Charismatic Clarity: C.S. Lewis and Intimacy with God

I recently dashed off a post, in response to a particularly acerbic and unpleasant Doctrinal Basis, which I strangely titled 'Charismatic Clarity'. I hinted that, despite my usual inability to concentrate on a blog series, that I might have a bit more to say on this topic. I love being a Charismatic, though often being that type of Christian leads me to face-palming, frustration, and sadness. Often at excess, and often at the negative affects of a misapplication of biblical Charismatic Christianity to people - both in and outside what we call 'the Church'.

C. S. Lewis is a name known to many, both sheep and ghosts, Christians and non-Christians, and beloved particularly of one of the tribes I align with, 'evangelicals'. Whilst not technically and evangelical himself, Lewis is a wonderful demonstrator and apologist of what he called a 'Mere Christianity', a notion that provided the title for one of his best known books. The relevant thought he contributes here is an echo of the Vineyard value for 'authenticity', and the great evangelical value of reverence and proximity, in partnership with one of the most understood elements of Charismatic Christianity: intimacy.

I've been reading and writing a lot about prayer over the past year or so - partly in preparation for a book - and one of the hidden gems I came across was Lewis's "Letters to Malcolm, Chiefly on Prayer", a slim book that pretty much does what it says on the tin.

The second letter looks at the difference between using set prayers and prayers that we have ourselves made up - something that doesn't echo any Charismatic issue, but is interesting in itself, and closes with a fascinating muse from Lewis;

“A few formal, ready-made, prayers serve me as a corrective of - well, let’s call it “cheek.” They keep one side of the paradox alive. Of course it is only one side. It would be better not to be reverent at all than to have a reverence which denied the proximity” 

For me, this absolutely nails what it means to have intimacy with God. Because of the nature of God - and in prayer this links to the Trinity as Jim Packer helps us observe - we can be close to him, brought into his family by Jesus. And at the same time God remains the King of Kings, deserving of glory, honour and reverent praise. It is in the tension between reverence and proximity that true intimacy with God lies. To ignore either the holiness of God or the presence of God is nonsensical, we need to be both/and people. Lewis rightly observes that 'it would be better not to be reverent at all than to have a reverence which denied the proximity". That is why I am a Charismatic, and also why I firmly believe in statements of faith, the power and authority of Scripture, and the need for both Doctrine and passionate, whole-person worship. 

As I come to close this brief post, please hear me - I am not trying to co-opt Lewis into the Charismatic fold. I am instead suggesting that we can learn from him about what we should be trying to do - draw reverently near to God. And it is precisely the fact that he allows us to have proximity to him that should lead us to be reverent. The Cross of Jesus Christ brings us into forgiven, restored, relationship with the Triune God, and the glorious Resurrection promises, foreshadows and guarantees the joyful eternity of reverent praise we will have in the presence of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Phew. Thanks, Clive!