In past prayer letters since coming to seminary, I've made a habit of recommending a good book here and there (like Scot McKnight's The Jesus Creed and Bruce Shelley's Church History in Plain Language). I like doing this for a few reasons: (a) we generally read far too few books in today's world; (b) a book is long enough to address a topic much more comprehensively than other media ever could; (c) when you read a book, it forces you to spend time ruminating on a topic rather than just letting it enter your consciousness for five minutes and subsequently forgetting about it; (d) I amuse myself with the delusion that someone other than my mother might someday take my suggestions seriously, and thus, I would have the privilege of playing a small role in his or her spiritual formation. (This post is now officially in honor of Jesse, Tom, and my mom, too.)
So, that brings us to today's recommendation - Surprised by the Voice of God, by Jack Deere. This is Deere's second book on the topic of the role of the miraculous in today's church (I have not read his first, Surprised by the Power of the Spirit, but I bet that one's good, too).
My primary ministry setting has never been with a ministry that emphasized the importance of the more blatantly supernatural gifts of the Spirit (such as prophecy and healing). At the same time, most Christians I know believe in the validity of these gifts. Why is it that we accept the theoretical possibility that God will move in amazing ways, but our practical approach to church and ministry makes no room for him to do so? On the other end of the spectrum are those who emphasize the supernatural so much that they allow their personal experiences of the presence of God to override the spiritual life of the mind and/or the character.
Enter Jack Deere. Deere was once a professor of Old Testament at a well-respected seminary in the United States. This particular school rejects miraculous spiritual gifting for today's church. Deere began to question this doctrine, through reading the Bible, observing his own church, and observing ministries that were open to the movement of the Spirit. Over time, he came to recognize the need for the miraculous ministry of the Holy Spirit in our world.
His book is thorough in its scope. He intellectually defends his beliefs from Scripture, church history, and contemporary experience. (Chapters five and six on the "Presbyterian prophets" and church historical method are particularly fascinating.) He outlines the ways in which God speaks, giving very practical guidelines for cultivating a listening ear and for encouraging a healthy ministry of the miraculous in your church - one with appropriate boundaries rather than an authoritarian "thus sayeth the Lord" kind of atmosphere.
In my own life, I came to recognize a need to explore these gifts of the Spirit within the past few years. The rubber hit the road starting last October, when I began meeting with a man from my church who walks in circles where people are encouraged to seek the voice of God. I still have a long way to go on this journey, but the role of mentoring along the road has been vital. We expect to need help from those ahead of us in life when it comes to everything else, whether it's "spiritual" stuff or "regular" stuff; why not this, too?
So, I encourage you to read Deere's book, then find someone you respect who can serve as a guide in your journey towards the manifest presence of God. (And even if you don't read Deere's book, you would do well to have a mentor in the spiritual life... and other areas of life... tangent...)
Questions? Thoughts?
