by RobertCummins | Sep 26, 2016 | 39. Spaciousness
I will rejoice and be glad in Your lovingkindness,
Because You have seen my affliction;
You have known the troubles of my soul,
And You have not given me over into the hand of the enemy;
You have set my feet in a large place. (Psalm 31:7-8)
The mini-conference was called Healing Life’s Hurts. The presenters spoke to us about our hearts—that space within us that was decimated by the Fall and reclaimed in Christ. This space can be thought of as a temple where we preside as priests. Our hearts have become the dwelling place of God on earth. God must have his way in this space because “from the heart flow the springs of life.” (Proverbs 4:23)
Because of the powerful way Christ moved into my heart-space (at age 23), I just assumed I belonged to Him—exclusively. Based on the rearrangements He initiated there, I assumed that He had claimed my heart as His home. I understood that His mission was to reign as Lord in that space. I understood that my life would be a journey where His presence would incrementally and ultimately transform me into the image of His Son. (It is only natural – children ultimately look like their parents.) I was distraught when I discovered how imperfect a priest I was, that I could limit my cooperation with the new life residing in me. My reaction to this discovery was to pray Psalm 139:23-24: “Search me oh God and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.”
The language of the conference presenters was new to many of us. From our pulpits, we typically hear Bible truths and how they should affect our lives. Our speakers were taking a different approach. They explained how life in a fallen world had shaped (or misshaped) that space within us—the spring flowing from within has been fouled. Even though they were speaking a relatively foreign language, their knowledge of scripture and the testimonies of changed lives, especially their own, was creating a connection with their audience. By telling how God had operated in the messy space of their own hearts they established a heart-link with their audience. These people carried that authority, unique to fellow sojourners.
I love the scriptures. I deeply respect those who study and preach from the Bible. I appreciate the knowledge they’ve imparted to me over the past four decades. However, in recent years, I noticed my heart languishing in the classic preacher-parishioner relationship. My heart began shying away from conventional sermons, which seemed full of propositional truth and lean toward those with personal illustrations. Sadly, some whom I dearly love will look upon this last statement as further evidence of my apostasy—“Clearly he has elevated experience above God’s Word!” Not at all. I am only elevating the idea of God’s Word (as testimony) getting equal time with teaching. I know both are needed but I see the Word of God being at least as strategic and influential in conversation as its has been in the classic pastoral monologue.
My heart had been growing thirsty for something the preacher did not offer. I believe my heart was trying to learn its native tongue. These conference presenters were speaking it. I intuitively grasped this language of the heart. My ears perk up when people are humble enough to describe their own heart-battles. I thought, “These people are like me; they are my tribe; they have earned authority.” Because I feel safe with them, I grant them permission to speak into my heart. If there is a “language of the heart” it is surely the first language of the Good Shepherd. Listen:
To him the doorkeeper opens and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out. When he puts forth all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice, and a stranger they will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers. (John 10:3-5)
Through the years I have enjoyed connection with folks from different camps within Christendom. It is not uncommon to meet believers who have just walked away from the main camp, convinced no one was listening. They may have been addressed as brother or sister, but all too frequently, pastor didn’t even remember their names. Are churches shrinking because the sheep do not hear a language their hearts intuitively understand and thirst for?
I fully anticipate a book will come out titled Exit Interviews That Never Happened: The High Cost of Not Listening. It will cover what people wanted to say to the pastor before they left but did not because they feared the guilt trip-reprisals they knew would follow. I have watched this happen over and over. If I have learned anything as a business manager and an elder in a church, it is this: Love’s first impression needs to be listening. Sadly, however, the ears of some work; the ears of others do not.
I would differentiate between hearing, which is the reception of sound waves on the inner ear and listening, which is the translation of those sound waves into language our hearts can grasp. Can the migration of believers from larger to smaller units be explained by sheep simply trying to find others who speak their native tongue? Perhaps they are looking for a place, like the bar in Cheers, where people just know their name.
Thou hast set my feet in a large place.
The Kingdom of God is the larger place where the Lord has set our feet. Our hearts are dramatically enlarged as we discover His eternal kingdom (where God reigns) overlaps our very own hearts! I know a variety of communities who are learning kingdom language. Their dialects may vary, but their theme of Jesus as Lord does not. These disciples are learning the Shepherd’s language. They are learning that listening is fundamental to this dialect. We cannot really love without listening. Along with Open the Eyes Of Our Hearts, Lord, we should also sing Open the Ears Of Our Souls, Lord.
