Quote:
Originally Posted by Freedom
I would say that there were some positive things gained from this practice, if nothing else, learning to speak in front of people and learning to speak the Word.
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But we don't gather together to have a Christian Toastmasters organization. It is to focus on Christ, not on us. That is one of the flaws of the "every meeting should have a testimony meeting section" mentality. It turns too much of the focus from Him to us — even when what we say includes reference to Him.
As far as meaningful prophesying is concerned, if the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets, then I would presume that they are not often standing up to speak something that suddenly came over them, although that can happen. But, like the ones who gathered at Pentecost, and were then there to teach in the temple for the new church, they were trained. They were chosen for the task, so we cannot dismiss that it was also giftedness. They got over three years of training. But as they were learning, their giftedness was not so evident at times.
Yes, there are times that there is something that must be said on short notice, but even that is usually not from a vacuum, but from a wealth of knowledge and experience (for some, more knowledge and for others more experience, but except where there is literally something new spoken by God through a person, not new).
I can't comment on the ways of the FTTA because, at some level, it is like a seminary. It may fail in the charge to really teach sound principles of the study, exposition, and preaching of the Word, but it still is a seminary. And no matter your giftedness, if you are called to teach, then you will usually require some experience before it at least
seems natural. (I know some who will say that it is never as easy at it seems.) So giving them an outline and coaching them on how to approach it is not necessarily something bad. The bad, if there is any, is somewhere else. It may be in the complete lack of true training. It may be in the very thing that they are charged to speak.
And it may be in the nature of the system within which the speaking is done.
But expecting anyone to avoid all kinds of instruction as they learn to speak before the group is not reasonable. Even for the LCM.