Since God inhabits the praises of His people, we praise Him and He visits our services. Our worship and praise has been tremendous lately. God moves in our midst during those special times. I wouldn't go back to a liturgical church for love nor money unless God appeared to me in person and said I had to. Give me the freedom of a balanced, spirit filled charismatic church any time. That's my stand. I know others feel differently and that's good, too. Different strokes for different folks.
Mary, what was your experience in a "liturgical church?" I don't intend this to come off sarcastic, so please don't take it that way, but I think "balanced charismatic church" is an oxymoron. You may have found one, I won't deny that possibility, but in my experience, charismatic churches lack balance, by definition. For one thing, they don't balance law and gospel, for another, they don't balance the demands of the world with the demands of God's Kingdom (tendency toward "super-spirituality") and they don't generally balance the physical, emotional and spiritual dimensions of life very well.
You're right, when it comes down to it, "different strokes for different folks." But I had hoped to dialogue with some people about what each approach has to offer so that, if some fundamentalist FReeper somewhere is searching for a different kind of faith walk I can convince them that organized religion is not all just a bunch of hypocrites who put their dollar in the plate on Sunday and live like the devil the rest of the week. Traditional Christianity has much to offer, and I would think conservatives would find much to their liking "over here."
I bet you'd like to convince some of us to come "over there," wouldn't you? So . . . make your case! :o) FRegards.