A Nostalgic Trip Down Memory Lane
A nostalgic trip down memory lane
This filmclip is from the Academy Award winning documentary Marjoe, a film which exposed evangelist Marjoe Gortner as a charlatan. This type of ultra Pentacostalism is the crap that I was raised with during the late 60s- early 70s Jesus Movement. From the looks of it, it was filmed at about 1970 – about the time my mother used to frequent these types of services and bring me along to experience the power of the Holy Spirit. Watch at your own risk – this 10 minute clip includes hyper-emotional preaching, anointed handkerchiefs, speaking in tongues, pleas for seed-faith offerings, and people slain in the spirit. This is truly a pagan freakshow, and I witnessed it all as a youngster. Don’t worry, I have gotten over it and have no bitterness towards these experiences. You grow up, you get wise, and you move on. Funny thing is, I have a feeling that this is an example of how the early Christian church really was. I think this has more in common with the churches built by Peter and Paul than today’s insipid Sunday Morning emergent Dr Phil sermons. What else could Paul be talking about than the miraculous signs taught in 1 Corintians 14:20-40? I wonder why today’s mainstream denominations sort of gloss over those bizarre passages which mention the more “charismatic” gifts of the Holy Spirit?
March 5th, 2007 at 12:52 pm
“I think this has more in common with the churches built by Peter and Paul than today’s insipid Sunday Morning emergent Dr Phil sermons.” (Heissailing)
Are you sure? I mean you may be right on this - it is a perspective. But to relate a well known ‘huckster’ with the original foundation of the faith - can that by itself imply something? I am not sure - but I do know this much - that lady on the video in no way reflects what I have been learning about the faith from the gospels.
March 6th, 2007 at 5:38 pm
I was not relating the huckstering to the early church. I was relating the charismatic gifts to the early church, and referenced 1 Cor 14:20-40 as simple evidence. And yeah, I am just speculating.
By the way, this may surpriise you but I did not see any huckstering in that video. All travelling preachers back then lived off donations. And did you see the donations he got? A bunch of one dollar bills and maybe a five here or there. I mean, he was not exactly preaching to the top tax bracket. Working for tips at TGIFs would give him a better living, with probably far less work.