Unless you go so far to the charismatic extreme that it's just an experiential utterly subjective religion (the kind of thing that thrives on "just want[ing] to experience God" ) it's easy to fall into the opposing trap of purely liturgical religion where everyone does what the man standing up front says. The problem with that, of course, is that he is JUST A MAN, and the concept of any man being infallible is antithetical to Christianity. So as more and more clergy and even whole institutions held up as incapable of error are found to have clay feet just like the rest of us the whole system becomes tainted. I believe it a credit to Christians who don't attend "church" that they recognize the fault is not in God or Christianity but (surprise, surprise) in its flawed human leadership. It's important to remember always that even the wisest and most learned pastors and priests are still human beings prone to error, both well meaning and otherwise, that none of them is God and while that doesn't mean we should ignore their shortcomings it does mean we can't automatically accept everything that leaves their lips as gospel (literally. )

There's a reason we have the Word Made Flesh. Even in the age immediately preceding Christs earthly mission Philo of Alexandria applied the Platonic principles he knew so well to the Mosaic ones he knew equally well and arrived at twin conclusions:

1) Mosaic law would not provide salvation, not because it was inadequate but because its followers were, and

2) Salvation could only come through a living breathing embodiment of Mosaic law free of transgression.

Writing prior to Christs ministry and dying well after the Crucifixion, Philo remains a fascinating figure for me, one rife with literary and historical possibilities. But at the core I believe Christianity can only work if it is equal parts filled with the Spirit as charismatics teach and instructed through doctrine as liturgicals teach. Each reinforces and clarifies the other, and without either very sincere people quickly go very sincerely wrong. It produces everything from fundamentalist pogroms "inspired by scripture" to mentally ill people murdering their kids because they "heard Gods voice commanding them. " Some maintain that even the highly popular dogma of a pre-apocalyptic rapture falls into the latter category (there certainly seems no mention of it prior to the middle of the Nineteenth Century. ) You don't NEED a building, regalia or ceremonies to be led by both scripture and the Holy Spirit, though at least some Christian fellowship seems indispensable (that's certainly the impression the New Testatment leaves. ) A faithful Christian witness, however, does need both the word of God and the Spirit of God, and if a given congregation or even denomination becomes so focused on one that it forgets the other walking away isn't a denial of Christianity, but an affirmation of it. The Church is one Body of Christ, and Jesus is its only Head; if a Ted Haggard or Jeremiah Wright thinks that's their place any faithful Christian will follow God as He leaves the "church" that forsakes the Church.