Christian Mysticism? Escaping to God's Presence ~ BitterSweetLife

Saturday, November 18, 2006

Christian Mysticism? Escaping to God's Presence

Christian Mysticism: escaping to God
"Mysticism" is a slippery word for Christians to use, but I'm not sure I have a better one for what Jim Elliot describes below. Makes me want to leave downtown for a quieter place, walk out of urban Kansas City and climb a nearby hill, scan the horizon for traces of God, listen closely so I don't miss a syllable of any message he might give me...

I walked out to the hill just now. It is exalting, delicious, to stand embraced by the shadows of a friendly tree with the wind tugging at your coattail and the heavens hailing your heart, to gaze and glory and give oneself again to God-what more could a man ask? Oh, the fullness, pleasure, sheer excitement of knowing God on earth! I care not if I never raise my voice again for Him, if only I may love Him, please Him. Mayhap in mercy He shall give me a host of children that I may lead them through the vast star fields to explore His delicacies whose finger ends set them to burning. But if not, if only I may see Him, touch His garments, and smile into his eyes—ah then, not stars nor children shall matter, only Himself.

This is not the language of a casual encounter with God over cereal and the morning paper. I think every Christian needs a little mysticism to get him through Final Exams and Semester-Ending Projects, let alone Life. Here's hoping we all spend more time alone on hilltops, listening for God's voice, and feeling our hearts expand when we sense, like Moses and Jim Elliot, a still-but-towering presence.



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2 comments:

Matt Snowden said...

I was told that there is going to be a Cormac McCarthy discussion going on here. I'll be looking forward to it. I'm glad I found your blog. Thanks

Anonymous said...

God has spoken once and finally in His Son (Hebrews 1) and everything you need is to be found in scripture (2 Timothy 3) as revealed to you by the Holy Spirit (John 14:26). Consider 2 Peter 1 carefully - Peter is saying that he saw Christ's transfiguration on the mount and actually heard the voice of God, yet considers the scriptures "more certain". Over and over in the Bible we are exhorted to love the word of the Lord (eg the whole of Psalm 119)and to treasure it like nothing else (Proverbs) and to meditate on it night and day (Psalm 1, Joshua 1, etc). Fact is, there is no authentic biblical Christianity outside of a love of the Bible. Seeking God's word to you or His presence outside of the ministry of the Word under the power of the Holy Spirit is unbiblical and dangerous - it opens you up to all sorts of deception. I encourage you to forget about these extra-biblical sources of revelation/power/etc and get into a serious study of the Word. After all, if God went to all that trouble to write a book which he proclaims is all sufficient for us and His final authority in our lives, should we not obey Him and learn to "study to show ourselves approved", "a workman who rightly divides the Word, so that we are without shame" (2 Timothy 2)?

 

Culture. Photos. Life's nagging questions. - BitterSweetLife