Thursday, September 4; 1975 THE MICHIGAN DAILY Page Fivi Thursday, September 4, 1975 THE MICHIGAN DAILY Page Pivi atmosphere. Bob Rodriguez recalls a meeting in which a "visitor stood up and gave a prophecy that was totally off the wall. He started to prophesize and he wouldn't stop. Everybody stood up and started speaking in tongues and he broke down and cried . . . Somehow, ev- erybody got the same cue." WORD OF GOD is still a neophyte by the standards of most Christian groups, and it's not sur- prising that some spiritual con- flicts are being resolved at the seat-of-the-pants level. Rodriguez acknowledged that the woman who implored an unnamed visitor to open his heart to the Lord, may have said it not so much out of divine inspiration but be- cause she knew that some man n the crowd probably fit her descrip- tion. But, he adds, "Even if it were contrived on her part, if somebody converts, we would be happy. It wouldn't make the conversion any less real. Christians believe God can draw good from evil." Though there may still be some kinks in the community spiritual armor, one thing is certain. Down to the last man, woman, and child, they are totally commited to broad- ening their ranks. For Word of God members, belonging to the com- munity is not so much a lifestyle as it is life itself. Deferential ac- ceptance of contemporary social custom is an unacceptable alterna- tive to absolute commitment to God and community. Bob Rodriguez foresees a day when all of Washte- naw County will belong to Word of God. Bob Newenowski, a two-year community regular, is not certain of his future career, like many of his fellow members. Yet he remains pledged to stay in Ann Arbor in- definitely. "The Lord wants me to be here," he professes. "I'll stay here as long as He does." DR. FREEDMAN of the religious studies program believes the outlook for Word of God may not, :e as bright as its members would have one think. He characterizes them as a "vital, experiential reli- gious group," a type which, he says, "tends to have a difficult time re- taining its second generation. "But," Freedman counters, "they have set up a pyramid structure, and they may well enter academ- ics." Freedman hypothesizes that the first generation of an emotional Daily Photo by STEVE KAGAN group will show hostility to scho- larship, a liability of which several church officials have accused Word of God. However, f the second gen- eration starts training their own scholars, he continues, by the third and fourth they are no longer apol- ogetic and defensive about, their beliefs; they go establishment. Will Word of God follow such a course? "If they last that long," he concludes. Some local clergymen are active members of the community. Sev- eral others are sympatiretic to its goals. The most outspoken critic of the Word of God among local clergy- men has been Dr. Raymond Saxbe of the ,Grace Bible Church, a Bib- lically fundamentalist congregation of 1,000. "We believe that the Bible is the one complete and final revelation of God, Saxbe explains. "Tongue- speaking is probably the most se- rious error to have crept into Chris- tianity since the first century. In some ways it is diabolical, or in- spired by Satan. You have tongue- speaking in many pagan groups." THz WORD of God community believes that the words and ut- terances spoken at their meeting and in private prayer, far from be- ing inspired by the devil, are ac- tually fostered and inspired by God, or the Holy Spirit. It is not unusual for one of their members, engrossed in the tongues phenome- non, to break into song, riding an intricate melody and throwing forth disjointed syllables all the while. When the song is completed, he or she will sing it once more, this time in English, supposedly translating the message God has just transmitted. Speaking tongues is not the only unusual feature of a Word of God gathering. Members will often stand before the assembled mass and offer an example of how God has manifested himself in their lives. At a Thursday meeting a few weeks-ago, a teenage girl told the gathering how God had sustained her when she had to revive a small boy who nearly drowned in the bottom of a pool she was guarding. Community leaders or heads are leary of "sharings" which they sus- pect are aimed at heaping more praise on the speaker than on the Lord. But the young woman fol- lowed the prescribed format, reliv- ing her heroics, then adding that it was indeed a wonderful experience because it showed her just how much the Lord was working in her life, and how he had touched the lives of the boy she had saved and his facily. As she relinquished the microphone to return to her seat, the audience gave her' a healthy round of applause. 13ROPHECY is another highlight of community gatherings. Only select members of the group, or proven prophets, are allowed to stand before the crowd and render God's message, complete with first person point of view. "The love that I have for you is more than you could ever imagine; more than you could ever give up..." At a typical meeting three or four prophecies will take place- on rare occasions, as many as ten. Usually matters proceed without a hitch. But sometimes people get carried away in -the highly charged Put the DAILY .on Your Doorstep! Why wait until the afternoon to catch up on what's happening in the world when the Daily can be at your doorstep in time for breakfast? We're prepared to bring you the best in news and sports - so subscribe now and don't miss a single issue! TO GET YOUR SUBSCRIPTION-STOP BY 420 MAYNARD OR CALL 764-0558 p e << I It4t. 99 I