Prophetesses then and now
Hildegard of Bingen listened to the Spirit in the twelfth century. Are we listening today?
By Dawn Myers-Moore
We had a Methodist Evangelist/Prophetess visit our Sunday School class this past Sunday morning. I didn't know there was such a person! Though our Mennonite congregation is a bit of a melting pot for all sorts of folks coming from a variety of churches, I hadn't yet run into a Methodist Evangelist/Prophetess. But there she was expounding on our text for the day, which happened to be Acts 13. With a beautiful gentleness she explored the passage, pointing out many ways that the Holy Spirit was at work then and how He is still at work today. It was a refreshing hour. A faith-building hour.
Hildegard of Bingen was just five years old when she begain to see visions. Destined to become an Abbess of a Benedictine Monastery and eventually a saint, Hildegard became a leading voice of the twelfth century, through both preaching and the written word. But, it all came back to the Holy Spirit's leading of her life. She saw visions and dreams. And she followed what she felt God saying to her. Read her story in today's feature: https://www.christianhistoryinstitute.org/it-happened-today/9/17/
Though I sometimes hear a "spirt nudge" in my own life, I don't see visions or have that direct word, like Hidegard apparently did. I think that is why the Methodist Prophetess was so encouraging. She explained that she doesn't hear an audible voice, but rather has a strong sense or a feeling of what God is saying to her. Wow! That was relatable for an average Christian like me. Though I believe God does still speak through the Spirit, and some people are gifted to hear that Spirit more directly, He is active and available for all of us. I want to listen more carefully for the "Spirit Nudges" and do whatever I can to follow as He leads.