Ouch!

A movement of the Spirit will never come from religion – especially not from church rectories and parsonages. The institutional churches, in their so-called wisdom, use their authority to crush every free stirring of the Spirit, or at best to ignore it.—Christoph Blumhardt in The Hidden Christ, page 21

<idle musing>
I hope that isn't true! But, sadly, church history bears it out. As one church history book puts it, "and in the finest tradition, they killed them" in talking about renewal movements. Even Andrew Murray was freaked out when revival came to his church. Why? Because it began amongst the children! It didn't come from the pulpit and he wanted to shut it down because of that!

Old habits die hard, don't they? We're still judging by the world's standards: power, status, hierarchy, prestige!

Lord, forgive us! May we adopt the way of the cross.
</idle musing>