Okay, so it appears that I have been slacking, but I have been reading - just not taking the time to write. I am reading a great book right now. It is "The Charismatic Century" by Jack Hayford. The book has wet my appetite to learn more about the movement of the Holy Spirit from the Apostolic Age until now. That will have to be my next research project.

I have noticed a number of things in my reading so far.

1) The Holy Spirit was busting out all over around the turn of the twentieth century (1900s). Many holiness movements began at that time. Azusa is known as being part of the creation of Pentecostalism, but so much more was happening in the world at the time.

2) Most of the groups sprouting at that time had very similar theology and goals. They argued over retoric. It is quite sad, actually. God did amazing things through these people, even though they chose to segregate themselves. Imagine what might have happened if they had set aside their small differences and worked together. I am sure that the differences didn't seem small at the time, but I see them as small.

3) The biggest controversy was speaking in tongues. Amazing what this one gift has done throughout the ages. Personally I think the people discovering tongues put too much enphasis on it. They assumed that you were not filled with the Holy Spirit if you did not speak in tongues and that if you did, you could go off to the Mission Field and be understood by the people there. I am afraid many were disappointed. The groups running from tongues were just as bad - judging as sinful and even demonic by some those who did speak in tongues. A bit extreme.

4) Many leaders during that time fell into sin, pride and/or insanity. My first instinct is to shame-shame them, until I realize that most people God used in scripture fell to those things at one point or another. Guess we are still a fallen humanity in need of a merciful savior.

5) Searching to be filled with the Holy Spirit - whatever that meant to each individual group - and spending time in prayer characterised not only Azusa, but many movements during this time. They kept Christ at the center and had a strong missionary focus. I would say those are some pretty significant things to have in common.

6) So much emphasis on those being the last days. I have mixed feelings on that. Even today those who run in "prophetic" circles openly proclaim that we are in the last days and the the return of Christ is coming soon. Okay, I will buy that. We are at least 2,000 years closer than those who received Jesus's original message. But I think soon is relative. More importantly, I think we need to introduce people to our Jesus because they need him to live a full life and, second coming or no, to walk into eternity with God. I think that is an important focus. As long as it does not drive us to ignore our responsibility as caretakers of the earth and one another.

Okay, those are my thoughts. I will read more and write more - eventually. :-)