Seeker Friendly

Western Sensitivity

Sometimes cultural sensitivity and spiritual power are incompatible. There is a specific orientation in the Western world that seeks civility at the price of spiritual power. In the Church world, this has produced a seeker sensitive orientation in formerly charismatic churches, resulting in a ban on Holy Spirit manifestations. The change has been dramatic. There is no emphasis on prayer and the laying on of hands for being filled with the Spirit in the services, or prophecy, or tongues and interpretation and absolutely no untoward manifestations. This is an adjustment for cultural sensitivity since we are told that seekers will be "turned off" by the strange things that could happen in a meeting where Holy Spirit manifestations are welcome.

Messianic Jewish Seeker

Friendly Sensitivity

We as Messianic Jews have our own variety of seeker friendly cultural sensitivity too. Far be it for me to decry cultural sensitivity; on the contrary, I encourage people to learn to be sensitive. For example, when we do traditional prayers, let's learn to do them well. Let's respect religious objects. Do not put a Bible or a prayer book on the floor. Do not bring a tallit (prayer shawl) into the rest room. These are Jewish norms and there is no reason for us to not learn better sensitivity ...

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