Father, please, open the ears of souls. In this language our hearts grasp, call your Body in all its fragmented pieces back together. Help us to learn your dialect that we may discover the love of God we have in common. Teach us how listening promotes healing. Raise up true shepherds, fluid and eloquent in this language, who can serve as connecting tissues throughout the Church. Glory and honor and power to your name forever more. Amen.
by RobertCummins | Oct 4, 2015 | 39. Spaciousness
Spaciousness – Matthew 6:5-6
When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. Matthew 6:5-6
Jesus is always motivating us to live our short lives on earth in preparation for our long lives in eternity. In our passage, Jesus identifies giving and praying as preparatory activities for this brief phase of our long existence. And, as always, he is not just concerned about the outward expression, he is concerned about the inward motivation which equips our hearts for the long haul. Jesus is not alone. The Holy Spirit is our counselor and teacher. For eternity’s sake, he is showing us the why’s behind the what of our activity. He knows how the calamity in Eden disabled our hearts. He knows we are, in fact, enabled with a genius, not just for doing wrong but with a capacity to do right things for wrong reasons.
We departed Eden with rejection and insecurity deeply embedded into our persona. So much so, we are readily willing to sell our souls for affirmation and acclaim. In and around 2010, the Holy Spirit helped me see that throughout my life I had spent most of my energies garnering the approval of men and avoiding the pain of rejection. This motivation set me up for trouble in the church where gold stickers, presentation bibles and titles await the faithful, yet insecure, doer.
Doing, with a motivation, consciously or not, to receive approval is the flesh operating out of insecurity and pride. We can do much out of this motive but Jesus is telling us straight up, this momentary approval will be the extent of our reward. He is saying there is much more for us in Christ, beyond the applause of men. The Holy Spirit, in his sovereign way, is always working in the arena of our why’s, helping us to avoid our vain and short-sighted what’s. How is this playing out in contemporary Christendom? Let’s explore.
An exodus from church is being documented by George Barna, Wayne Jacobsen and others. This is a painful subject because myself and other dear friends are a part of this exodus. I began writing this blog to explore the backstory to this exit from orthodoxy, which I believe has to do, in large part, with religion. The definition for religion, as I am using the word, is; any system of thought or practice whereby the doing of it causes me to think I have gained the favor of God. I got caught with my hand in this cookie jar. Here is the Readers Digest version of how my salvation got worked out with no shortage of fear and trembling.
While receiving all the gold stickers the church could award, I slowly went spiritually bankrupt. This elder-teacher-worship leader had received his full reward. Was I an anomaly? Was I the only bundle of man-fearing insecurity? I suspected not so my imagination took off. I imagined a scenario where others, like myself, were also working for approval out of their own insecurity (in Jesus’ name of course). It didn’t seem like a far fetched notion in light of the relational pain I saw behind the scenes inside my own local church.
In that setting, I believed I was witnessing a kind of unholy transaction where both parties (pastors and parishioners) were being harmed in the transaction. The church, needy for labor, was gladly purchasing the doings of insecure people with their array of short-term motivators. Both the buyer and the seller were satisfied with the bargain, at least in the short term. What was happening though in the long term? What would become of a system where so many people are induced by internal and external forces to do good things for wrong reasons? Doesn’t this create a sort of co-op of codependency where everyone is forfeiting the greater reward Father is aspiring to give? If my projection is accurate (and the verdict is still out), the church would be presenting something to the world far beneath the glory God intended for his Bride – The Church.
I’m not proud of the fact that I am not attending church. I’m not totally at peace about it. I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to explore what I thought I was seeing. The pastor of our church said I was a “watchman” so, I thought it was my obligation to try and communicate what I was seeing. (I now know watchman is code for one who sees things that must not be spoken. 🙂
Perhaps my efforts to describe what I was seeing left something to be desired but I gave it my all and it resulted in censure. My all produced so much tension I decided it would be best if this watchman (whatever that is) simply walked – if not for God’s leading which I believed I had then for the sake of everyone’s sanity. The separation has been painful but I’m certain the mental health of the parish and the this former-parishioner are better off.
Heart note: There was a phase I went through in my local church flame out where I was exceedingly frustrated with the local church and its leaders (and I was one of them). It would have been easy to walk away at that time. My reasons would have mirrored those who had already exited as well as those toying with the idea. However, had I left in a huff, which was SOP, I knew I would be forgoing the work God had slated for my heart.
