Tongues, A Testimony

              TONGUES, A TESTIMONY
JAMES FAIRFIELD
I "spoke in tongues" February, 1964. It's a rather lame
way to put it, I suspect. Nevertheless, this is the accepted
semantics. Much better to say I prayed in tongues, that
first time. And I still do, privately, in my own prayers.
Over the years I had heard much about tongues and
"Holy Ghost baptism." Who hasn't? Glossolalia has been
featured news in the Saturday Evening Post and the staid
National Observer as well as Christian periodicals of every
stripe.
Furthermore, there isn't a church in the country that
hasn't worried and wondered about "this tongues business."
It has become "the burr in the bishop's shirt" ... and too
often for not so good reasons.
Pentecostals have been congratulating themselves about
their notoriety, a little arrogantly, let's admit it. But they
can hardly be blamed. For a long time Pentecostals have
suffered the snorts of equally arrogant dissent. The church
has preferred to bury the charismatic movement with argu-ment
- then unload it somewhere. Anywhere. Under Here-sies,
or Psychological Release, or Delusions, emotional, or ...
Yet Pentecostal-type Protestantism cannot be either un-loaded
or. ignored. Too many genuine Christian converts
in every country arouncl the world provide living testimony
to God's saving activity through Pentecostal-Protestantism.
And something very stimulating is happening elsewhere
in the church, in the mainline denominations. Pastors are
sharing in the charismatic movement. Many respected mem-bers
of their congregations, including businessmen and bank-ers
and teachers and advertising men, now speak in tongues
and say they are spiritually the better for it. Why? What is
actually happening?
Is this burgeoning thing just a fad? Are laymen looking
for a sociological kick the pulpit isn't providing? Is that
all there is to speaking in tongues?
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Or is it the portent of greater spiritual discoveries, and a
greater vitality in spiritual living? Is it the whisper of
revival? I think it is possible. But I also think that tongues
is only a pale beginning ...
Frankly I haven't rushed into the circles of those who
speak in tongues. I don't want this experience to mean
only a change of Christian friends.
I haven't grown another head, or climbed another rung
above the brotherhood. I'm simply a little more useful to
my Lord than I had been before . . . in one way and one
way only.
It hasn't meant a new "experience" with Christ, but only
a deeper awareness of His presence, a fresher knowledge of
His joy and love, and a better and freer communication
with Him. To sum up, for me it has meant a new facility in
prayer and communion, and a greater expression of praise.
When Reformed Church pastor Ed Barham visited Eastern
Mennonite College in February, 1964, he spoke to a number
of interested students, faculty and local residents. He told
us of his personal experience with the Holy Spirit, and the
effect on his ministry. His concept of tongues as a factor
in communication with God seemed to make sense. As Ro-mans
8:26 reads: "The Spirit comes to the aid of our weak-ness.
We do not even know how we ought to pray, but
through our inarticulate groans the Spirit Himself is plead-ing
for us, and God who searches our inmost being knows
what the Spirit means." (New English Bible)
This was scriptural encouragement for me. I had been
praying quietly in tongues in my devotions for about a week
before this. I had been thinking much about the scriptural
references about tongues and had privately come to the con-clusion
that tongues was a privilege for the Christian, a
privilege I could exercise in prayer and worship whenever I
chose. Therefore I simply determined to pray in tongues.
And that was that. I received emotional confirmation
in a deeper sense of the majesty and glory and righteousness
of God. My prayers had a lilt of praise a little richer than
ever before.
As I prayed in tongues, my heart and mind and under-standing
expanded a little more in devotional appreciation
of the greatness of our great God.
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And I laughed, within and without as never before. The
apostle Paul speaks to the Corinthians of being hilarious
givers (II Corinthians 9:7); at least this is a reasonable exe-gesis
of the text. Up until then my imagination had strug-gled
to understand how any form of worship (and giving is
worship) could ever be "hilarious."
Now I know what Paul meant. Although I find it very
difficult to explain why my praise and worship can be hilar-ious,
nevertheless it often is now. Not foolishly, nor blatantly,
but rather, a deeply worshipful joy. Perhaps it is because I
have found an uninhibited way that is holy, with which to
praise a beloved Lord. And I know many Christian men
and women who are filled now with the Holy Spirit (despite
the fact they do not "speak in tongues") who ought to step
over by faith into this greater facility of joyous praise and
communication with our Lord.
