Writing Your Faith Prompt #3

 

This week we are writing our faith, inspired by Paul who wrote to churches about his experiences of God and encouragement to people.  Paul often stepped into difficult debates in his day.  He weighed in on whether you had to convert to Judaism if you were a Gentile.  He wrote about dietary restrictions, how to worship, what to bring to the church potluck, and how to deal with people who got on your nerves. 

Yesterday, I had you reflect on who God is.  For me, God is expansive and inclusive love ~ One who fuels and feeds my life.  I long to be caught up in the great symphony of God’s love ~ to be (to quote St. Francis) an instrument of God’s love. 

Prompt #3 ~ write a bit about a time when you felt the gap between who you believe or trust God to be (building on yesterday) and how you experience God.  Building on what I wrote above, I want to be caught up in our still conducting/composing God, but then some other human goes and does something that throws me off.  Staying with the metaphor, someone hits me with the trombone slide or jabs me with the violin bow!  And then, I am frustrated and flummoxed and off my game.  I want to blame the other person.  But, the deeper truth is that it isn’t only other people, it is my own inner critic that loves to knock me around a bit too.  It takes time for me to get my composure back and figure out what sheet of music God is on and back in the rhythm. 

Today, take time to explore moments when you longed for God to be a certain way and life intervened or interrupted or intruded in ways you didn’t expect.  I pray these prompts are helping you discover faith within you and ways to share your faith with others.