Maybe it was the recent Romans class I led, with its close examination of chapters 9-11.

Perhaps it was the growing influence of John Piper on evangelicalism.

It could be a nostalgic reconnection with the first church I ever attended as a new follower of Jesus, some thirty years ago now.

Or even the Time-magazine-inspired realization of what robust theology is winning the hearts and minds of young people around the country.

But probably it is my growing understanding of the sovereignty of God over the affairs of men.

In any event, I believe that I'm being moved to embrace a Calvinist understanding of Christian theology, biblical anthropology, and cosmic soteriology.

In other words, I'm coming to believe that people really are totally depraved, that we receive unconditional election either to salvation or damnation, that Jesus offers a limited atonement for the elect, that his grace is irresistible, and that I will be one of those who will enjoy the perseverance of the saints.

I'll probably need to some theological re-training so I can de-program my mind from its Asbury Seminary indoctrination. It may require some trips to Philadelphia or simply a good school right here in Charlotte.

I'm not sure what this will mean for my future in the United Methodist Church -- or if I even have one.

What a long, strange trip it's been. Talbot Davis. Calvinist.

April Fools.

As you can tell from the message last Sunday as well as this week's posts, I have wanted to devote considerable time and energy to the subject of praying in tongues.

So for today I want to share some concluding reflections on the subject:

• The best resource on the topic is Craig Keener's Gift And Giver: The Holy Spirit For Today. This volume has a blend of autobiography and scholarship that makes for a compelling read.
• A second resource is Jack Hayford's The Beauty Of Spiritual Language. Hayford is a pastor, songwriter, and author from California whose approach to ministry and spirituality has influenced me greatly through the years. In addition to leading the Church On The Way in Van Nuys, California to an unprecendented season of growth, he also wrote the early contemporary Christian standard, Majesty -- #176 in your Methodist hymnal!
• Great biblical passages on the subject include Acts 2, Acts 10, Acts 19:1-7, and I Corinthians 12-14. Note that the I Corinthian section has the "love" chapter -- #13 -- sandwiched in the middle of the discussions of spiritual gifts. That serves as a reminder that spiritual gifts -- especially the gift of tongues -- need to be used in a context of love, not superiority.
• I believe that God wants to give the gift of tongues to many people who do not realize it or accept it.
• Having said that, Scripture is also clear that the gift is not for everyone (I Corinthians 12:27-31).
• Part of the miracle of tongues includes the ability to hear and understand when someone else is praying in tongues. We see that reality in Acts 2. I have limited experience in that particular expression of the gift, and much more in the private prayer language to which I Corinthians 14:4 refers.
• A generation ago, the issue of praying in tongues was extremely divisive in churches. Much has changed -- and for the better. Good Shepherd is one of many, many churches today in which tongues is a unifier, not a divider -- even if there are many in the church who don't have this particular gift. We are blessed to be part of what some call the "Third Wave" of churches -- congregations that have expressive worship, enthusiastic praise, and allow room for the gifts to operate while not requiring them as a sign of spiritual maturity.

"For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit." I Corinthians 14:2

"For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful." I Corinthians 14:14


Aren't those words odd? That there is a way of praying in which your mind is not fully operational?

Welcome to praying in tongues.

This is the heart of the appeal that tongues has for me -- an opportunity for my spirit to communicate with God's spirit in ways that transcend my mind. That probably sounds like a strange approach to prayer.

And it is.

But it's Biblical.

I am so glad that I pray for people, situations, and events that are beyond my own understanding. And I am equally glad that all around the world people are praying in the Spirit -- and they are praying for me and for us. I count tongues as a rare privilege to approach the throne of the One who himself is above and beyond the best that I can think.

That's spirit to spirit communication.

Without limit.

As I posted here, I had to travel to Austin, Texas last week to help with the memorial service for my 32 year old nephew, Christopher Davis, who died after being struck by a car while riding his bicycle.

In the middle of a lot of sad, poignant moments, one stuck with me. Just hours before he died, Christopher told his first cousin (my niece who is about Christopher's age) that when the time came for him to get married, he would want me as his uncle and a pastor to perform the ceremony. And then four days later, there I was doing his funeral.

So I re-told that anecdote in my eulogy and summarized it by saying, "that sucks." Not language I'd usually use on a Sunday morning, but it certainly fit the mood as well as the gathering. It gave expression to the feeling of we-shouldn't-be-here-doing-this that so many of us had.

The memorial service didn't try to answer the question of why chaotic things happen in life. Yet in acknowledging pain and loss, I believe the service opened the door for Jesus' words to become real in the lives of those gathered there in Austin: blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

I think the best thing about our trip to Russia was seeing the building that didn't get built.

Yeah, the building that didn't get built.

On our last day there, my daughter Taylor and I saw the sights of Moscow. The most memorable was the Cathedral of Christ Our Savior, which is not too far from Red Square in the heart of the city.

The original Cathedral had been blown up and torn down by the Soviets under Stalin in 1931. Their plan was to replace the Cathedral with a "Palace Of The Soviets" -- an enormous building dedicated to the Communist way of life. And a central piece of the "Communist way of life" is atheism.

The Soviets designed a building taller than the Empire State Building, topped by an ominous statue of Vladimir Lenin. You can see architectural renderings in this article. It's the closest things to a modern-day Tower Of Babel I've ever seen.

And it never got built.

The resources ran short, the money ran dry, and time ran out. By the time the Soviet Union collapsed in the early 90s, all they had on the site was a swimming pool. No soaring skyscraper, no ode to Communist living, no statue of Lenin.

But it gets better. When Communism fell, the new Russian leaders and people decided to rebuild the Cathedral that the Stalinists had torn down. So they did. And it's gorgeous. Again, you can read all about it in the article I reference above. Our Moscow travel guide described the new Cathedral as a testimony to "the victory of Christianity over Communism." While the reality is not quite that clear cut in Russia, the line sure hints at the truth.

The building that didn't get built. And the one that did. God is good.