iCrucified

Hearing God …and plugged ears (Part One)

As a person on the path and on the Way with Jesus, “hearing God” is a non-negotiable. One of the ideas that occupies my thinking, meditation, and prayer most often is the thought and practical process of hearing the voice of God and discerning how and what it means to follow that voice.

I think there are a number of contributing dynamics at work when hearing/listening and processing this Voice. For the sake of clarification, I wish to differentiate some of those dynamics to ensure we are communicating clearly what it means to hear God. I think there are many, many ways that God’s voice is heard by people, but I’m attempting to make a point for a specific quality and style of hearing from God, so it is important to make a distinction.

“Voices… I hear Voices…”

First, I believe there is a Prevenient Voice of God; this might also be described as the ambient Voice of God. I might illustrate this prevenient or ambient Voice as something always present that draws attention to Creator God. Examples of this Prevenient Voice might be described in beautiful landscapes in nature, a clear view of a night sky, witnessing the birth of a child, an especially moving worship service, and other similar encounters. In this setting and illustration the Presence of God is felt and “heard” through a more sensory experience as opposed to a cognitive discourse. I don’t think the sensory experience is lower quality hearing from the Voice, but there is less cognitive discourse, and therefore our response to hearing the Voice will be different. Nonetheless, the Prevenient Voice of God is very real and almost every human creature hears and responds to this inflection of God’s Voice.

The second style or voice inflection of God is what I would describe as the Didactic Voice of God. The didactic voice is most often heard when reading the Bible, devotional prose, liturgical praise, and singing or recitation of songs, psalms, and hymns. In this voice style of God we hear Spirit-inspired words from God, active and present, audible and coherent, definitive, and instructional. With this voice, we are able to process the Voice with specific “shape, color, texture, and direction,” so our understanding is more defined than the more esoteric experience of God’s prevenient voice.

The next style of voice I call the Koinonia Voice of God. This usually occurs in holy conversations with other believer-followers of Jesus, although it is not strictly restricted to those parameters. Holy conversations and experiencing the koinonia voice can occur anywhere and anytime conversation or communication (words do not always have to be exchanged) occurs between two or more humans. God can, has, and does speak through people willingly and unwillingly. There are numerous examples from Scripture which give example of God speaking through others regardless of whether their heart or mind was close to Him or not. If we wish to hear the koinonia voice, it is an imperative that we are listening for it. Jesus reminds us that He is found in the other often when we least expect it (see Matthew 25:34-45). It is also found as one of the primary mandates from the Rule of Benedict to “listen for the Voice of Christ in the other.”

Let all guests who arrive be received like Christ, for He is going to say, “I came as a guest, and you received Me” (Matt. 25:35). And to all let due honor be shown, especially to the domestics of the faith and to pilgrims. (Chapter 53 RB)

And, one more consideration before moving on… The Bible teaches that every plant, animal, creature and human being is formed by God with human beings created in the very image of God! This fact alone should give us reason for pause. Embedded in everything that exists, living and otherwise, is the thumbprint of DNA of our Creator God. Recognizing this truth is helpful and necessary for us to realize, recognize, and respond to the koinonia Voice of God.

The final Voice I wish to explain and illustrate is what I refer to as the Pneuma-dunamis Voice. This Voice is the indwelling Holy Spirit Voice. This is the voice that Jesus described as the Comforter, Guide, and Teacher. This is the indwelling Presence of God Jesus promised He would send to dwell within us and never leave us (John 14:15-27). While all the “Voices” of God are important, I contend this Voice is the most important of all. It is this voice that is our ultimate Guide and Teacher. This is the voice that helps us the greatest in fulfilling the mandate of “praying without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). This is the voice that can keep us in unbroken conversation and communication with the Triune Godhead. This is the Voice and Person that Jesus prayed we would be in holy, unbroken communion “as One” with the Triune Godhead when He prayed such in the Gospel of John 17:17-23. This Pneuma-dunamis Voice is the same guiding voice that motivated, ministered, and was the master of Jesus while he walked as man among men. This is the Voice that is the Helper who assists us with understanding and discerning the Koinonia, Didactic, and the Prevenient Voices of God.

This Pneuma-dunamis Voice is challenging to explain, but I often refer to it as the audible-inaudible voice…I realize words emanating from my soul and “hear” them in the cognitive places of my mind-intellect, “audible-inaudible.” This Voice, I believe, comes directly from the Holy Spirit (indwelling). I do not confuse this Pneuma-dunamis Voice with or as my conscience; quite the contrary, my conscience will often want to debate guidance, comfort, and teaching from the pneuma-dunamis voice. Therefore, I believe the two voices are distinct and different although I can understand how they might be confused which brings us to the next point of Hearing God …and plugged ears.

Ears that can hear… or not.

Now that we’ve (hopefully) clarified some of the ways we might “hear” the Voice of God, we should discuss a bit about the challenges we face with the act of hearing or plugged ears. I’ll pick up the topic of plugged ears and ears that can hear in my next post.

Hearing God …and plugged ears — (Part Two)