Speaking in tongues in church?

[kiltedsheep]

Hello all 👋

Am just wondering whether any of you have had any experience of speaking in tongues, or whether you've witnessed anyone else having that experience. What happened and how did you feel about it?

Personally, I'm not even sure what 'speaking in tongues' means. In Acts 2, the apostles are said to have been filled with the Holy Spirit 'and began to speak in other languages'. But surely nobody's suggesting that people who speak in tongues today are suddenly fluent in a language which they previously didn't know, but in which they can suddenly communicate to other native speakers of that language?

Or is that a total misunderstanding? Grateful for your thoughts!

(Am also interested in similar experiences in non-Christian contexts, too.)

You can't ask us to demonstrate something we are not claiming.

Madhairday claimed god sometimes does things that can seem crazy. But on reading it it appears that they were confronted with a long held prejudice. Not really anything 'crazy'.

I don't think there is anything anyone could say which you would accept so I don't intend to try.

Not at all. I've learnt many new things , I still am!

Headinhands, I'm not sure what you're looking for. I've tried to explain (sorry if badly) how my own view of God was widened from a position where I'd confined how God works, in an attempt to address those who were struggling with the idea that God works today through some distinctly odd looking spiritual gifts. My experience was the opposite in that I found it hard to understand how God worked through what I saw as high/traditional church which I viewed as not very alive. (It was much more nuanced than that and a long time ago but it's the general gist).

I'm not sure if you want stories of miracles after all? For me this discussion was to do with acknowledging the magnitude of God and that we haven't all got God buttoned down- that God will work in ways which surprise us as individuals - so some of us would be surprised at God giving someone the gift of tongues because it doesn't work with our view of God, but then our concepts of God are just that bit more broadened as we accept God is not simply the God of our preconceptions.

I can recount dramatic stories but I always feel somewhat reticent to do so here, because these are real stories of real people who don't deserve to be mocked - and I think they are not to do with this conversation about spiritual gifts any way.

Miracles wouldn't be 'crazy' though would they if you're talking about a god. When you said god sometimes did things that seemed crazy I thought you meant bizarre but you've explained now that you mean your preconceived ideas about a certain denomination were challenged. That's not crazy is it.

I honestly don't feel its all fake. I have only done it once and that was when praying at a friends house. Something just took over me and I felt a powerful feeling of calm. Someone else was able to interpret and it was basically a prayer for various situations. I don't think its rubbish as I have been there and felt kind of amazed afterwards

..and I felt a powerful feeling of calm.

...felt kind of amazed afterwards

Which is all amply explained by psychology, which I say as an ex tongue speaking Christian.

You sound like you're still trying to convince yourself headinhands

I am happy for it to be explained by psychology and inspired by God.

I have seen this and it made me very uncomfortable, sounded weird and frankly felt like mass hysteria. My feeling is that the bible meant other languages, French, Italian etc, or at least the equivalent of those languages in that time.

Yes, me too, pickleme.

Hih - as you can see by CoolCarries post, it does look crazy, hence the word.

I remember my first few meetings. The lady at the top left that used to wail at intervals. The arm dancers in front of me. The dancing steward... happy days.

The freedom that comes from acceptance is very mellowing.

My neighbour went to a meeting where people had teeth turned to gold.
Lots of things about that puzzlement. Why would God turn teeth to gold? Where are all the people with gold teeth now? Why did no one report it to the media? But, if real, that would definitely be God working outside the box to me.

Puzzle me. Duh.

But, if real, that would definitely be God working outside the box to me.

If you were at all familiar with gospel recount of Jesus turning water into wine the gold teeth thing is along the same lines so shouldn't actually be seen as 'outside the box' if you're taking the gospel as, erm, gospel.

You sound like you're still trying to convince yourself headinhands

In what way? Oh you mean in a 'the lady doth protest too much' way? That the only reason I'm denying any supernatural element is because I secretly think there is? Now why would I do that?

Oooh, I had a tooth turned to gold by someone speaking in tongues!

(Actually, it was a gold inlay put in by a dentist in Germany. True story!)

But now I am wondering just what sort of encounter Madonna had?!

Because there's an unsettledness there and you spend a lot of time on the spiritual threads headinhands

Because there's an unsettledness there

Do you have any evidence for this ad hom?

you spend a lot of time on the spiritual threads headinhands

I'm an ex Christian. I'm very interested in understanding the how's and why's of belief.

It's lazy to level this sort of accusation at someone who has a different belief, that they actually believe what you do but are in denial. I expect you to extend the same courtesy to me, that I do to you. I assume you mean what you say.

I don't assume that you post on these threads because you're actually an atheist and when you talk about god it's because you're trying hard to convince yourself of something you don't actually believe.

Sorry you didn't answer my question. why would I pretend to myself that I don't believe something when I actually do?

Do you have any evidence for this ad hom? We had a lot of this accusation on your middle age women in the psychic reading audience thread. You ask for my opinion so I gave it.

I'm an ex Christian. I'm very interested in understanding the how's and why's of belief. Ok. I come on here to share if anyone is interested. I'm not searching for answers.

I expect you to extend the same courtesy to me, that I do to you. I'd say I have. You've been badgering posters with this god in the box business. I made an observation and commented. You didn't like it, I then answered your question which was my opinion that I'm entitled too and you didn't like that either, which is fair enough

why would I pretend to myself that I don't believe something when I actually do? I don't think you are pretending.

had a lot of this accusation on your middle age women in the psychic reading audience thread. You ask for my opinion so I gave it.

Not sure what you mean? Can you explain it another way?

Do you mean I accused you of being unsettled on that thread? Could you copy and paste it?

You've been badgering posters with this god in the box business.

It's not physically possible to badger on a forum where people choose to respond. To badger implies you can't ignore my requests. People can. They choose to respond.

come on here to share if anyone is interested. I'm not searching for answers.

Which proves I'm unsettled how?