One of the things I love most about our new collaborative parish between a new church start and a traditional church is the amazing ways I learn from the people in our community. Just this week I was blown away by the depth and theological understanding of the folks at bible study. Then the United Methodist Women gathered, I don’t think anyone else in the room besides me was under 80. Our conversation about what it means to be women and the real ways they shared about their lives was incredibly insightful. When they then linked to the curse of Eve and started discussing that theologically I knew I was in the presence of women who take their faith seriously. I learned so much that day and was challenged to think differently and go deeper in my own understandings.
The group that gathers around the table at dinner is a shade younger than the folks I encountered at UMW, and yet the wisdom and understanding is just as deep. We have a couple in our community who are 10 years or more younger than I am, and they regularly share about their faith experience and view of the world that has me just soaking up the wisdom. Our kids often help me see God more clearly as they join their voices to the conversations too.
Our community has a richness built from our wide experiences and common willingness to think deeply and share vulnerably. We see the vastness of God more clearly when we learn about God from a wide array of other. It helps us from only seeing a God who looks like us.
-Eildh
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