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God Talk

I am a firm believer that God uses whatever He deems necessary to help us grow. Have you ever noticed today's Christians dependence on the bible and other church programs for growth? But if you look in the bible, none of those guys had the bible to grow with, they were forced to keep hearts and mind open to hearing God however He spoke into there lives. Yes, I know they had the old testament, but very few had written copies and the fact that women were completely illiterate and rarely tough didn't keep God from using them. Sometimes I wonder if we are a little too dependent on showing up to a nice, air conditioned building, sitting in our cushy chairs and listening to a guy who has boiled down all the biblical knowledge he decided we need to know into a nice, neat 3 point outline or fill in the blank workbook.

I don't go to church. Not here in Jersey. Sure, we could "church shop" until we found a "fit" but I hate that consumerism to the point I just can't bring myself to do it. Eliana and Addilyn go to AWANA at a baptist church that also has a school we may send Elie to next year. We get a discount if we are church members, my husband, slightly tongue in cheek, said he would rather pay more. I agree. Anyway, I can't be a baptist, I just made my first jello salad ever yesterday.

So we seek connection in other places. I talk to people at karate, the park and through school. Matt has coworkers he is befriending. The connections are not "christian's", at least not all of them. But they are organic, community based. I learn from the people in my life, though they may never went to bible college and don't have the paper that says God talks to them in special ways and that I should sit at there feet and listen. These people come into our home, play with our children, eat our food, do life with us. It is messy but real. There are no work books or outlines. Just connections and growth.

I have been following the research of Brene Brown, not a Christian, but I LOVE her stuff. It is powerful and moving. It touches on the heart of so many things I believe are important; relationship, connection, believing ourselves worthy.If you have only a few moments, read this. If you have about 20 minutes, watch this. If you have more time, look at this. This is the kind of stuff God bring across my path, challenges my heart with, pushes me outside my world view and convicts me. I am still processing all of the above, but I will be talking about it more when I get it a little more neatly organized in my brain.

Please don't don't read this as a "Gretchen is bitter and hates church" kind of post, because it isn't the truth. This is much more of a "I think it is cool that God meets me where and for who I am" kind of post. Church and workbooks with bible studies works for you? Awesome. So glad God is meeting you where he has you.

Comments

Honeycutt Family said…
Great post, friend! I agree 110% that God meets us just where we're at and I'm so stinkin' thankful for that!!!!! :) I think Brennan Manning said once, "God loves us as we are, not how we should be." I have even applied that to my kiddos when I start to put too many high ideals on them.

Love ya!
18 March, 2012 09:07
Erin said…
Interesting read Gretchen. I have to say, I disagree with you a bit. I totally agree that God meets us where we are, but I absolutely think Christians should be reliant on the Bible. The move away from God's word and depending on His word to set the standard for our lives is what has fooled so many into believing that God's standard doesn't apply to them. (Which leads to, in my opinion the inauthentic Christianity so many of us dislike). We will all fall short, but God's Biblical standard is the one we should be striving to live for, even if we're not there yet.
18 March, 2012 17:58
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