Adrenaline Values are Everywhere
In pointing out this particular
truth, I fear that people may hear what I am saying
only in regards to others. For those who are not
a part of some current, and popular revival, you
may be saying to yourselves, "Yes, I see religious
experiences driven by fleshly emotionalism happening
all the time." You may even be thinking of
asking someone to read this material, for the purpose
of supporting a point you have been making.
Before you do that, let's look a
little closer at the practices of the Church, which
are potentially adrenaline driven. We may discover
that our own activities, and our own judgment systems
are flawed by this same twisted value.
The Adrenaline of the Pulpit
Public speaking is one of the greatest
fears for many people. It ranks highest among phobias
on some psychological lists.
The person who enjoys public speaking
is a thrill seeker - of a sort. This person braves
the potential of being misunderstood, disliked,
challenged beyond their knowledge, or worst of all
- being just plain boring. This person believes
that they have something valuable to say, and that
others should listen. It is a challenge to brave
these fears, and it is exciting to come out on top.
The preacher who hears, "That
was a great sermon pastor," feels validated,
and encouraged by their effort. Sometimes this is
enough, to make it worthwhile to do it again despite
discouragements. Those words of encouragement can
make a difference in an often difficult life of
ministry. Yet, sometimes those encouragements become
the marks of our success. We learn to play to the
crowd, and give them what they want.
This adrenaline of the pulpit goes
in two directions. There is the adrenaline of the
preacher, and the excitement of doing a good job,
and then there is the adrenaline of the crowd, and
the excitement of a masterful job of preaching.
I have been moved to tears by good stories. I have
been intellectually challenged by deep information.
I have shouted for joy hearing a rousing sermon.
And the rest of the crowd has done all of these
things with me. Was it good that these things happened?
Oh, yes, and a million times yes! Yet, these enticements
of the Christian show which we produce, may not
always be evidences of the life of the Spirit.
In the mid 1970s, a young preacher
by the name Marjoe Gortner produced a documentary
of his final evangelistic crusade. He had been a
preacher since he was very young - 4 or 5 years
old. At that young age, he was groomed by his parents
for ministry. By the time he was 8, he had performed
his first wedding, and throughout his teen years,
he preached in crusades , and campaigns across the
country. Now in his twenties, the documentary showed
clips of enthusiastic crowds shouting and dancing,
singing and clapping, laughing and crying, falling
and swooning at his meetings. Between cuts of his
preaching, and his times sitting and talking with
pastors and leaders of the Christian movement, Marjoe
would talk and bare his soul. This was his last
crusade, because he didnŐt really believe in God.
He was groomed for something, which never became
a personal reality for himself. His documentary
showed a world of corruption, charade, and pride
within the Christian church. His parents forced
him into this ministry, and now he was cleansing
his own soul with confession before the world, and
by turning away from a false life. "Marjoe"
is the most sobering documentary I have ever seen,
but it illustrates my point better than I could
in a million years.
The point is this: Sometimes it's
God, and sometimes it's just adrenaline. I'm not
sure that we always know the difference. The adrenaline
of the pulpit can be an addictive drug, and I have
friends who are hooked on it.
