If the middle of a river represents well-being and balance, humans tend to drift either toward the bank of chaos or the bank of control, especially when afraid. Which bank depends largely on personality. (This concept, gleaned from a book called The Whole Brained Child, has helped me greatly in parenting — and in life.)

When a person or group veers toward control it can appear productive. (Believe it or not, some people vacuum when they are stressed). But rigidity, though it may manifest with more subtlety, can be just as damaging as unruliness.

Understanding this can help those of us who veer toward control to loosen our grip (and our judgment) on ourselves and others. 

As we focus on the Charismatic Tradition this month, that picture of being in the middle of the river is helpful — a place where we are balanced, fluid, grace-filled, and easily directed by the Spirit.

In just a few paragraphs, Shane Claiborne and the co-authors of Common Prayer help flesh out this balance in the context of worship. Order and spontaneity both have their place, they contend. The real test is whether love is the fruit.

Chris Hall writes on the Spirit-empowered life, as well, in this excerpt from The Reservoir which came out last week. And Dallas Willard rounds things out by addressing imbalances sometimes present in evangelical and charismatic contexts and pointing us toward life in the Kingdom of God.