Oct 16 2019 I Corinthians 14:13-25

Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind, in order to instruct others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

Paul is going on and on about speaking in tongues. About how while it may be a gift from the Spirit, and may be holy language, no one can understand it. I had always wondered about speaking in tongues. It’s not a big part of my Anglican tradition. But I did have a priest in the Seattle area who could speak in tongues. Once he showed a group of us. It was other-worldly.

More intriguing, I saw a group of people speaking in tongues in Malindi, Kenya. We were working at an orphanage, and one of the young adult leaders was holding a church service. My younger daughter and I were in the room. They were reading the Bible, both in Swahili and English. I helped reading – in English – ha. After some reading time, they started speaking in tongues. There were about 8 of us in the small room, and with all 6 of them were speaking rapidly, at the same time, with a vacant expression, in something that was not Swahili. I must admit it was nearly frightening.

Were it not for my previous experience with someone from my faith tradition doing the same thing, I’m sure I would have been skeptical and it might have seemed comical. That’s unfortunate for me to admit, but true.

Speaking in tongues is not something I imagine I have a charism for, although there is something about it that seems valuable. In both first-hand experiences, the people who were speaking in tongues seemed to give themselves over to something holy. I’m not sure that sense of abandon is in me. And even if it was, I’m not sure I’m in touch with the Holy within me, to let it come out that way.

It seems from Paul’s lengthy coverage of this topic, speaking in tongues was something more frequent and equated with good holiness. He’s warning the people of Corinth that while speaking in tongues may be praying with the Spirit, one needs to pray with the mind – with words – so that anyone else can understand. I value Paul’s counsel, having been in room with 6 others speaking in tongues, and 2 of us looking bewildered.

It does seem like an all or nothing proposition – speaking in tongues. You either fully abandon yourself to the Spirit and let the Spirit speak through you, or you’re in your mind, using your 5 words. I wonder if there’s any middle ground. Is there a state of abandonment where we can turn over to the Spirit and still have our minds engaged? 

This morning, I’m thinking about how to abandon myself and soul to the Holy Spirit, in some way that similar to what happens when people speak in tongues, but not quite. I’m wondering if it is a thing at all, or if it really is like an on-off switch; you either speak in tongues, fully abandoned to the Holy Spirit, or you speak your five words with your head. I’m intrigued by exploring the space between these too, perhaps looking for something more like a dimmer switch.