Spray-On Tan Christian Style: Part1

   There have been some very, very disturbing developments in my fair city over the past eight months.  Church drama is nothing new. Church scandals are nothing new. But something is emerging that I am slowly coming to grips with.  Many churches have succumbed to a view of  church life that is far from what Jesus intended.  And as a result, many well meaning people are following pastors and churches that are the fruit of a corrupt system.  This system, as opposed to setting people free, leads them into spiritual incarceration, cultic behaviors, and very distorted views of who God is.
  
   Within many churches, and Black churches in particular, there is one characteristic that is desired above any in the pastor: charisma. I am here to tell you in no uncertain terms that CHARISMA IS OVERRATED!  Out of the 27 qualifications listed in 1st Timothy for a pastor, 26 deal with character. TWENTY SIX! Yet in many churches, the ability to turn a verb, mesmerize, and 'move the crowd' is the only thing that matters. But Hitler had charisma. Lenin had charisma. Jim Jones had charisma. David Koresh had charisma. Idi Amin had charisma. And two prominent Atlanta pastors caught up in scandals have charisma.  Looking through the Bible we see that Moses was not a good speaker. Yet he had the testimony of being the meekest man on the earth. We see that Paul was not a good speaker. Yet his impact continues to this day. 

  The problem with charisma is that it masks serious character issues. When we get caught up in the speaking ability of a pastor, we make ourselves susceptible to great error, false teaching, and spiritual ruin. With the prevalence of pastors asserting their "authority," demanding submission, and throwing a little "touch not God's annointed" into the mix, the recipe for deception is written.  Add to that the hierarchichal structure of many churches and the table is set. If the top is polluted, then the layers underneath will be polluted. The song  "Cult of Personality" by the group Living Colour highlights this problem:

Look in my eyes, what do you see?
Cult of personality
I know your anger, I know your dreams
I’ve been everything you want to be
I’m the cult of personality
Like mussolini and kennedy
I’m the cult of personality
Cult of personality
Cult of personality

Neon lights, a nobel prize
The mirror speaks, the reflection lies
You don’t have to follow me
Only you can set me free
I sell the things you need to be
I’m the smiling face on your t.v.
I’m the cult of personality

I exploit you still you love me
I tell you one and one makes three
I’m the cult of personality
Like joseph stalin and gandi
I’m the cult of personality
Cult of personality
Cult of personality

In our next post we will look at what Paul had to say about charisma in 2 Corinthians.