One of the most amazing things about prophets is that it is in every pore of their being. It is something that those around them don't always understand, and they themselves want to switch off.
Jeremiah is told that God knew him before his was formed in the womb. That little window is very powerful to get a glimpse into a number of prophet realities:
- The prophet is formed in intimacy and thrives there,
- The prophet begins to dry up when the community times are great in friendship, word and even good hymn singing but lack divine intimacy,
- They simply cannot live without eternal intimacy,
- Their whole DNA is wired to this end - the way they eat, sleep, think, see and feel even the way they relate to people, generally they are not able to cope with compromise or mediocrity - anything that reflects God poorly,
- Their gift does not switch off as it is the central essence of their existence - they can do no other,
- This level of intimacy knows the heart of the Father in a very deep and honest way - that is why they get into trouble sometimes because they speak the Father's heart [it may be in a very clumsy awkward even accusatory way] and it is rarely well received,
- They grieve consistently because they can feel the Father's heart for the well being of the church...
I hope this conversation helps...
Also one thing people who walk strongly in other giftings do not understand is that prophets do not merely get the "message" (word) from God, there is also VERY often an emotion attached as well -- the heart of God. Prophets often intend to make "mild-mannerered" statements of what they have heard from God, and instead it comes out with a boom and a roar of emotion. Prophets don't just hear a message, they are immersed in feelings and emotions of a message as well. (Heschel calls it "pathos" -- he is a great one to read if you want to understand the prophetic experience. In PROPHETS I & II: the Introduction, and first chapter, "What Manner of Man is the Prophet" in volume I, and "The Theology of Pathos", "The Philosophy of Pathos", and "Anthropopathy" are WELL worth reading. There are quotes like :
ReplyDelete"God's unconditional concern for justice is not an anthropomorphism. Rather man's concern for justice is a theomorphism." (Prophets II pgs. 51-52; "The source of evil is not in passion, in the throbbing heart, but rather in hardness of heart, in callousness and insensitivity." (Prophets II pg.38) "Having an idea of a friendship is not the same as having a friend or living with a friend, and the story of a friendship cannot be fully told by what one frind thinks of the being and attributes of the otehr friend. ... An idea or theory of God can easily become a substitute for God, impressive to the mind when God as a living reality is absent from the soul." (Prophets II pg. 1)
Thanks Chris. It's helped me a lot. I'm thought too intense and that I take things too seriously.. it's uncomfortable and I've tried to change without success. Much of the time I haven't understood why I feel the way I do, compared to others. I don't talk about the heart felt grief I feel for the Church, the lost etc because it puts pressure on people and I feel alienated. I would LOVE to chat with someone who feels the same.. a school of Prophets?? Much love, Pat Kilmartin
ReplyDeleteThank you again,
ReplyDeleteYou have no idea, where i have been or what i have been seeing and goin thru, alot of times i find myself, drifting away from everyone, i hate the spirit of religion, it is a deceptive killer that smiles in your face, while sucking your life out of you. Yea i know thats pretty detailed, but its how i feel about it. it is an awesome thing to know, i really am Normal for a prophet, wow, i almost didnt even wanna type the word. :)