God told me to write this post: the fruitlessness of seeking God apart from His Word
There is a blog post I’ve been trying to write for a while now, but am having trouble putting my thoughts into words. I especially want to explain myself in a positive way. This week I’ve had several occasions to discuss this topic with people and that has helped me a little. I’ve got more to say, but, as often happens, others do a better job of expressing my own experiences than I can sometimes do. That’s the great thing about blogs; we often share experiences even though most of us have never met each other.
I’ve contemplated and now written about my occasional feelings of bitterness toward my involvement with the evangelical world before coming to confessional Lutheranism. I don’t want to be a bitter person, but I do want to help others avoid the mistakes in judgment I made.
I can’t tell you how many times (thousands or more?) I’ve heard people say, “God laid it on my heart.” or “God spoke to me in a …dream, prayer, while I was exercising, while I was driving or __________ (fill in the blank). I spent years reading books on knowing God’s will, how to be filled with the Holy Spirit, how to hear God speak to you, etc. The courses I took and churches I attend are fully endorsed by the evangelical world and there isn’t really a need to name them. In not one of these courses or churches was I told I was already filled with the Holy Spirit. I know that I was reminded that God’s word is true and timeless, but I was also told that he continues to speak today through other people. This opened the doors to all types of false teachings, most of which were well-intentioned by sincere people. I have learned that I must accept the blame myself for not being more educated in scripture, although my parents believed they were doing that. I am glad for the opportunity I have to make sure that my two kids are well-schooled in scriptural truths.
Consider the following pieces:
Bill MacKinnon: “I have a Bible, and God speaks to me whenever I open it.”
TK: Telling the whole story of salvation
TK: Why it’s not a good idea to follow your inner voice - humorous, with a serious point
TK: Baptism
Can anyone relate to my experience? Does anyone have any other good blog posts for me to add to this list? I know there are many, but I can’t spend anymore time right now looking.
Boy, there’s a lot here to ponder!
Remember, this isn’t a new phenomenon. In Luther’s time, they were called enthusiasts. His comment about these people was, “You think they had swallowed the Holy Spirit, feathers and all!”
I see several “strands” that have led to this subjectivity in Christian circles. First, you’ve got the influence of Pentecostalism on the rest of evangelicalism. You’ve got people who undermine the authority of Holy Scripture, leaving the door open for these experiences to take a similar authority to Scripture. You have the influence of pietism that centers on our feelings and experience. Plus, the self-authenticating nature of a religious experience means that it’s really hard to argue against someone who said, “God told me.” You’re seen as unspiritual, and, heaven help us, “judgmental.”
Looking to our own “God spoke to me” experience can also be a breeding ground for spiritual abuse from others, especially those in spiritual authority.
I also wonder if the lack of belief in original sin doesn’t play a part. If we’re just “wounded” but not dead, then isn’t the human heart a fine place for God to speak to us? Instead of our acknowledging the viper pit it really is.
One of the wonderful things about being Lutheran is that we look outside ourselves. Experience can bewitch. I don’t know if your experience is valid, and you don’t know if mine is. It’s quicksand.
I like what Ed Veith says in “Spirituality of the Cross”: “Instead of building our hope on the shifting sands of our works or inner lives, we can have the confidence that what Christ did for us is a fact…Lutherans are…always wrenching their attention from themselves to remember the concrete objectivity of what God has done for them in Christ.”
Don Matzat, a LCMS pastor and former “Issues, Etc.” host, has written a book titled, “The Lord Told Me…I Think.” He was involved in the charismatic movement for a good while. I haven’t read the book. Maybe someone else has.
Thanks, Theresa, for your comments. They’re helping me sort out my thoughts, as I’ve been through a journey similar to yours.
Neil