Do you know the old song, “I come to the garden alone?” The focus of those words is the joy of being in relationship with God—spending time listening and talking to each other. Shelly and Mimi say on page 118 that God’s “plan is to enjoy our company eternally and for us to enjoy His.” It never ever ceases to amaze me that God desires my companionship. Amazing!
On the same page, they write, “Our sense of intimacy with the Godhead continues to grow as we find tangible ways to see ourselves in the center of the joyful, loving reality of the Trinity.” Our God enjoys being Father, Son and Holy Spirit—enjoys being in relationship with each other and welcomes us to be in that relationship with them.”
I love the quote on page 122, “Another blessing of living from within the Trinity is that we both have come to know a freedom from needing to present a false self to others, to be something we are not.” My question for us to post about this week-is what blessing do you receive when you live from the reality of your relationship with God? And, what Holy Habit do you think will help you live from the truth that God desires us to be “in” them?
Blessings on your reading—may each of us grow closer, deeper and together with our God through this week’s chapter.
6 comments:
There are many blessings from living in the reality of our relationship with the Godhead. I think for me the best is acceptance of me for me. I am accepted and loved not because of what I do or what I say but because I am God's child. I am part of his family. When I remember this and live in it, I am able to live in my own gifting and share it with others. It is also much easier to share his love because I have felt it myself.
Today at church I was watching the children play outside during the preaching. They were having a great time being children. I was sitting next to the father of a couple of those kids. They should have been in church and he could have been angry. Instead he just smiled and shook his head and went back to listening to the teaching. He took joy in their pleasure instead of making them sit in church and listen to something they probably couldn't really understand at their age. The holy habit of looking at families and seeing their joy in one another and for one another is one way I have enjoyed thinking about the relationship in the trinity and my part in it this week.
Hi, Lynn,
I love your observation of the children and their Father. I needed to hear that today as I do think God watches us with such delight. Thank you for sharing!
I am really, super excited about the emphasis on the Trinity here... the relational aspects of Who our Amazing God is and what we have been given in the Godhead. I love the picture of the child coming in the midst of a mother/father hugging! Sweetness.
I am concerned, though, with the delicate comment regarding what happened to Christ on the cross. I think Scripture teaches us that He indeed was forsaken...not just how He felt... I think Scripture supports that with sin comes the second death--- spiritual death!---and that Christ really did experience/take that punishment on the cross for all humanity. He took the separation that the first Adam (and all humans following) earned by our rebellion. This is the craziness/beauty of the atonement! He took that separation for me!! He didn't just feel it for me. As far as I understand it, Christ was alone on the cross.
I do think that the full Godhead was most certainly deeply affected by the cross and felt/participated/decided it together. And, I like this distinction. We aren't "protected" from an angry Father. They did this together, yes. But, the Father was pleased to bruise the son and the son was forsaken. ...I feel that there is important to the truth of the atonement. Nowhere in Scripture does it support scars on the Father's hands--- (And, by the way, I did like the Shack! :))
That aside, this chapter is full of sweet gems for me. "When we understand the love and relationship that exists in the Trinity is what makes all love and relationships possible it can help us..." The idea of belonging to God and being with them in their relational dance, is beautiful and moves me to seek Him more.
Really thoughtful observations, Stephanie. I like that we can read things that we can learn from and yet not totally agree with. Thank you for being willing to discuss your concerns.
The idea of dancing with the Trinity is so moving to me. Sometimes at church on Sundays I almost feel like I am doing that when everyone is singing from their hearts. I especially feel that at the woth retreats when I worship with women serving cross-culturally. It is amazingly precious!
I agree, Linda, with my whole heart. I think there is so, so much to learn from each other--- we don't have to agree with 100% of any book to get things from it, for sure! (If we did, I am not sure I would be reading many books at all! :))
Thanks for being a "safe" place where I can share the agrees/disagrees--- that makes for real discussion, I think.
Worship together is one of the prime places I, too, feel I see the joy of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit revealed in His people. "them in us!"
You are so welcome, Stephanie!
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