I think this is important. Would to God every Christian
man, woman and child would put on all the armor and
equipment there is available for the service of Jesus Christ.
God knows how we struggle along with our own makeshift
dynamics, while the power of the resurrection is ours, for
His glory . . . if we will but open up our lives more to His
Lordship! If only we had more discernment ... and spirit-ually
resilient love . . . and "mind of Christ" wisdom . ..
Yet perhaps our Lord can more readily develop these
strengths in us, if we are in better, more facile communica-tion
with Him? And perhaps this is all there is to "tongues"?
... that it isn't a gimmick or a shibboleth or spiritual green
stamps, but simply an enlarging of the channels of commun-ication?
I think so.
Further, I am convinced that tongues is a symbol of the
greater resources God has for us, rather than - as some
insist - the sole evidence of a "second work of grace," or
"Holy Spirit baptism." To do so places unwarranted stature
upon a very minor spiritual tool.
But - and this is an important " but" - tongues can be
the evidence of unused spiritual resources, mountains of
resources! I am of the opinion that through the charismatic
movement God is notifying His people there is a reserve of
vitality and ingenuity and expression and understanding
that makes Fort Knox look like a piggy bank.
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One . of my seminary professors who is considerably dis-turbed
about tongues (he sees the dangers all too clearly),
made an astute observation. "Instead of seeking tongues,"
he warned, "we should be seeking - and finding - the gift
of discernment."
Do you know it, he's right! At least partly. I would like
to change his phrasing a little ... from "instead of'' to "as
well as seeking tongues we should be seeking - and finding
- discernment and wisdom and prophetic preaching and
teaching and writing and witnessing and ... "
Tongues can mean new vistas of service and maturing
healthier Christians ... if we move on. But as so often hap-:
pens in a revival, people .stop in kindergarten, and it could
happen with tongues, if too much emphasis-energy is drained
off getting people to seek "tongues" and "baptism" at the
expense of other spiritual equipment.
How much better it would be if we did go on and clothe
ourselves with the whole armor of God . . . and how much
more . could he accomplished! May I state a "for instance"?
As Mennonites, we have a doctrinal understanding of
peacemaking. We say a Christian can heal human situations
through love. We say Christ is revealed by love, by non-resistant,
red(;!eming, active love. Yet a doctrine needs more
than words to find it.s expression. It takes Spirit-filled power
to turn the other cheek and love an enemy. We cannot
genuinely express this sort of love except it be shed abroad
in our hearts by . the Holy Spirit.
As Christians, yes and as Mennonites, we need an "experi-ence"
in our lives to equip us with this quality of love.
Soon we may be called upon to prove we can turn our cheek
even to bombs and bullets. We'll not do so with just our
doctrinal statement on non-resistance.
And we need Spirit-filled help with our Christian witness.
We are being called upon now to explode our witness to
match the exploding population. We need to be endowed
with God's power. We need to be open to His gifting, in
every way possible. Even tongues.
I want to testify to spiritually alert Christians that tongues
can help them. But I don't want to sidetrack an effective,
Spirit-filled Christian by insisting he really hasn't got it,
until he has got "it."
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Far better to plead and pray for the kind of hungry dis-cipleship
which will fill up with all the fullness of God. Far
better to call Christians to full-fledged usefulness to the Holy
Spirit. . . anointed preaching and teaching .and everyday
living.
And this seems to be coming. There is a renewed interest
in the Holy Spirit, and a larger understanding of His min-istry.
And even more, there is infilling with vital life. Men
convinced of being lived in by the Spirit and committed to
move as He moves them. This is what the rustling in the
dry leaves seems to be about, both within Pentecostal ranks
and without. That mystery the prophets longed to see -
"that sacred mystery which up till now has been hidden ...
but which is now as clear as daylight to those who love God
... a vision of the full wonder and splendor of His secret
plan for the sons of men. And the secret is simply this:
Christ in you! Yes, Christ in you bringing with Him the
hope of all the glorious things to come." (Colossians 1:26,
28; Phillips)
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