@public hermit I was thinking this morning about the difference between Christian Mysticism and Charismatic/Pentecostalism in relationship to the divine presence.
Whereas the goal of Christian Mysticism is to find and dwell in the divine presence, in Charismatic/Pentecostalism it is a benefit, but not the goal. Correct me if I am wrong on the Mysticism part.
The goal in Charismatic/Pentecostalism is to operate in the power of spiritual gifts. So the focus is on helping others with physical healing, deliverance from demonic strongholds, edification through prophetic encouragement, and so on.
So, I can't really consider myself a part of Christian Mysticism solely on the basis that I enjoy the divine presence. Though I am free to practice. And I suppose at some point a person could claim both.
This begs a question, I suppose. Do some/many who practice Christian Mysticism experience prophetic events? Dreams, visions, insights, messages, encounters, and the like. I seem to remember seeing portions from the writing of Teresa of Avila that were a bit extreme.
There have been Christian mystics who have had extraordinary experiences. There are some that have been very extreme, a number of the beguines come to mind.
There has also been a thread that cautions against taking them to heart. St. John of the Cross, for instance, strongly suggests ignoring any visions, insights , appearance, etc., because they can be misleading and turn one's focus from God. Or, he says, they can be fraudulent and produced by Satan. So he says that if it is from God, the benefit of the vision or whatever will be implanted in the soul by God so that it can be forgotten and one can keep their focus on God. Only God has access to the contemplative's soul, he thinks, so if it is good its benefit will be so implanted; therefore, let the memory of it pass and trust God.
I would caution against thinking of the goal of contemplation being the enjoyment of the divine presence, at least in this life. But I think you're right that finding/abiding in the divine presence is the goal. Perhaps union would be a better way of putting it? Again with St. John of the Cross, who is well-known for his phrase "dark night of the soul." Many Christian contemplatives speak of a season of dryness where God removes all forms of consolation so that the soul becomes wholly dependant on God alone instead of depending on the benefits that often come with leading a contemplative life. So perhaps union is a better notion of the goal, but even that is limited in this life. I think it was Thomas Merton who said that as a contemplative, each day he starts over as a beginner.
The question about serving others is important because this has been a recurring issue usually framed as a debate regarding the relationship between the contemplative life focused on God and the active life of serving others. There are some who are extreme like St. Isaac of Syria who says the solitary who has devoted their life to contemplation is absolved from the command to love and serve others.
I just read that the other day and was astounded, to say the least.
I prefer Meister Eckhart who is clear that the practice of contemplation is for the sake of service. He comes right out and says 1) once your period of contemplative prayer is over get to work and 2) if your neighbor needs your help and you are engaged in contemplation, stop and help them.
I think the fact that contemplation is partly aimed at negating the ego/false self (some are extreme in this area imo), and that it is intended to diminish selfishness works toward enabling one to better serve others. Even in my own practice, I have noticed when working and serving others my focus is such that I am not overly concerned with mental traffic about myself in that moment. I can be much more present, even in the simple act of listening to what the other person is saying.
It's interesting that spiritual gifts are primarily intended to serve others and any enjoyment is a side benefit and not the goal. I had never considered that, but it makes sense.