The church and Holy Spirit no longer mix. It is not the fault of the Spirit. The church is distrusting of anything that seems to undermine its control. The church is about long term strategic planning, financially sound practices, and setting goals. When the Holy Spirit breaks loose it is often at the expense of these things so treasured by the control conscious institutional church. Who knows? People may get carried away into some kind of spiritual experience which is not kosher or theologically correct. Whatever happens within the church must happen within its prescribed practices and disciplines.
The Spirit must surely feel like an outsider in many of the places where the church seeks to be the church. Shortly after Pentecost a revival broke out in Samaria and the one in charge was not an Apostle, but a Hellenist named Philip. So the church in Jerusalem sent two of their own to check it out. (Acts 8:14) A little later a similar thing happened in Antioch and the leaders were some unknowns from Cyprus and Cyrene. Great numbers were becoming believers so the church in Jerusalem sent Barnabas. (Acts 11:22) Organized religion has always felt threatened by those are used by God in a way that seems to undermine its control.
Control and power. When these things are threatened, the church often reacts in extreme measures. The cross is one response organized religion has made to its power being threatened. Religious power brokers could not tolerate Jesus. Today, it is more subtle. Those who would choose to trust the Spirit instead of the things which empower the institutional church are often viewed with a kind of skepticism which discredits their integrity. The Spirit trusters end up being not trustworthy. When the church gives the Holy Spirit so little room to work, there can only be trouble which speaks volumes to the state of the church today.
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