A woman approached her pastor...
Illustration
A woman approached her pastor and asked him if he'd ever spoken in tongues. When he replied that he had not, she asked him if he would like to. He shrugged. She said, "It seems to me a person of the cloth, of all people, would desire the higher gifts. I have experienced tongues and think you ought to have them too."
The pastor said, "I have no argument with those who speak in tongues. But for my part, I want to spend my energy first trying to understand what each member of this parish is trying to say to me in language that is intended to be intelligible. Once I've satisfied myself I've gone that far, I may go the next step and seek the step you speak of. You see, I have difficulty dealing with what I can understand already."
The woman allowed as how he had a point. She didn't bring it up to him again. Instead, he noticed, over several months she backed away from her fascination with tongues and began to involve herself with crying social needs in the church and the neighborhood.
The pastor said, "I have no argument with those who speak in tongues. But for my part, I want to spend my energy first trying to understand what each member of this parish is trying to say to me in language that is intended to be intelligible. Once I've satisfied myself I've gone that far, I may go the next step and seek the step you speak of. You see, I have difficulty dealing with what I can understand already."
The woman allowed as how he had a point. She didn't bring it up to him again. Instead, he noticed, over several months she backed away from her fascination with tongues and began to involve herself with crying social needs in the church and the neighborhood.
