In one conversation we were talking about how feelings get attached to certain activities in the church, then those activities become sacred. For instance music has this effect on us. When we were young there were certain songs that lifted our depressed souls to the hope of heaven. Because of that experience, that particular song becomes sacred and even more theologically sound in our minds.
The same happens with certain objects in the church. Many might say, "Back in the day I experienced God's forgiving love at the altar of a church; ever since then, I've returned to an altar in prayer to remember God's grace in my life." The pattern is the same: the experience makes the altar sacred.
This approach can be multiplied many times over with a variety of issues--certain prayers, responses to the gospel message, ways of participating in communion. When these are associated with strong feelings we assume they're sacred and should never be changed.
Well in this recent meeting with these wonderful pastors, we kept going back to this issue of how spiritual experiences really shape our understanding of how churches should function. Many people want that song that blessed them in the 1950s. Others want to see people respond to the gospel just like they did. After several rounds of this, I finally blurted out, "Maybe the problem is our overemphasis on experience."
Now don't get me wrong, the gospel has to be appropriated--individually and personally. I believe, along with Paul, the Spirit pours his love into our hearts (Romans 5). However a person who continually seeks an experience might be stunting their spiritual growth and maybe even the growth of the church.
St. John of the Cross speaks to this issue repeatedly. He argues that to seek spiritual consolation is often but another way to avoid growing up in Christ. Many Christians want that "Old Time Religion" and its feelings, clinging to the past and continually longing for that same spiritual feeling. When it's put in these terms, it appears they're seeking an experience and not really God. They become spiritual gluttons, unwilling to take up their cross and journey with Jesus, thinking that Christianity is all about feeling better about oneself. They also become a little judgmental toward anyone who doesn't share their experience. Therefore they remain immature, refusing to move forward and journey with God, staying stuck in the past with an over-reliance on feelings, unwilling to rejoice with those who are serving Christ with different songs or forms of worship.
I believe the better approach is to seek God and what he's doing in the music and in the sermons and in the activities of the church. In fact St. John of the Cross suggests that we should never indulge an experience; the experiences and its feelings need to be set aside immediately before it creates confusion in our spiritual lives. The point is not the feeling but what God is doing to shape us into his disciples. Feelings, though important as gifts from God, can often detract us from the call to journey with Jesus in obedience.
God might be ready to bless new songs, different sermon forms, new ways of doing church. Think about the early church and it's decision to give up circumcision. Wow! Talk about a sacred tradition. Yet, they gave it up because God was doing a new thing.
What about us? What does God want to bless? What is he blessing? Dare we protest because we're seeking spiritual consolation? I think not.
Peace.
2 comments:
I was in my fourth year when I had my first "experience". My mom, bless her heart, was getting me ready to go to bed. I was sitting on my bed when she entered the room and quietly told me with a string of words with sublime clarity through my ears that God Is. Immediatly those words connected to my soul and with an indelible hook of acceptance and comfort. I remember being excited and wanting to hear more and I had a couple of questions. It is my recollection that she was surprised at my animated response and that it must have exceeded her comfort level because she became more interested in that her little four year old should get his rest.
My second "experience" was when I was 6 yrs old. We had just moved to Newberg, OR and my mom and dad at one point dropped me off at this school for an hour or two by myself. I'm sure I was with other children there, but I only remember the two adult ladies who smiled and with clarity and warm enthusiasm told me about how important it is to build a house on solid the rock and not sand or miry clay. I also learned for the first time and sang with gusto Jesus Loves Me and learned that Jesus is God.
These two pivitol events, in my early life, could speak to the point of being examples that you are conveying that we, as Christians, have to be careful of. If they somehow would or could become icons of worship or indulgence or even puffed up points of pride of "my experience" even becoming an idol worsip.
Praise God, this is not the case. They are instead examples of God directing events even moments in each life to speak to us one on one to learn of him as he directs building his life within. 99% coming directly from his written word when read or spoken through the ears of the listener and connecting to a ready/prepaired soul. I really believe that God is the one who persues us and bring us to him. Part of a Christians growth development and work is within the corporate setting. This is the really cool place where there are many gifts gathered to be dynamically used of God to strenghten the whole. The key is to wisely delegate and allow these gifts to flourish among the body of believers to magnify the Praise and Glory of God.
S.Davis
Thank you for that beautiful narrative depicting God's prevenient grace. I love it.
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