Most Christians live their lives with a willingness to provide service to others as a pathway of serving God\u2019s mission in the world. At the same time we are often psychologically torn or confused by not knowing if we are the right person for God\u2019s mission. This uncertainty of emotion exists despite our realization of God\u2019s call. Instead of believing we are enough, we often question our qualifications to participate or whether we\u2019ll make a noticeable difference. We begin to ask ourselves, \u201cWho am I that I should_______?\u201d It is safe to assume that each of us can feel in the blank. Doubt is part of life. Remember we all are children of God and thus should be able to see the face of God not only in others but also in ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While studying urban education my teachers reminded us that students \u201care experts in their own experience\u201d. These words from Lisa Delpit, inform and shape how I teach each day. More importantly I accept them in every aspect of life. We are all experts in our own experience therefore we bring our humanity to God\u2019s mission and service of others. So the next time you hear that inner voice prompting you to say or do something and another one saying you need a workshop or a support team behind you, remember you are an expert in your own experience. You bring a human experience to a human situation and if God is truly the inspiration behind the action it will be okay. God said, \u201cI will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you.\u201d Remember you are enough. And just as God states in the passage, \u201cI am who I am.\u201d You also are who you are and indeed you are enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Where is God in our lives? Take a moment to think: when is God\u2019s presence and absence felt in our lives? In this psalm, the psalmist is in LOVE with God. This is a love poem. The first verse talks about how the writer\u2019s body physically pines for God, because they are parched and dying without God in their life. God sustains them with love and kindness and the writer believes this is better than life itself. The writer will praise God as long as they live, because God fills them and they are content. Even when the writer is scared, alone, confused and downtrodden God helps them and the writer clings to God for life. The writer is nothing without God and they know it, pondering on God\u2019s goodness all night long, reflecting on the importance of God in their life. This is why the writer is seeking God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whether we like it or not, we humans are more alike than we will ever be different. Yet, there will always be differences. Our ability to address difference requires us to reflect God\u2019s love and grace. Not only with others but also with ourselves. Accepting difference isn\u2019t analogous with agreement. Accepting difference isn\u2019t always comfortable. Accepting difference isn\u2019t always easy. But we must accept that we are all from God and must call on God amidst these challenges and life\u2019s difficulties. Knowing that, \u201cGod is faithful, and [God] will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing [God] will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.\u201d Sometimes the most difficult acceptance we will have to make is with ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We have a tendency to qualify our sins, when in actuality we are all sinners. The magnitude of sins does not require measurement in the eyes of God. We are all broken in our humanness and therefore we all need to repent and ask for forgiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The parable of the fig tree symbolizes how quickly we are to prone to giving up on people, situations and circumstances without tending to the root of the problem. If we can move past the surface of what is or is not bearing fruit and address the foundation of a given issue then we are able to nurture the depths of diversity needed for healing and growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Exodus 3:1-15 Most Christians live their lives with a willingness to provide service to others as a pathway of serving God\u2019s mission in the world. At the same time we are often psychologically torn or confused by not knowing if we are the right person for God\u2019s mission. This uncertainty of emotion exists despite our…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":201221,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_tec_requires_first_save":true,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_tribe_blocks_recurrence_rules":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_description":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_exclusions":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[23,51,52,3],"tags":[306,143],"class_list":["post-766679","bible_study","type-bible_study","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bible-studies","category-lent","category-sermons-that-work","category-worship-and-prayer-menu","tag-lent-3c","tag-lent-4a"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":23,"label":"Bible Studies"},{"value":51,"label":"Lent"},{"value":52,"label":"Sermons That Work"},{"value":3,"label":"worship_and_prayer_menu"}],"post_tag":[{"value":306,"label":"Lent 3C"},{"value":143,"label":"Lent 4A"}]},"featured_image_src_large":false,"author_info":[],"comment_info":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bible_study\/766679","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bible_study"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/bible_study"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bible_study\/766679\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":951946,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bible_study\/766679\/revisions\/951946"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=766679"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=766679"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=766679"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}