I came up charismatic. No doubt about it. My early twenties were filled with visions, dreams, healings and beautiful experiences of God in sung worship. I stayed home on weekends and up at nights listening to Jason Upton records and weeping on the floor for ‘more of God’. It was a special time and I look back on it with such a sweetness.
I'm in tears. I have been on a very similar path, Strahan. Everything that you said is what the Lord has been teaching me and leading me through for the past two or three years. I have grown so much and come to know Him ever more sweetly and intimately through seasons of change. I thank Jesus for your life, brother! Blessings to you
My soul is feeling so seen after reading your articulation of this process! Yes! Yes! Yes! My friends in different streams have been critical and insistent, “if you…” Maybe instead we could see the streams to help us flow where God has us, to trust God more. Grow all our muscles Lord! And let us be people who sit and listen as we watch for Him together through ever bend, valley and mountain top! Thank you for your wise words.
In order that we may have more of God, and not simply love him for the things God gives us, he comes to lovingly and gracefully withhold them for a season before giving them back to us renewed. - Strahan
Experiencing such a similar thing now and this is all such an encouragement. Thank you!
I recently discovered your music and the lyrics have stopped me in my tracks. I searched online and found the Commoners Communion. Tears kept streaming thru my eyes as I read your words. The last decade of my life, it feels like I’ve been on this journey, you described. God is so good to tenderly grow us into Christlike maturity. He doesn’t give up on us, even when others might or we might ourselves. His love is a fierce force that doesn’t let go.
I am grateful for your sharing of your experience. I have recently been called back to God in what is commonly known as the Christian faith, but I found myself not seeing what other Christians are claiming. Our own journey to God is so personal and the walk with Christ cannot be defined by comparison to others in the faith. This is what I am learning, how to trust in what God is doing in my life. I am finding it helpful to read how other Christians are experiencing their faith in the purest sense. I appreciate that in such a dogmatic religion, there are places only God can take you. God bless your heart ~
Thank you so so much for your perspective. Growing up in the charismatic faith but feeling the shame of feeling pulled away from that into something that I can only describe as deeper, also comes with a loneliness that is very hard to articulate to my peers. Being a young adult in this setting but also wanting to ask the questions while everyone else is seemingly discovering it can be isolating. With that, thank you. Your words hold so much weight
Great read!! The three stages almost remind me of the first year of a marriage. Honeymoon, working out expectations and differences, then union. Which makes sense since God designed marriage with Him and with each other so intentionally. I feel relief reading this as I go through a season of purgation. I have felt nudges of God saying “I love you” even though I don’t feel His presence as strongly or at all some days like I used to. It truly has deepened my faith and has made me slow down and get quieter. I absolutely love it. Thank you Jesus.
Yes, I absolutely identify with your experiences. I also deal with chronic illness, coming from charismatic/ Pentecostal background and He has/is forever faithful in leading me, guiding me deeper into Himself, abiding in His love and Presence. I love reading about the ancients, and those who have truly known and been with Him. We will forever be discovering His beauty and awesomeness. Thank you for sharing your story. Blessings in your journey. 💞
"The problem is, if we stay there too long we can begin to assume that God is a good feeling, a miraculous moment, or that he’s there to make us happy, not mature. So he sweeps in to save us from the shallows of such immaturity. After the romance of first love comes the reality of learning to live the Christ Way."
You have expressed this truth so perfectly here Strahan - thankyou for bringing clarity to things I think but often struggle to articulate. I 'stumbled' across your music on Spotify, which led me to your podcast and site and have been thoroughly blessed by your humility, honesty and gift of expressing God's truths. Bless you brother!
Have you read the Cloud of Unknowing?? It’s a great text and speaks to what you’re saying here. Also can you share books you’ve read about early mysticism? Reading Revelations of Divine Love and Cloud of Unknowing in an Anglo Saxon lit class in college got me wanting to delve deeper into what my church fathers and mothers thought :)
This is so beautifully, raw and authentically written. Connects to me in a very special way with where I am at in life now. Thank you for writing this.
Wow, what a gift. I am entering what I feel is a dry season, where I feel led away from a job I love, and I was reminded of the intensity of God’s love for me despite a lack of good feelings or even a sense of His Presence. Choosing to trust in His goodness over all else has changed everything. Thank you for this!!
