Unbinding Your Heart will begin on 10.10.10, as we meet in small groups, once a week for 6 weeks, to read and discuss a book together, pray together, and talk about our experiences of God together. This will be a new experience for our congregation. We've never done anything quite list this before. Our intention is to grow closer to God and to learn to share our faith. It’s that simple….and because it's new, it may take some getting used to.
Some of our church's leaders have been for a 'test drive,' using a resource called "Unbinding the Gospel, and powerful things have been happening in their life with God. As we now invite the rest of the congregation into the experience, my blog will be a way to document what God is doing. I want to begin by sharing a bit about what I've gained, over the past year, through Unbinding.
I’ve gained Love. It's true. The more I open myself to God, the more I know that I am loved. I've found I need a boost to stay grounded in God’s love. For me, it’s easy to slip into a pattern of prayer and study of Scripture that’s all about getting ready to lead worship…My God time can become more about work than about love. The Unbinding prayer journal gave me a guide for my God-time that is simple and clear, new ways to pray, Scripture that isn’t for preaching, and a couple of helpful God questions to ponder, and carry into my day, so God’s love stays with me and flows through me.
I’ve gained Life. I've found that the more I bring of myself, into my relationships with others, the more LIFE pops open with vitality, creativity and possibility. Out of the experience of sharing in a small group, using Unbinding the Gospel as our guide, many of us have found more ways to share more of ourselves. Text messages fly through cyber-space and my cell phone rings with words of comfort or inspiration, with a beautiful photo, or with the poignant question, “How may I pray for you today?” Email exchanges offer updates on our lives, and in face-to-face conversations, we’re learning to be authentic, to be real with each other. Yes, we’re all busy. Our lives are full of activity. We’re surrounded by people every waking minute of the day….and taking time to connect in these ways connect is good. It’s life-giving. It brings well-being in Christ, even on our most difficult days.
I’ve gained ‘Holy ground.’ I've found, the more we hang out with each other and God, the better chance we have of encounters that are precious, even sacred. It takes time. It takes trust. It takes a willingness to be vulnerable. But I have found that when I go there. When we go there, in community, with God...Our stories come out. God in our stories comes out, and we are deeply blessed. Among the most sacred moments I’ve had in ministry was one that happened just a few weeks ago, when a small group of leaders asked God to bring to mind an important time in their life with God…and powerful stories were told.
I want nothing more for you, than what I have witnessed with my own eyes and experienced with the unbinding of my own heart, over the past year. Love, Life, Holy Ground. True riches of God, for shrewd servants. This fall, as we make ourselves available to God in small groups, in daily prayer, and in our Sunday morning worship, I wonder what else God will do? The picture at the top of this posting is a soul collage I made, to express what I have experienced through Unbinding the Gospel. What do you see?
Blessings,
Cheryl
