Our Bible-study teacher often started the class by asking “What jumped out at you in this chapter ?” There were always some folks in the class who had read and meditated on the chapter, and had “heard” a word there from the Spirit that they were eager to talk about.
The hour of discussion that followed usually gave us insights, questions, and challenges enough to ponder all week. I appreciated the teacher’s wisdom in opening the class that way: it encouraged us to hear the Spirit speaking in scripture, and fed our spirits all week.
Not every student heard exactly the same word, of course: God doesn’t make robots. There were even times people heard seemingly-contrary things in scripture. Those times, it seemed folks in the class were able to practice spiritual discernment…another opportunity for us to hear the Spirit…and sort out differences, so they weren’t problems.
But usually our “differences” were like the blind men describing an elephant: our limited perceptual abilities “touching” the totality of God’s Wisdom at the different places we could individually reach. When we realized that, I think it renewed, and increased, our awareness of God’s active UNITY, in His Spirit and His Logos.
It was amazingly frequent, too, that God confirmed something we’d been discussing in Bible-study, in the pastor’s sermon. He didn’t sit in on our Bible-study, and had prepared his sermon some days previous; but it often turned out the pastor spoke on the same topic we’d talked about in Bible study that morning: sometimes exactly the same scripture: or a related topic that tied-in, or gave nuance, to what we’s discussed in Bible-study.
When that happened, it was exciting, and impossible to miss that God was actively guiding us. It felt like His verification that we were hearing Him aright in our studying the Bible, and the pastor in preparing his sermon. It gave us a powerful sense of God’s approval, that the church-body was walking in His Way.
Church leadership decided a few months ago to start on a year-long study-program of the Bible’s major teachings. Among other things, the program co-ordinates the topics for Bible-study classes and the pastor’s sermon each week.
Praying about it later, I was hearing that the program was not the way to go, and twice asked the pastor and a couple church-leaders to pray about it again. My understanding of I Corinthians 14:29 is that private words from the Spirit should be submitted to the judgement of others who hear Him, and these brothers do. They affirmed the program, however; so I have to think the word I heard was personal direction for me.
My wife said I’d still be able to hear the Spirit in the new Bible-study, as I do in the pastor’s “co-ordinated” sermons; and she’s right. Anyone who’s listening for the Spirit will hear Him, in whatever way or place He chooses to speak.
My wife’s argument is tempting, and I greatly miss being in the Bible-study. Miss most of all the sense of God’s immediacy and approval when He verifies the word we hear by His “co-ordination.” If I was the least bit uncertain of the word I was given…that it’s not the right thing, at least for me…I’d act on her argument.
But I’ve spent years practicing to discern the Spirit’s voice: practicing, most of all, to distinguish His voice from the voice of self-will we all have to deal with. I’ve learned that when I get it wrong (a normal part of any learning-process), He’s gracious to give me credit for asking, and for doing what I thought I heard from Him. Learned too that if I continue listening to Him, He’ll correct me in anything I get wrong.
So I don’t doubt the new program is “good,” or that the Spirit will work through it. I also don’t doubt His word of personal direction, that it’s not the way I should go.
It’s an uncomfortable place to be, for the moment: I miss Bible-study. But it's the place God wants me to be, for the moment. I’m eager to see what He has for me next.
