Falling out
I have a question about a practice at Living Faith Fellowship aka LFF. No, its not a practice that is unique to LFF, but to many churches of the same sort. LFF seems to take everything beyond extremes but thats not really what im questioning here.
Some charismatic churches from time to time have people get prayed for and they "fall out" as most churches call it. LFF called it getting "slain in the spirit" -- whatever that means. Typically at LFF there would be some sort of visiting preacher in town, and the pastors would sit around while he preached, and chuckle and patronize the guy. When he was done, they would announce that people who needed prayer should receive it from this visiting pastor.
You must understand something about LFF. When any "spiritual experience" was announced at LFF, or an alter call was made that could somehow include you, you pretty much had to respond. If you did not, you weren't one of the "passionate ones." Why one would care to be one of these "passionate ones" I do not now understand, but its all part of the mindwarp that happens to you if you go to church there.
So LFF ushers (yah the ones that are said to have guns) would like people up, and the preacher would walk along and pray for people, and they would "fall out." Literally, they would fall down as if asleep and ushers would catch them and lay them down. Ladies would be covered by a small sheet to prevent people from looking up their skirts.
Well, I have been a part of this "falling out" experience many times. Probably between 10 and 20 times in my life. When it happens supposedly you're just knocked out or something. Like something, some power, pushes you down. That's what your told is supposed to happen.
Most of the time, the preachers push you. Or they make you raise your hands so your center of gravity is higher, and then slowly push on your forehead while your eyes are closed so you gradually lose your balance. The pastor at the Calvary church across the street would actually throw you down.
I have never "fallen out" because of some external influence. I always did it on my own because that's what everyone else did. I wasn't gonna be the only one in a long line of people that didn't go over. Once I did refuse to fall, and later I was rebuked by LFF leadership because I wasn't "open to the spirit." Mostly, I am just curious, and would love for folks to comment. Has anyone actually had a "fall out" experience at LFF where they just didn't fall over to appease leadership or to not stand out? Did anyone actually get "slain in the spirit" by a Spirit?
Some charismatic churches from time to time have people get prayed for and they "fall out" as most churches call it. LFF called it getting "slain in the spirit" -- whatever that means. Typically at LFF there would be some sort of visiting preacher in town, and the pastors would sit around while he preached, and chuckle and patronize the guy. When he was done, they would announce that people who needed prayer should receive it from this visiting pastor.
You must understand something about LFF. When any "spiritual experience" was announced at LFF, or an alter call was made that could somehow include you, you pretty much had to respond. If you did not, you weren't one of the "passionate ones." Why one would care to be one of these "passionate ones" I do not now understand, but its all part of the mindwarp that happens to you if you go to church there.
So LFF ushers (yah the ones that are said to have guns) would like people up, and the preacher would walk along and pray for people, and they would "fall out." Literally, they would fall down as if asleep and ushers would catch them and lay them down. Ladies would be covered by a small sheet to prevent people from looking up their skirts.
Well, I have been a part of this "falling out" experience many times. Probably between 10 and 20 times in my life. When it happens supposedly you're just knocked out or something. Like something, some power, pushes you down. That's what your told is supposed to happen.
Most of the time, the preachers push you. Or they make you raise your hands so your center of gravity is higher, and then slowly push on your forehead while your eyes are closed so you gradually lose your balance. The pastor at the Calvary church across the street would actually throw you down.
I have never "fallen out" because of some external influence. I always did it on my own because that's what everyone else did. I wasn't gonna be the only one in a long line of people that didn't go over. Once I did refuse to fall, and later I was rebuked by LFF leadership because I wasn't "open to the spirit." Mostly, I am just curious, and would love for folks to comment. Has anyone actually had a "fall out" experience at LFF where they just didn't fall over to appease leadership or to not stand out? Did anyone actually get "slain in the spirit" by a Spirit?
9 comments:
close your eyes, put your hands up, now im going to cover you ears for a moment, now put your head on this bat and spin around... good now stand back up, hands in the air... (ushure.. Que the AC).... BAM the power of God... the wind knocked him over
I never heard of "falling out" I've always known it as getting slain in the spirit, and yes I have heard of someone really getting slain by the spirit. It's not "a" spirit, it's "the" spirit, as in the holy spirit. I know it can all be confusing and some in the name of God have overdone "religious" acts. But God is still God and He does still move, however he wants, whenever He wants.
It is amazing the result of the spirtual pressure (that was and probably is still, so evident at LFF) on the human pysche... just being "scared" into believing that something should happen (ie "being slain in the spirit" or being "delivered") The result of this utter belief is actual physical and mental responses, possibly due to the mere fact that we were being scared into submission. I think this was the case more often than not on many of these occasions. I, for one, do believe that God works and moves among us, however it is important to question in these cases, WHO WAS WORKING?
Actually, if you look in the Bible, the only examples of being slain in the Spirit are when enemies "fall like dead men". It is something that has become more of a spiritual fad. Kathryn Kullman had the ability to send over entire churches, simply by waving her hand (not touching anyone). I think Benny Hinn is the one who over uses it now. I have had great times meditating on God when I went over, but I don't think I was ever truly "slain in the Spirit".
The only instances of people being "slain in the spirit" in the bible, #1 fall forward and #2 are "heathen"
I attended LFF for 15 years. One thing I always noticed during these special services for healing, or experiencing the supernatural move of God, was that the leadership never participated. They were the ones praying for others, expecting them to be slain in the spirit, or expecting them to break out in holy laughter, or some other expression. If they were not praying for you, they would all gather up on the platform and watch what the congergation was doing to respond. You never saw them get down into the crowd and allow someone to pray over them so that they would fall over or demonstrate some sense of being controlled by the spirit. I say that's pretty suspicious to me. They'd always say that it was their job to oversee the congregation so as to properly judge what was happening and to protect the flock. I say that if God was really moving in a miraculous way, and you believed it, wouldn't you really want to join in and experience it, whether you were a part of leadership or not?
One more note. When ever there was a healing service by some special guest minister, the people would line up to receive healing. The guest minister would come to you and ask what you needed prayer for. Often it was a very personal, sensitive problem that may be in your body, or it may be a spiritual issue. But you had to be careful what to say because a pastor would follow so close and get so close to the prayer request so that they could hear your every word spoken to the guest minister. That was annoying. They say it was to make sure we didn't get bad counsel from the guest minister. The real reason was to continue to excercise their control over each church member. If you think I'm wrong on this, you need to know that while I was there for 15 years, I was a catechism counselor, a bible study leader, a JCD member, a JCD support member, a home care leader, and a congregational care leader. I have been close to all those in leadership. I know what they have talked about in private conversations. I know how they think. I have seen the hypocrisy and control tactics. I am not outside observer.
when i was there all of the falling out stuff was fake. when i left i saw the real thing at a 4-square church. I worked in large animal husbandry and have seen animals put down. when they fall they fall like a sack of potatoes and they hit the ground hard - they don't care because they are dead. Hense the phrase "being slain in the Spirit". When the genuine thing happens nobody is hurt though you would think so. God protects them. So if some church has to catch you as you "fall you" it ain't God.
George N. Sally
I was slain in the spirit a number of times. No one ever pushed me over. In fact, my skeptical mother was also slain in the spirit when she was visiting and I took her up for prayer for healing. I also found it odd that leadership never seemed to participate -- always standing off afar ... could never figure that out!
I have fallen out in the spirit and wish everyone in the world would experiance it. It's hard to explain. My preacher didn't push me either. I remember once I fell out in the spirit and noone was behind me an I hit my head on the floor.
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