Comments on: Why I go to Charismatic Festivals https://anitamathias.com/2012/09/17/why-i-go-to-charismatic-festivals/ Anita Mathias's Blog on Faith and Art Thu, 14 Nov 2013 01:05:56 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 By: Anita Mathias https://anitamathias.com/2012/09/17/why-i-go-to-charismatic-festivals/#comment-18399 Thu, 20 Sep 2012 20:35:18 +0000 http://anitamathias.com/blog/2012/09/17/why-i-go-to-charismatic-festivals/#comment-18399 We are going to Fflad-y-Brenin again in Feb. We'd love to meet up. Maybe we could treat you all to dinner in a restaurant so we don't put you out again.
🙂 Look forward to it!

]]> By: Rhoda https://anitamathias.com/2012/09/17/why-i-go-to-charismatic-festivals/#comment-18398 Thu, 20 Sep 2012 20:19:02 +0000 http://anitamathias.com/blog/2012/09/17/why-i-go-to-charismatic-festivals/#comment-18398 If you go anywhere near us we would love to see you all again!

]]> By: Anita Mathias https://anitamathias.com/2012/09/17/why-i-go-to-charismatic-festivals/#comment-18397 Wed, 19 Sep 2012 21:14:30 +0000 http://anitamathias.com/blog/2012/09/17/why-i-go-to-charismatic-festivals/#comment-18397 Ah, it's the residue of my Catholic upbringing, with its separation between the clergy and laity which probably makes it restful to sit and listen to experts pontificate.
As long as they make sense, honestly seem to have had a deeper experience of God than I, and are nice people.
Nothing more annoying than to be trapped in an empty, boring sermon, or a pompous one. Then, thank God for iPhones, and all the distractions on them.
Sometimes I am so impatient for “truth” that I can be impatient with the peer discussion, and just want a pre-digested true answer. But I guess Jesus taught his disciples step by step by living in community, and perhaps that is how we learn best!

]]> By: LA https://anitamathias.com/2012/09/17/why-i-go-to-charismatic-festivals/#comment-18396 Wed, 19 Sep 2012 03:38:35 +0000 http://anitamathias.com/blog/2012/09/17/why-i-go-to-charismatic-festivals/#comment-18396 I've been to Taize as a young adult and then my daughter went when she was 18. We're both huge fans! I love that style of spiritual nourishment-living in community, sharing thoughts and ideas, talking about God with peers (rather than an authority figure being the only voice heard), and worshipping in deep powerful ways.

Don't get me wrong, I also enjoy sermons and talk given by knowledgable folks but also enjoy exploring ideas in a peer-to-peer fashion as well.

]]> By: Anita Mathias https://anitamathias.com/2012/09/17/why-i-go-to-charismatic-festivals/#comment-18395 Tue, 18 Sep 2012 17:31:23 +0000 http://anitamathias.com/blog/2012/09/17/why-i-go-to-charismatic-festivals/#comment-18395 Thanks, Charity.

LA, cool. Just googled Cursillo. I am thinking of going to Taize, which will have peace, quiet and music. However, my oldest daughter has vital school-leaving exams in June, so I may need to curb my gypsy impulses this year, and experience God at home (though not in a laundry basket!!)

]]> By: LA https://anitamathias.com/2012/09/17/why-i-go-to-charismatic-festivals/#comment-18394 Tue, 18 Sep 2012 13:04:36 +0000 http://anitamathias.com/blog/2012/09/17/why-i-go-to-charismatic-festivals/#comment-18394 The crowds and the noise would just shut me down. A similar experience that I take in is going to Cursillo weekends where I can serve amidst the spirit tangibly moving among us. We have a weekend coming up in October and while I can't be there to work the whole weekend, I will be dropping in to help out as much as I can. There is generally about 75 participants and people who make me want to become a better person. We are a pretty tight sister/brotherhood and only see each other at these weekends. The talks, while always following the same prescribed path, are different each year because they're given by different people with a totally different perspective and life experience. And being lay-led with a strong clergy partnership, makes these weekends a powerful spiritual movement within the Episcopal church. And while worship is a piece, it's more of a tangible-what-can-the-spirit-do-in-your-life kind of message. I tend more towards worshipping by-serving. Sometimes I work kitchen team and while we generally don't get to hear the talks, we get to participate by praying each of the speakers up in preparation for their talks (and boy the spirit gets a'movin then!) and then we pray them back down afterwards. And of course I'm a pretty wild-and-crazy-for-God kinda person, so things can really get God-crazy over the green beans and mashed potatoes!

]]> By: Charity Denmark https://anitamathias.com/2012/09/17/why-i-go-to-charismatic-festivals/#comment-18393 Mon, 17 Sep 2012 23:55:17 +0000 http://anitamathias.com/blog/2012/09/17/why-i-go-to-charismatic-festivals/#comment-18393 I love spending time with my charismatic circles! Sometimes you do come across things that seem manipulative, but I try hard to leave those things/people behind and take away with me all the good things (like the worship, prayer, and joy, as you talk about in your post). Ever since I read a book about a revival of the Holy Spirit in Wales back during the 1920s-30s, I have wanted to go there – I hope you have a wonderful and restorative time there!

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