When I was a little kid, my mom would say the strangest thing to me when I got scared. She would tell me, “Plead the blood of Jesus.”
I had no idea what that meant and, to be honest, it sounded really gross. So, even though my mother insisted that saying those words would calm my fears, I never tried it. I wanted nothing to do with blood. At all.
As I have matured into adulthood, as well as in my faith, I have come to understand the significance of some of the things I’ve heard other Christians say (including my mother’s pet saying).
But I have also come to know just how weird we really sound.
And that’s actually always been the case. One of the reasons the first Christians were persecuted was because people thought they were cannibals. I mean, every time they met, they were eating someone’s body and drinking that person’s blood. Sounds crazy, right?
What I find interesting though, is that it is okay to sound weird in church as long as you use the terms and phrases that have been deemed acceptable. We can only speak the secret, approved code. If I go off script and start talking about other “woo-woo” things, then … “Houston, we have a problem!”
What do I mean by that?
Well … it is okay to plead the blood of Jesus and eat the body of Christ, but if I ground down into the earth and inhale new energy and vitality into my being, then we have arrived to the land of “Not Okay.”
If I calm my thoughts and extend my senses to connect with the people around me, then I have become a full-fledged resident of Woo-woo-ville.
If I sense the presence of dark energy and call on the light of Christ to bring healing and deliverance, then I have officially become the Mayor of this vast and off-kilter land.
It is simply fascinating as to what “woo-woo” things are deemed acceptable and which ones are not.
I’m not pushing for us to adopt New Age concepts that deify the earth or some such nonsense.
The path that I am seeking to navigate involves the mystical side of our faith. The side that is literally supernatural—beyond the natural, moving into the spiritual.
Christianity may appear to be at odds with science, but the reality is that as the world has become strict adherents to the observable, measurable, testable, and reproducible, so have many Christians. We have become literalists. We have developed a phobia of anything not verified by our eyes and not contained within the four walls of each page in the Bible.
In the process of becoming this way, I believe we have lost a huge aspect of being connected to Christ. We have blinded ourselves to the spiritual realm and reality of life. We have limited our ability to experience God and His creation.
As I have chosen to venture beyond the confines of a “safely prescribed faith,” I have learned that this journey takes some serious discernment. I am not naïve as to the dangers that lurk when you go beyond the physical self. That is why I believe the Apostle John so strongly emphasized that we “test the spirits” (1 John 4:1).
- I am not so afraid that I limit the freedom granted to me in Christ.
- I am not so afraid that I doubt the inherent protection I have in the Holy Spirit.
- I am not so afraid that I lay down the weapons that Paul so beautifully described in Ephesians 6.
He was serious when he said that we do not battle against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces.
Now, this article is too short a space to dive very deep into this topic, so my goal is simply to encourage you to consider the mystical side of your faith; to let things get a little “woo-woo.”
God is spirit. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts; His ways are higher than our ways. He acts in mysterious ways. We all know these things, but do we really know these things? Have you experienced these things? Have you inexplicably encountered God? Have you felt His presence—really and truly felt it? Have you considered His vibration, His energy, His emotion? I’m not just talking about crazy Bible stories that happened in the desert thousands of years ago. I’m talking about today, with you, in this time and place.
Let yourself get a little “woo-woo.”
- Use discernment—don’t be a pendulum and swing into strange and ungodly places.
- Take advantage of the freedom that comes with your faith.
- Reach beyond your physical senses, accessing your spiritual senses, and truly experience God.
Even if it makes you sound stranger than you already sound. Even if it raises a few eyebrows. Maybe even because it will.
About Jennifer Miller
Jennifer Miller, MAR, MA, LPC is a Christian pastor, professional counselor, and author of No Longer Two: A Guide to How God Created Men, Women, and Marriage. For over a decade, she has been combining her expertise in psychology and theology to help individuals, couples, and families both in private practice and in ministry, as well as through her writing, speaking, and teaching.
She is the co-founder and Co-Executive Director of The Center for Living Well, a nonprofit Christ-centered wellness ministry dedicated to helping people live well and love God. She regularly leads classes, workshops, and retreats on a wide range of topics including faith and relationships. She is also a Master-level Christ-Centered Yoga Leader at the Center.
Jennifer is one of the new co-hosts on Heart and Soul with Jory Fisher. You can listen to her with Jory the second and third shows of the month.
Learn more about retreats at www.centerforlivingwell.org. Learn more about her book at www.nolonger2.com.
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