My anger, which had nothing to do with the local church, would have escaped the cross. I would have walked out as a victim who was unwilling to take responsibility for his own heart. I would have blamed my burn out on the weakness of the local church and its leadership. Most damaging, I would have left with judgements in my heart toward others. The cost of that transaction would have been immense.
MwM is essentially what was bottled up inside me while I was inside the local church. And, it is what has been percolating since. It is my message in a bottle to those remaining the institution – especially its leaders. I saw the exodus coming. I see it underway. I have never aspired to fuel it. I was just trying to warn us, of the religious undercurrent fueling it, hoping we could jointly identify and deal with the religious- why’s behind this exodus-what.
Lord, may your Spirit liberate us from every unworthy temporal motivation. Expose us where we are spending our currency on that which is not bread. Persist until our motives are refined and we are resting from our works in the security of Your great love. Amen.
by RobertCummins | Oct 2, 2015 | 39. Spaciousness
Spaciousness – John 8:31-38
So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.“ They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?”
Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are Abraham’s descendants; yet you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. I speak the things which I have seen with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father.“ John 8:31-38
Mankind lives under the strain of mystery – unanswered questions plague him at every level. Where did I come from? Who am I? What is my purpose? In his fallen linage, he comes up with the wrong answers, perpetuating his misery through time. It really gets back to this, “Who’s your Daddy?”
For instance; “Where did I come from?” The origin of our specie was not primordial matter. It was the mind of God. This wrong answer is toxic because it precludes Jesus, who preceeded our beginning, from our beginning – the answer to our problem was removed from the dialogue about our problem. The father of lies has heard our questions and lied to us. This lie regarding our origin, now assumed to be hard science, enslaves billions. The only person by which we might be saved is Jesus Christ and he explains why …
I speak the things which I have seen with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father.
Because Jesus has been with the Father, he knows precisely what has gone wrong. Darkness entered into mankind at the Fall making him susceptible to lies. Satan has masterfully woven his lies into the fabric of society through the most sophisticated philosophies and the vainest of speculations. These are the things we have heard from our father in darkness. Our problems can be traced to our pedigree. Who is our father? Are we chidren of deception or are we children of light?
But, we protest – we are Christians! We have the Holy Spirit -The Counselor and Spirit of Truth, We can’t be deceived … can we? Unfortunately we can. Keep in mind who Jesus is speaking to in our passage – Jews who had believed in Him. It is to believers Jesus speaks this hard word …
My word has no place in you.
These young believers had lived their lives just as we have, conditioned by the lies intentionally woven seamlessly into culture in order to enslave us and steal from us. Jesus offers the remedy for their problem, and ours …
and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.
This was offensive. “What do you mean! We have great pedigrees. We are the offspring of Abraham. We have never been enslaved!” Jesus corrects them, explaining that if you have practiced sin you have demonstrated your enslavement. Then he makes a peculiar statement …
And the slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever.
If we abide in his Word, the truth will deliver our enslaved minds and transform us into sons who abide in the Father’s presence. Slaves do not remain in the house forever. Over time Truth sets us free. We are liberated into the freedom of God’s children. Freedom is our inheritance and our destiny.
For those digging deeper. Please check out the beautiful passage in Romans 8:18-25.
The Jews believed their pedigree exempted them from deception. Christians also fall into this same trap. The Jews were offended, and so are we, when someone implies we are not free. As one who has dealt with post-conversion deception (PCD), I have a suggestion – Pay attention to the things that offend you.
Recall the Jews reaction to the Truth, “What do you mean?!” We Christians react the same way and then take our stand upon our pedigrees, “I am Christian. I am not deceived!” In my ongoing journey out of religious darkness, I am discovering that what offends me is an indicator of what enslaves me. As one who has always found himself innocent on all counts, I believe our protests often reveal specifics of our bondage.
Perhaps you are saying, “Thank God Almighty! I’m not offended with anyone. I’m free at last!” All I can say is, “Good luck with that.” I can’t speak with the authority of a professional counselor. However, with whatever authority personal experience brings, I can say – the most enslaving lies exist in the form of unchallenged assumptions we have about our reality. The father of lies is no amateur. He makes sure his lies get buried deep into our identities. They become the unedited tapes that drive our lives – perfected patterns of thinking, enabling us to abide in deception instead of Truth. Wherever we are in the process of our salvation …
The Truth is the only thing that shall set us free.