I'm in tears. I have been on a very similar path, Strahan. Everything that you said is what the Lord has been teaching me and leading me through for the past two or three years. I have grown so much and come to know Him ever more sweetly and intimately through seasons of change. I thank Jesus for your life, brother! Blessings to you
My soul is feeling so seen after reading your articulation of this process! Yes! Yes! Yes! My friends in different streams have been critical and insistent, “if you…” Maybe instead we could see the streams to help us flow where God has us, to trust God more. Grow all our muscles Lord! And let us be people who sit and listen as we watch for Him together through ever bend, valley and mountain top! Thank you for your wise words.
In order that we may have more of God, and not simply love him for the things God gives us, he comes to lovingly and gracefully withhold them for a season before giving them back to us renewed. - Strahan
Experiencing such a similar thing now and this is all such an encouragement. Thank you!
I recently discovered your music and the lyrics have stopped me in my tracks. I searched online and found the Commoners Communion. Tears kept streaming thru my eyes as I read your words. The last decade of my life, it feels like I’ve been on this journey, you described. God is so good to tenderly grow us into Christlike maturity. He doesn’t give up on us, even when others might or we might ourselves. His love is a fierce force that doesn’t let go.
Thank you for taking the time to pen it down.
I am grateful for your sharing of your experience. I have recently been called back to God in what is commonly known as the Christian faith, but I found myself not seeing what other Christians are claiming. Our own journey to God is so personal and the walk with Christ cannot be defined by comparison to others in the faith. This is what I am learning, how to trust in what God is doing in my life. I am finding it helpful to read how other Christians are experiencing their faith in the purest sense. I appreciate that in such a dogmatic religion, there are places only God can take you. God bless your heart ~
Thank you so so much for your perspective. Growing up in the charismatic faith but feeling the shame of feeling pulled away from that into something that I can only describe as deeper, also comes with a loneliness that is very hard to articulate to my peers. Being a young adult in this setting but also wanting to ask the questions while everyone else is seemingly discovering it can be isolating. With that, thank you. Your words hold so much weight
Great read!! The three stages almost remind me of the first year of a marriage. Honeymoon, working out expectations and differences, then union. Which makes sense since God designed marriage with Him and with each other so intentionally. I feel relief reading this as I go through a season of purgation. I have felt nudges of God saying “I love you” even though I don’t feel His presence as strongly or at all some days like I used to. It truly has deepened my faith and has made me slow down and get quieter. I absolutely love it. Thank you Jesus.
So powerful, thank you for sharing.
Thank you for sharing these words Strahan. There's something about the mystery of a dusty Pilgrim path that holds its own kind of spiritual aliveness.
Yes, I absolutely identify with your experiences. I also deal with chronic illness, coming from charismatic/ Pentecostal background and He has/is forever faithful in leading me, guiding me deeper into Himself, abiding in His love and Presence. I love reading about the ancients, and those who have truly known and been with Him. We will forever be discovering His beauty and awesomeness. Thank you for sharing your story. Blessings in your journey. 💞
"The problem is, if we stay there too long we can begin to assume that God is a good feeling, a miraculous moment, or that he’s there to make us happy, not mature. So he sweeps in to save us from the shallows of such immaturity. After the romance of first love comes the reality of learning to live the Christ Way."
You have expressed this truth so perfectly here Strahan - thankyou for bringing clarity to things I think but often struggle to articulate. I 'stumbled' across your music on Spotify, which led me to your podcast and site and have been thoroughly blessed by your humility, honesty and gift of expressing God's truths. Bless you brother!
I love this post! I would like to quote it in a book I'm writing. Could I use your real name? What is it? More about the book is here: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=532734611640255&set=pb.100047111621594.-2207520000..&type=3
Have you read the Cloud of Unknowing?? It’s a great text and speaks to what you’re saying here. Also can you share books you’ve read about early mysticism? Reading Revelations of Divine Love and Cloud of Unknowing in an Anglo Saxon lit class in college got me wanting to delve deeper into what my church fathers and mothers thought :)
So beautifully put❣️A true understanding !
This is so beautifully, raw and authentically written. Connects to me in a very special way with where I am at in life now. Thank you for writing this.
Wow, what a gift. I am entering what I feel is a dry season, where I feel led away from a job I love, and I was reminded of the intensity of God’s love for me despite a lack of good feelings or even a sense of His Presence. Choosing to trust in His goodness over all else has changed everything. Thank you for this!!