was a weekly “worship leader” in Charismatic, “prophetic and apostolic” environments for thirty-five of those years. I get the picture as someone who has been on the inside for a very long time. I thoroughly understand the history, theology, values, beliefs, and practices behind Charismatic praise and worship expression. I also have had serious concerns and uneasiness about the theology and practice for a very long time.
Tag Archives: charismatic worship
Is it Praise and Worship or a Hitler Youth Rally?: 'Manipulation in Praise and Worship'

Is it praise and worship or is it a Hitler Youth Rally?
The similarities between a modern youth praise and worship service and a Hitler youth rally are terrifying. Our beliefs and practices regarding what has become a subculture and mega-business of so-called Christian praise and worship, need a complete overhaul. [An excerpt from my book, Praise, Worship, and the Presence of the Lord, available here.]
Confessions of a Charismatic: 'A Candid Reality Check from an Insider'
I have been a Charismatic believer immersed in charismatic church culture beliefs, value systems, leadership modalities, and worship expressions for forty years. For thirty-five of those years I was a worship leader and “pastor” in a variety of charismatic constructs. Our train has jumped the track, there are fatalities all around, and prominent charismatic leaders seem to want to keep tooting the whistle and playing engineer. The carnage must stop.
Praise, Worship, and the Presence of the Lord: 'A New Covenant Update - Podcast with Steve Bremner'
I recently had the privilege again of doing a podcast with my friend, Steve Bremner of Fire on Your Head. In this podcast we discussed the most sacred of all sacred cows–praise and worship. Touch this issue, and if people have either their identity, their money or both wrapped up in some belief structure about praise and worship, the long knives will come out! Praise and worship in this environments used to be a cottage industry. It is now big business. Touching these things is like stirring a bees nest, especially when the bees nest is full of twenty dollar bills.
It is my contention that in many evangelical, charismatic, and apostolic-prophetic environments, that we have degenerated into old covenant, if not pagan beliefs and practices. We erroneously believe ourselves to either be exercising our liberty, or “restoring” some lost truth about praise and worship, and its alleged importance in our “services.” I believe both our theology and practice need a complete new covenant, grace-based overhaul. I say this as someone who was a worship leader for 35 years in charismatic and apostolic-prophetic environments. I know the good and the bad.
This podcast is taken from my book, Praise Worship, and the Presence of the Lord: A Better Way to Worship. It is available here. It is also available in Kindle, epub, and pdf formats.
Here is the link to the podcast:
http://stevebremner.com/2015/06/entering-into-gods-presence-without-even-singing-songs/
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