Hearing God
I would like to commend Dallas Willard's Hearing God to those Christians out there who, like me, are 100% committed to Scripture, but have long wondered what it means in practice to "hear God". I have long eschewed books with titles like this, giving them my 'StarWars' treatment (i.e. treat with mockery and cynicism, even though I had never seen the movie!)However, once I finally saw StarWars, I became a fan. Similarly, now that I've read the book, I am humbled, challenged, and grateful to have dug in.
The book articulately and accurately described the paradox I find myself in: how is it that I can be someone who fully believes that God leads and guides his people, that He gives wisdom to those who asks, and answers prayer... yet when someone says they have had an 'answer', or received some guidance, I am skeptical. How is it that I say God leads, but have no working answer as to how that actually happens? Willard quotes comedian Lily Tomlin in asking, "Why is it that when we speak to God we are said to be praying but when God speaks to us we are said to be schizophrenic?"
I was deeply convicted by this paragraph in Willard's first chapter:
"Sometimes today it seems that our personal relationship with God is treated as no more than a mere arrangement or understanding that Jesus and his Father have about us. Our personal relationship then only means that each believer has his or her own unique account in heaven, which allows them to draw on the merits of Christ to pay their sin bills. Or possibly it means that God's general providence for his creation is adequate to provide for each person. But who does not think there should be much more to a personal relationship than that? A mere benefactor, however powerful, kind and thoughtful, is not the same as a friend. Jesus says 'I have called you friends' (John 15:15) and 'Look, I am with you every minute, even to the end of the age' (Mt 28:20, Heb 13:5-6)."
That's me folks: more 'evangelical' than the Bible itself.. in as much as I have said I believe that God is alive and with me, but often live as if He is a historical figure. Having read the book, I am convinced that God DOES lead and guide, and that I have experienced that leading and guiding. I feel more confident about my ability to know what "listening" and "discerning His voice" means, and all this without for one second feeling that I have had to let go to my committed belief that God has issued his complete and authoritative final Word in the Bible. So if you find yourself somewhat in the same theological and experiential camp as me... let me recommend Willard to you. I'd love to hear what you thought of it.
The book articulately and accurately described the paradox I find myself in: how is it that I can be someone who fully believes that God leads and guides his people, that He gives wisdom to those who asks, and answers prayer... yet when someone says they have had an 'answer', or received some guidance, I am skeptical. How is it that I say God leads, but have no working answer as to how that actually happens? Willard quotes comedian Lily Tomlin in asking, "Why is it that when we speak to God we are said to be praying but when God speaks to us we are said to be schizophrenic?"
I was deeply convicted by this paragraph in Willard's first chapter:
"Sometimes today it seems that our personal relationship with God is treated as no more than a mere arrangement or understanding that Jesus and his Father have about us. Our personal relationship then only means that each believer has his or her own unique account in heaven, which allows them to draw on the merits of Christ to pay their sin bills. Or possibly it means that God's general providence for his creation is adequate to provide for each person. But who does not think there should be much more to a personal relationship than that? A mere benefactor, however powerful, kind and thoughtful, is not the same as a friend. Jesus says 'I have called you friends' (John 15:15) and 'Look, I am with you every minute, even to the end of the age' (Mt 28:20, Heb 13:5-6)."
That's me folks: more 'evangelical' than the Bible itself.. in as much as I have said I believe that God is alive and with me, but often live as if He is a historical figure. Having read the book, I am convinced that God DOES lead and guide, and that I have experienced that leading and guiding. I feel more confident about my ability to know what "listening" and "discerning His voice" means, and all this without for one second feeling that I have had to let go to my committed belief that God has issued his complete and authoritative final Word in the Bible. So if you find yourself somewhat in the same theological and experiential camp as me... let me recommend Willard to you. I'd love to hear what you thought of it.
posted by Bronwyn at 9:44 am
1 Comments:
Hi Bronwyn,
Just catching up on your blog after a bit of an absence. It is really great to get to hear about how things are going for you and Jeremy and Teg. (your pictures of Tegwyn are really fantastic--what a lovely young lady she is!)
Good ideas in this post. Brian and I read this book together a few years back and found it to be really really true and enriching for our lives. How wonderful it is that God has even more for us than just paying for our sins and leaving us to live as we will. What a greater adventure he calls us to!
We miss you thinking friends from Davis.
Lucy
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