Do you have any thoughts on this?

I got an e-mail from a friend that is currently studying at Harvard Divinity school. He's learning a lot about Christianity that he had never heard before so he comes to me with these kinds of questions quite often. His most recent question was about the "Word of Faith" doctrine - also called the Gospel of Prosperity or simply the Faith Movement among many other things. The subject of his e-mail was "Do you have any thoughts on this" with a link to an article on Wikipedia. My response is below. I've been thinking about it a lot though and I may end up posting a rant here at some point, but not tonight.

--I'm very aware of this particular movement and have been to many different churches that have varying levels of agreement with the Faith teachings. I'll have to fall back on my old stand-by line that there's a bit of truth to be found in just about everything. You asked if I have any thoughts on this and my answer is "yes, lots of thoughts!" I could write an entire dissertation on this particular movement as well as its critics. It seems as if the only voices speaking about this idea are the polar opposites and there in no effort to find a middle ground.

My bottom line evaluation of the Faith movement is that it doesn't always make sense. There are always Job situations where the level of faith is unquestionable but the sufferring is still there. Faith teachers claim that if someone isn't healed of an ailment or is poor it's because they don't have enough faith. But then critics of the Faith movement sometimes argue that illness is a judgment from God. Which i don't agree with either.

There is a lot more to the movement than the Wikipedia article suggests.

Personally, I think that arguing about these things is a waste of time. And accusing people of being part of a cult because they believe that Jesus loves them and wants to bless them is more than a little outrageous. But so is accusing people of not having enough faith to receive healing. God relates to each of us as individuals not as one big group with overarching rules of order and company policies. If the basic Christian theology of "repent and believe" is adhered to, the rest is up to God. Our arguing and criticizing and accusing is what Paul referred to a sowing strife. And its a sin. We keep arguing about how to worship God and forget about the common fact that we are all worshipping the same Adonai.

He came to Jacob as the Angel of the Lord and wrestled with himall night, finally breaking his hip so he limped the rest of his life, but he was blessed abundantly. He came to Moses in a flaming bush and a rushing wind and He even placed the ten commendments in his hands but then denied him entrance into the Promised Land. He came to Elijah in a still small voice and carried him away to heaven in a fiery chariot so he "knew not death." He came to the disciples in the physical form of Jesus and allowed himself to be beaten, tortured and murdered for the love of his people. He came to Paul on the road to Damascus and blinded him but restored his sight later as Paul became the first evangelist, bringing the message of love and restoration to the gentile nations.

If He has done all these things, how can anyone say that God definitely will work in one way but not in another? When Jesus is the common denominator who can know how God will work?

I do not know where the winds come from nor have I seen the storehouses of snow. How could I even begin to understand the ways He works in the lives of His children? My personal testimony can attest to that.

He came to me as a little girl and sat beside me as I suffered from uncurable illnesses for 20 years, ever-questioning what would become of my future and how far I could dare to dream. Like Jacob I have been broken yet I lean on the promises God has given to me. Like Moses I have been touched by the hand of God but denied the life that seems to be common among my peers. Like Elijah I have heard the still small voice of God and been snatched from the cluthes of death on more than one occassion. Like Jesus I have been wounded by love for those that would not return it. And like Paul I have been afflicted only to healed for the glory of God - to what end I do not yet know.

Every step of the way He has held my hand and reassured me that He would never leave me or forsake me. I won't argue about how my God will work in the lives of His children. I know that He can do anything.