Father, glorify Your Name as You continue to lead us out of slavery into the glorious freedom you have purchased for us. Truly Lord …
We slaves will not remain in the house forever but we children shall .
by RobertCummins | Oct 1, 2015 | 39. Spaciousness
Spaciousness – Deuteronomy 11:8-32
Unfortunately, drought is not unfamiliar to those of us living on the prairie. We’ve seen dry ponds and browned-out trees. We know drought translates into massive economic loss. Yet, drought has its place. Drought accentuates the value of water and the promises of God …
For the land into which you are about to cross to possess it, a land of hills and valleys, drinks water from the rain of heaven, a land for which the Lord your God cares; the eyes of the Lord your God are always on it, from the beginning even to the end of the year.
Men pray, but when and in what form moisture comes is beyond predicting. However, the Lord is saying to the chosen that he has a place which is well-watered; its available and we must choose to possess it. Jehovah explains how we must proceed.
And it shall come about, if you listen obediently to my commandments which I am commanding you today, to love the Lord your God and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul, that I will give the rain in its season, the early and the late rain, that you may gather in your grain and your new wine and your oil. And I will give grass in your fields for your cattle, and you shall eat and be satisfied.
The Lord continues regarding the importance of these commands …
You shall therefore impress these words of mine on your heart and on your soul; and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. And you shall teach them to your sons, talking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you rise up.
I sense an excitement among believers about the well watered lands of spiritual possibility. Yet, when this moisture is predicated by an “if” countenances often fall. They know they have not impressed God’s words upon their hearts. They feel their bible deficit cuts them off from any would-be promised land. If this happens to be you, be strong and take courage; nothing separate you from the love of God. Mastery of bible knowledge is fine but too often it becomes an end, in and of itself. Scriptural scholarship does not create abundant life. The Pharisees, both historic and modern, are the tragic living proof of this.
We were not all called to become bible scholars. However, we are all called to walk in the light we have. Let’s explore what this means. First of all, there is no value in shame. Shame does not lead to any kind of promised land. Shame leads to the ultimate drought – religion. If we are deficient in the scriptures, let’s dismiss shame and simply set a new course.
Abandon the notion that I will just never know the scriptures well enough. This is fatalistic and irresponsible. This attitude is incompatible with God’s Spirit within us. Let’s simply acknowledge that the scriptures are important and adopt a new attitude. Why not agree with them and say, “I am a new creation in Christ. I am well able to enter this land.” It is not reasonable that God would emphasize the importance of scripture then disable us in our ability to understand them. We simply need to take one obedient step after another. This is choosing life. Obeying what light we have will take us much further than the mastery of many texts.
The scriptures are a priceless treasure. Our new hearts are formatted to grasp the spirit of them. Find a translation that suits you and begin reading. All scripture is inspired, but for persons living under the new covenant, the gospels and the apostle’s letters are shining the most relevant light on our paths. The Old Testament reveals the nature and the heart of God as it was expressed to Israel. The Law was the center piece of this table. It was the essential segue and is the ongoing tutor in God’s self-revelation. The new covenant reveals our access point to the promised land which is the grace of God in Christ. Jesus Christ himself is the center piece of our table. Here he serves Living Water to the thirsty.
Living Water is a reference to the Holy Spirit – the One who personalizes God’s Word and reveals the Father to us. We are indeed favored to have scriptural revelation. At the same time, it is worth remembering that God turned the world upside down without the bible, as we know it. The Holy Spirit is too often thought of as the past tense – booster rocket of the church. Once the Spirit propelled it into orbit, the Chruch then had the Bible – the perfect had come …
the partial had been done away with. When the church was a mere child, it spoke like a child, thought like a child, reasoned like a child; when it had became mature, it did away with childish things.
Sadly, this is the tragic and drought producing vision held in high esteem by much of evangelical Christianity. The Church desperately needs to acknowledge its need for the ongoing power of the Holy Spirit. Just as Jesus is our Bread of Life, the Holy Spirit was, and is, our Living Water. Together they are our essential nourishment. The table is set – they are the feast set for us in the presence of our enemy.
Unfortunately, we have quite a division at the family dining table. Much of the Church looks to the scripture as their sole source of revelation. Another leans on the Holy Spirit as their primary source of direction. I believe this is slated to change …
But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. (John 4:23)
We must personally come to Him and learn to drink from His Spirit and feed from his Word.
