Best of Both Worlds

Steve Murrell at the reluctant leader raises an interesting question: What do you do when one side (in his case, his Reformed friends) says that you are too Charismatic, and the other side (his Charismatic friends) says you are too Presbyterian? The question arose for Steve due to some comments on a post he wrote regarding the Lakeland revival.

Steve shares his testimony of being saved in a Presbyterian church and filled with the Spirit at a Charismatic meeting. How do you live with a foot in two different camps? Steve apparently made the same non-choice as I have - he choose both!

here's how i do life and ministry...

Presbyterian or Pentecostal? BOTH!
Reformation or revival? BOTH!
Strategic or spiritual? BOTH!
Plan or pray? BOTH!
Wait on the Lord or work in the harvest field? BOTH!

My own personal story is very similar, if you substitute Baptist for Presbyterian, and complicate maters with both reformed influences and some bad charismatic experiences. Both church and society seem to constantly pull us into such dichotomies -forcing choices like this. But sometimes the best thing is to not chose between, but to embrace both streams and combine the best of both worlds. It is not easy experientially, socially, or intellectually. But I am convinced it is the right thing to do.