The Nature of God

I think life can be hard.  It is good, but it can also be hard. Two things can be true at the same time… this is something my own daughter reminds me of often.  In life we need God.  We NEED God.  I don’t think this is an optional view of life.  As a pastor, as a person, as a momma, as a leader, as a follower, as someone who is creative, I believe this with all my heart.  God IS good and we NEED that kind of goodness in our lives.

I think this is something our community needs to hear and know.  Perhaps we are lulled into thinking that attending worship, a small group, or a music practice is enough… maybe studying scripture, prayer, and just breathing in the Holy Spirit is enough.  But we have been called to share the good news with others.  To tell them. To share with them. To show them. To be the hands and feet of Jesus in our hard, yet good world and life.

As a child, I attended Vacation Bible School (VBS) every single year.  I believe that I have attended each year since I was age three.  This makes for many (y’all… so many) years of hearing the child-like faith that God desires of us. But I grew up.  I began to teach, help, lead and learn during VBS that I was indeed called.  Called to faith. Called to growth. Called to serve and lead and share.  Called to teach.  Called to pastor.  Now, I need to have an adult faith. 

"When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became an adult, I put away childish things" is 1 Corinthians 13:11.

As I moved into an adult faith, I understood I needed to grow daily, weekly, yearly through prayer, worship, study, mission, and service.  This motivated me to live differently.  I see that VBS is a launching point for faith and as a community we need to be growing in our discipleship.  This includes me!

Launched with the theme of VBS this summer the children are exploring the Nature of God daily as they discover truths about God and find the “mystery” around God shared in real and meaningful ways. Children often do not understand faith in the ways we share faith for adults.  During VBS we will work to share God as loving creator, one who washes away doubt and knows everything about them, God who loves us deeply, and the hope that is found in a real and active faith.

Adults do not always have the basis of a child-like faith when they enter worship and the doors of the church building.  This will be a “re-fresher” of sorts for the basics around faith as we aim to discover the nature of God and our God who desires to grow deeper in our adult faith.  This is to encourage a move from the Lower Room we have read about this spring and into the Upper Room of faith. 

Our summer series will seek to connect the child-like faith still in each of us, me included, and lead us into deeper study and conversation around the same stories and scriptures as the children at VBS.  This will help you engage in your study WITH your loved ones, little and big… as we know we all come to faith at different times in life.

One year at VBS I had the great privilege of leading the Bible stories with a vibrant, kind, and loving friend in her 80’s. She was curious about VBS as she had never attended as a child and came to a love of Jesus later in her adult years.  Teaching alongside her let me see the power in VBS and the critical nature of ministry with children (shout out to all our children’s leaders here!~).  We have until children are in the 9–12-year-old range to impact their ideas about faith, God, and a lifelong love of Jesus.  After this stage, fewer folks come to explore faith and the church family than you might imagine.

This summer we want to extend the conversation, start some excitement about sharing your faith, and leaning into a deeper love of God.  This is for you.  This is for me.  This is for all of us! Let’s explore the Nature of God together!