A related word about teaching. Just listening to the teachings of others each week is like trying to live on someone else’s nourishment. Pastor was not called to permanently chew, digest and regurgitate the meat for us. If we are mere listeners, we have become dependents in a spiritual welfare culture. Dependency upon another to feed and water us will produce it own kind of drought. The Father wants us to personally taste and see that He is good.
The best preaching creates hunger and thirst. The best teaching equips men to use the fork and cup. The Inspired words and lives of true elders demonstrate that God’s is accessible though his Word and his Spirit. Scriptural revelation is available to all, not just academics. Intimacy with Christ is available through the Spirit. True elders model how we can personally become those who worship him in spirit and truth.
A better yardstick for Church growth would be how many saints have taken responsibility for their own spirit’s nourishment as opposed to how many attend the service and what they gave.
Father, awaken our thirst and relieve our drought. May we see the latter rains overtaking our parched and thirsty hearts. May we see our hearts erupt and overflow with Living Water. May we eat and drink and see the desert bloom before us. Amen.
by RobertCummins | Sep 30, 2015 | 39. Spaciousness
Spaciousness – Genesis 26:123-22
At last the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.
This statement was made by Isaac, a man who had become rich yet who eventually became wealthy. There is a difference. While Isaac was materially secure, his “at last” indicated he was not yet complete.
His relief came when he found an uncontested well. It didn’t matter how wealthy Isaac was, without water he would die. Through deep subterranean channels that water had been flowing all along but the Philistines had filled the wells up with earth. All Isaac had to do do was invest his own energies in reestablishing the access point to this water. He had all the motivation necessary – his life depended on it … Mine did too.
I was aware, at least theoretically, there was a well of living water in me. It was supposed be bubbling up from within. The bible, and an irritating song, told me so. The song went – “I have joy, joy, joy – down in my heart – down in my heart, forever and ever and seemingly forever more, Amen.” However, I could only mouth the words. Down in my heart, it was really more like, “I wish I had” joy, joy, joy…..” My well had been filled with dirt.
Mouthing words of jubilation which come from someone else’s well creates a crisis of the spirit. Many cope by turning the page and mouthing the words to the next song. After the last amen they depart and do the same thing, with their lives – they just go through the motions.
My “at last” moment began shortly after I finally acknowledged I was dying of thirst. From the deeps of me, I heard a cry; “I cannot just go through the motions of Christianity! I know this is not the life Jesus died to give me!”
I knew there was living water down there. I had tasted it before but I had no clue who filled up the well or what it had been filled with. Well … that is only partially true. I thought I knew who the Philistines responsible for my misery were but the Lord was not at all pleased with my finger pointing. It became clear he was asking me to choose life and that meant “I” must spend the necessary time and energy to reestablish access.
This was by no means a solo project. God provided some people who were experienced in well-restoration. They were not pastors (in the CEO / Preacher sense), however they were each pastoral in their relationship to me. These co-laborers were prophets, coaches, counselors, friends and fathers. I was surprised to discover how much of the debris was religious. I was shocked that every self-serving, shame-laden shovel full was contributed by one particular Philistine – me.
I will never forget. As we were nearing the bottom and I could once again taste this water. How perfectly delicious it was! My thoughts were “Oh Lord, You have been there all along!” This might sound crazy but It was worth the thirst just to have it quenched! Now, my heart too was saying, “Ah, at last!”.
As we are rehydrated with his Spirit our gifts will emerge. They will make a place for us. Living water is very attractive! Thirsty people are drawn to it. There will come a day, if we diligently watch over our springs, that living water will overflow into the lives of others. This, I am convinced, is normal Christianity.
The great danger is that we would learn to think of our going-through-the-motions life as normal. If you are restless, don’t ignore it! Your native thirst may be finding expression. Give voice to it! Take responsibility for your heart. Grab your shovel and start digging! Pray it out! Cry it out! Journal it out! Find help. Don’t point your finger at the perceived Philistines. They are not responsible for your spiritual condition. You are. Living water can make an oasis in the midst of any desert but it is up to us – We must choose life!
Father, awaken that spiritual thirst that says “No! I will not just go through the motions! Yes, I will choose life!” Help us to see the spacious life you have purchased for us. Help us to say “Yes!” to our thirst and “No!” to our complicit and faint hearts. Help us to uncover and maintain our spring. May we too be fruitful in this land. Amen.
by RobertCummins | Sep 28, 2015 | 39. Spaciousness
Spaciousness – Psalm 31:1-8
I will rejoice and be glad in Your lovingkindness, because You have seen my affliction; You have known the troubles of my soul, and You have not given me over into the hand of the enemy …
You have set my feet in a large place.
