Tales from the Dark Side

I posted yesterday from Bernard Bangley's Near to the heart of God. I love the classics. They are, of course, timeless. I love the saints because they are ours, even with their flaws. Saint Francis de Sales in his Devout Life expresses his obvious passion for God.

My husband and I have experienced Spiritual Mushrooms, we've even been mushrooms ourselves at times.

Here is the tale "muh ha ha ha ha ha". In a Charismatic Church we used to attend, they would have us remove the chairs in order to form a large circle. This was so we could see the "proper" responses to the "presence" of God. The proper response would have been to fall on our knees, and cry out "oh wretched man that I am." The "presbytery" would go from person to person. The people would fall, scream, shake, quake, roll, the whole 9 yards. Some of us would not. They told me and my husband, that we were resisting God. I was heartbroken...I did not want to resist God. We looked around us. On the floor, we saw the same people fall down and react. The same people would get back up again...the same. They were the same busybodies, the same backbiters, the same gossips, the same gluttons. They were bitter and envious and judgmental. I didn't know why some of us did not respond to their "charms"...(it must of been the crucifix around my neck and the garlic cologne.) I learned early, by the grace of God, that all was not well in la la land. My husband and I wanted so much to submit to God, to respond to His Holy Spirit. Instead, God prevented us from being manipulated by deceitful men and women. We are grateful for His grace. We are grateful for the change, the metanoia, that God accomplishes within us. It is in these secret places, that God molds us and makes us....where no one else can see the trials and the tribulations, but the fruit will be good and sweet. It is to easy to be a mushroom. Too easy to learn all of the correct answers, too easy to mimic. God often crushes us in private places, often teaches us in dark rooms. This is a very good thing. Too many of us hide in the crowds, putting on a show. It is easy to be accused of being non-responsive...but they will almost never know the intimacy you have with Christ, hidden with Him, where they cannot find you. True responsiveness is a humble, loving, obedient submission to the Word and Will of God...

On a side note: I got a news letter from Biblesoft. I love Biblesoft. The heading is "Make 2008 Your Best Year Ever to Study God's Word!" hey, me likey. I opened it up and saw how they were as proud as punch to announce that they now had the magnum oopses, oh my bad, magnum opus of the Rick Joyner! Aiiiiiiiiii!!! *fake excitement*. Somehow, methinks I will prolly (my husband's favorite redneck word) not have my best year ever to study God's word, with these volumes in my laptop. What does God's Word have to do with Rick Joyner anyway? So, I guess I get to run around with my newletter saying "For just $99.95 I get to be ruined by a false prophet, and you don't, na na na naaaa naaaa!"