Day 8: God is Not a Teenage Girl 10/17/04

Ok the title fits for the Small Group lesson mainly. But since that lesson goes with the readings it flows well here also. This is beginning the first purpose which is worship. The main concept behind all of this is that we were created for God to love. I first became familiar with this concept while on campstaff. Camp was highly geared for teaching about God’s love, so it stands to reason that Dr.T would teach this. I think it is interesting that this is when I learned this concept. Even though being on camp staff was tough and I somewhat felt out of place, I never felt like I didn’t have value. This feeling continued on to my time at seminary, and it gave me all that I needed to do well in my worship leadership class. The most surprising thing about this is that in my group project...I wasn’t on the platform but I still felt accomplishment and importance in my role. I came to later find out that my part of the project had been shared with the professor over children’s ministries. She just happened to also know me because of camp. To me this is important because while I do believe that women can be on the platform, it may not be my purpose to be up there often. I discovered and felt God’s love for the background person in that time. Selfworth hasn’t really ever effected me, but worth in the church had. My sister would say things to me that would let me know that she noticed how I had an inner strength of self worth. I’ve learned through being here in the Galveston area that it wasn’t a personal inner strength. It was my reliance on and willingness to love God. And I can bring love/joy/pleasure back to God by doing what he has designed me to do...that is worship! simple!
Psalms 113:3 – perhaps I’m getting some conviction about mornings cause it keeps coming up to me. this verse says to worship from sunrise to sunset. I find myself not so much worshipping with the sunrise but with the moon in full glow. I know the point of this verse it to worship continuously for when the verse was written that is when people were awake. but maybe through this I’ll be better able to offer praise to God in those snooze button rounds.
The Teenage Girl Analogy – this because part of my thinking this morning in small group because it dawned on me that sometimes teen girls will have a baby because they want to have something to love. it was pointed out that they actually do this so that they have someone to love them. while God does have emotions, to me it would limit God to say that he just created us because he didn’t feel loved. he does just ask that we love him with all our heart, soul, and mind but it isn’t because he is feeling some void that has been hurt. That is the conclusion I’ve come to thus far with this.
A challenge I’m going to face next sunday is that we are going to attempt to answer the worship question. IMHO, I think that these are more fellowship questions. They are tougher because that make one be real with others/self. I also think this is what is needed to get over the surface level of intellectual learning. So yes it frightens me greatly, yet I know the importance.
Get To Vs. Have To: Just have to say thanks again to camp for teaching me the importance of the difference of these words. The challenge each Wednesday to not say “have to” was a great reminder of attitude.
The Question To Consider: The common task that I could start doing as if I was doing it for Jesus is going to be to offer at least four Random Acts of Kindness/Encouragement each week. These will be more than just normal life being nice, but where I’ll actually get to make an effort.