The mini-conference was called Healing Life’s Hurts. The presenters spoke to us about our hearts – that space within us that was decimated by the fall yet reclaimed in Christ. This space can be thought of as a temple where we preside as priests. Our hearts have become the dwelling place of God on earth. God must have his way in this space because …
from the heart flow the springs of life.
Because of the powerful way Christ moved into my heart-space (at age 23), I just assumed I belonged to him – exclusively. Based on the rearrangements he initiated there, I assumed that he had claimed my heart as his home. I understood that his mission was to reign as Lord in that space. I understood that my life would be a journey where his presence would incrementally and ultimately transform me into the image of his Son. (It is only natural – children ultimately look like their parents.) I was distraught when I discovered how imperfect a priest I was, that I could limit my cooperation with the new life residing in me. My reaction to this discovery was to pray Psalm 139:23-24 …
Search me oh God and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.
The language of the presenters was new to many of us. From our pulpits, we typically present biblical truths then describe how they should effect our lives. Our speakers were taking a different approach. They explained how life in a fallen world had shaped, (or misshaped) that space within us – the spring which should be flowing from within has been fouled. Even though they were speaking a relatively foreign language, their knowledge of scripture and the testimonies of changed lives, especially their own, was creating a connection with their audience. By telling how God had operated in the messy space of their own hearts they established a heart-link with their audience. These people carried the unique authority of fellow sojourners.
I love the scriptures. I deeply respect those who study and preach from the bible. I appreciate the knowledge they have imparted to me over the past four decades. However, in recent years, I noticed my heart languishing in the classic preacher/parishioner relationship. My heart began shying away from conventional sermons which seem full of propositional truth and lean on personal experience. Sadly, some whom I dearly love will look upon this last statement as further evidence of my apostasy – “Clearly he has elevated experience above God’s Word!” Not at all. I am only elevating God’s Word being fleshed out in his children.
My heart had been growing thirsty for something the preacher did not offer. I believe my heart was trying to learn its native tongue. These conference presenters were speaking it. I intuitively grasped this language of the heart. My ears perk up when people are humble enough to describe their own heart-battles. I thought, “These people are like me; they are my tribe; they have earned authority.” Because I feel safe with them, I grant them permission to speak into my heart. If there is a language of the heart it is surely the first language of the Good Shepherd. Listen …
To him the doorkeeper opens and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out. When he puts forth all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice, and a stranger they will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers. (John 10:3-5)
Through the years I have enjoyed connection with folks from different camps within Christendom. It is not uncommon to meet believers who have just walked away from the main camp, convinced no one was listening. They may have been addressed as brother or sister but all too frequently, pastor didn’t even remember their names. Are churches shrinking because the sheep do not hear a language their hearts intuitively understand and thirst for?
I fully anticipate a book will come out, titled; Exit Interviews That Never Happened – The High Cost of Not Listening. It will cover what people wanted to say to the pastor before they left but did not because they feared the guilt trip-reprisals they knew would follow. I have watched this happen over and over. If I have learned anything as a business manager and an elder in a church, it is this; Love’s first impression needs to be listening. Sadly however, the ears of some work, the ears of others do not.
I would differentiate between hearing, which is the reception of sound waves on the inner ear and listening which is the translation of those sound waves into language our hearts can grasp. Can the migration of believers from larger to smaller units be explained by sheep simply trying to find others who speak their native tongue. Perhaps they are looking for a place, like the bar in Cheers, where people just know their name.
Thou hast set my feet in a large place.
The Kingdom of God is the larger place where the Lord has set our feet. Our hearts are dramatically enlarged as we discover his eternal kingdom is actually located in our hearts! I know a variety of communities who are learning kingdom language. Their dialects may vary but their theme of Jesus as Lord does not. These disciples are learning the Shepherd’s language. They are learning that listening is fundamental to this dialect. We cannot really love without listening. Along with Open The Eyes Of Our Hearts Lord, we should also sing, Open The Ears Of Our Souls Lord.
Father, please, open the ears of souls. In this language our hearts grasp, call your Body in all its fragmented pieces back together. Help us to learn your dialect that we may discover the love of God we have in common. Teach us how listening promotes healing. Raise up true shepherds, fluid and eloquent in this language, who can serve as connecting tissues throughout the Church. Glory and honor and power to your name forever more. Amen.
