Bart,
Trust you to come along and balance the whole discussion right out! I appreciate your insight very much.
I used to go around saying charismatics are not to be trusted, etc. I used to think all tongues were people showing off and/or babbling needlessly. I'm glad you spotted that I am aware of biblical error with regards to my own church. It was also apparent at the revival: no interpetation of tongues. I've been taking stock for the past few weeks maybe months. Here are some questions I've asked myself:
Glad it helped. I'll give you my opinion from the perspective of someone who has been in the charismatic movement. I'm not anti-charismatic now although I tend to be skeptical of several elements of it.
Does a disregard for Paul's call for interpretors mean the whole church is satan-led?
Of course not. No church is perfectly in compliance with scriptural norms. Most charismatic churches differentiate between tongues as a gift which when combined with interpretation is the equal of prophecy, and other forms of tongues such as prayer language or ecstatic utterances during times of praise. I don't think that there is a particularly strong case scripturally to be made for it. Usually the attempt is made by tying it to the passage Rom 8:26. I don't agree with that interpretation to be honest. But for many that is a legitimate interpretation.
Is it possible that the holy spirit can still be present if there are no interpretations? Or would the holy spirit turn around and go the other way in disgust?
Gifts of the Holy Spirit are not the Holy Spirit itself. The Holy Spirit is present at any gathering of believers because the Holy Spirit indwells every believer. Gifts are a manifestation of that presence but if gifts are not manifested it doesn't necessarily mean the Holy Spirit is boycotting the meeting. Gifts of the Spirit are given for the benefit of the body through an individual or more than one individual. Don't mistakes gifts for the Holy Spirit Himself. Seeking after gifts for their own sake is like trading fire for smoke. One is evidence but the other is the genuine article.
More specifically, if there's a lack of balance here, it doesn't mean everything taught or practiced in the church is wrong.
My local estate agent is a charismatic chap. Does this automatically mean that he hasn't got a good property to tell me about?
My fruit & veg market-stool man is a charismatic old-boy from London. Does this mean he hasn't got some good fruit to tell me about?
What your describing is an example of "All or Nothing thinking". As your questions obviously illustrate, because there is error in one area of the church doesn't mean that everything is wrong. Keep in mind however, that it's possible that there are deeper issues present and there are such things as unhealthy leaders and unhealthy churches. I'll say more after your next question, that I hope will help.
Here's the kick: Am I to disregard my personal encounter with God because my church sometimes errs from the word? Am I to simply forget the peace that God brought to me in my own front room and at a meeting because the revival pastor's website claims he moves powerfully in the spirit? Or because he has charisma?
Is it unbiblical to claim a man moves powerfully in the spirit? Is it idolotary? I don't believe it is on the face of it.
God moves in our lives often times regardless of whether the context that we're in and seeking to meet Him is perfect or not. An example I can give, and it's my experience so take it as that, I was as I mentioned in the Charismatic movement for several years. I attended Oral Roberts University. Early on in my time in Tulsa I visited some of the bigger charismatic fellowships in town and also participated in the Chapels at ORU in addition to receiving a lot of training from the school. My dad's family was pentecostal in Canada. I grew up exposed to a lot of things. I came to believe over time, that much of the charismatic movement is based upon seeking after experiences and moving from mountain top to mountain top looking for the next spiritual high. I have to admit however that there times in meetings or prayer setting in the dorms when I felt genuinely spiritually moved and closer to God. Sometimes charismata were involved, other times not.
This is off the track a bit, but I've had other very meaningful and I believe genuine deep, overwhelming senses of God's presence in my life in other contexts, including as a pastor when I prepared and preached (not always but often). This will seem ironic, but despite my generally moving away from an institutional model of church participation toward organic fellowship, probably the most meaningful public worship experience I've ever had was in an Episcopal Church during a good Friday service. It was a deeply liturgical service with many elements that I now look upon as based in traditions outside the Bible. Nevertheless, God chose to move through that in a way that still moves me when I recall it. The context of the elements of the service, while certainly important, I see now as not the source of the experience. I see that as a choice made by God in terms of revealing Himself to me. That happens still regardless of the contexts. That doesn't surprise me as much anymore. It makes sense to me. If God is real, the Holy Spirit real and someone who makes His own decisions then I should expect that God will initiate things in my life if I am open to Him. It's pretty presumptuous of me to continue to try to replicate the context of the previous times He's moved in my life. That is saying in effect that the presence of God is made real because of (fill in the blank from the practices we might try to replicate) and that God is manufactured in my life by my efforts alone. That's idolatry.
Now in terms of leadership in Charismatic churches (and not only there) if there's only one real warning I'll offer, it is this: Beware of churches and pastors who teach that you must be subject to their authority or "covering" or else God will not bless you. Personality cults happen in all forms of churches and denominations. Charismatic churches, in my opinion, are a little more susceptable to this than many others. Read I Corinthians in whole. It's no coincidence that along with all the other issues that were taking place in Corinth one of the first things in I Cor 3 that Paul addresses is the elevating of one particular teacher over the others. Corinth was doing it with Paul, Peter and Apollos et al. It still happens today.
There's a lot of room for different understandings as to how churches can be organized and practice in areas of worship. I have strong opinions as I've stated in many regards that I'm not afraid to occassionally trumpet. I don't imagine that because I'm moving away from insitutional church that it's "wrong" or that other believers don't have the freedom to worship in whatever context they believe is right or even what they're used to but never question. It's not right for me, but I'd be extraordinaraily arrogant to imagine all must be as I am.
Leadership in any church context is portrayed by Jesus to first and foremost be service to others. If a pastor lauds himself and portrays himself as a "healer", or "prophet" etc. I think there needs to a lot of care and discernment as to how much influence you allow such a person in your life. Jesus is the head of the church. He gives the body leaders. When someone professes to be a gifted leader, and assumes a title based on the gifts they claim God exercises through them they are claiming personal ownership of something that God gives to the body as a whole, not to individual to hoard for their own power and glory. Listen carefully and ask the Holy Spirit to show you if there's a spirit of pride or presumed power there. It doesn't mean that God can't use such a person in your life but don't allow anyone, in any church to take the place reserved for Christ alone. The more such a leader demands you trust them (blindly) or for you to submit to them, the more careful you should be.
So, since you asked those are my answers. They are general answers. They are not aimed at your recent experience or you church and pastor. You're in a better position to know what is at work there than any of us. If you're where you believe God wants you to be and you're feeling a genuine sense of closeness to God in the context of your participation and you believe you're growing then that is great. All those things I went through in the past have contributed to my growth and where I am now. I have some individual regrets to be sure, but I can't regret that many of those seasons in my life have brought me to where I am.
So, I hope some of that helps. Don't be discouraged. I think some general warnings are a good thing. Don't let them stand in the way of seeking to know God deeper and if where you are is helping you, then don't discount that.
blessings.
bart