JR. Forasteros - May 11, 2014
God as Mother
Women in our culture have a confidence problem - most women undervalue themselves (while most men tend to overestimate themselves). Women can find their confidence in the fact that they bear the image of God. While we usually think of God as Father, God often refers to Godself as a Mother in the Scriptures, too. What does it mean that God is both Father and Mother to us? How is the truth that God is both male and female good news to both men and women?
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How many times have y’all had to participate in trust building exercises? Maybe it was in couples’ therapy. Or in school. Maybe in the workplace.
I have a confession: I love those sorts of activities. I know most people hate them, but I think they’re so much fun. (What can I say: I’m an extrovert and I love games.) So whether it’s a trust fall or an obstacle course, sign me up!
We’re going to talk about trust today, so I was reviewing a bunch of these exercises. I think my favorite is the Blindfold Obstacle course. If you’ve never done this one, you set up an obstacle course – you can do it as simply as using chairs and string or something. Then you pair up. One person wears a blindfold and has to navigate the obstacle course. The other is only allowed to direct their partner using verbal cues. Stop! Turn left! Five steps forward! That sort of thing.
This is a trust-building exercise because the person wearing the blindfold has to obey despite the fact that they can’t see. It also reveals how differently we communicate. You can’t complete a blindfold obstacle course without learning to communicate and trust.
Communication and trust – two essential aspects of a strong, faith-filled relationship. That’s true for our relationships with each other – romantic partners, business relationships, friendships – and it’s true of our relationship with God.
What do trust-building exercises with God look like? That’s a trickier question, and one Jesus shows us the answer to.
