Religious Ecstasy

Religious Ecstasy

 

As I type, my heart is thumping and my hands are shaking. I am, metaphorically speaking, handling fire. I am treading on territory usually reserved for academics and sceptics, but I am simply a life-long Christian trying to determine the legitimacy of my own experience. I am not questioning the reality; I have seen and felt whereof I speak. I am questioning the provenance.

 

Every human being, given an effective stimulus, can and will experience transcendence. The reality of the experience is not determined by its being right or wrong, good or evil, holy or unholy. For example: electrical stimulation of different areas of the brain can produce physical pleasure, religious euphoria, or an emotional “high.” The stimulus is artificial, but, to the subject, the result, whether physical, spiritual, or emotional, is real.
 

In certain situations, I have been overcome by emotion. Feelings can cause me pain, pleasure, extreme empathy, or physical collapse. I can lapse into incoherence.

 

It would be very easy for me to decide that my overwhelming desires and emotions are God given and holy. But when is that true?

 

God, give me wisdom. Take my weak and weary heart and make it strong and pure.

 

Psalm 37:4-6

Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him and he will do this:

He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
    your vindication like the noonday sun.

An Old Paradigm

My husband and I are, for the first time in nearly fifteen years, looking for a church home. I have told him and others that I am looking for a new worship paradigm, but, on closer reflection, what I am looking for is a very OLD paradigm—about 2000 years old.

Here it is in a nutshell:
I Corinthians 14: 29-33
What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together Each one (male or female) has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up. If anyone (male or female) speaks in a tongue, two--or at the most three--should speak, one at a time, and someone (male or female) must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker (male or female) should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself (or herself) and to God. Two or three prophets should speak (male or female) and the others should weigh carefully what is said. And if a revelation comes to someone (male or female) who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. For you can all (male and female) prophesy in turn so that everyone (male or female) may be instructed and encouraged. The spirits of prophets (male and female) are subject to the control of prophets. For God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.

What I do not want:
● The same person delivering a sermon every week.
● A sermon every week.
● Worship services and facilities that require you to look at the back of other members’ heads.
● Church projects and programs that allow you to ignore the world outside of church.
● Music and song leaders who are louder than the entire congregation.
● Only male Christians officiating at the Lord’s table, praying, reading scripture, leading singing, or serving as ministers and deacons.
● A bunch of people “speaking in tongues” without interpretation.
● A one-person-led congregation—be that person a pastor, elder, minister or priest.

I have passed these requests on to God. I hope He answers with an old paradigm.