Your God

I come from a very religious family. My mother’s father, my grandfather was a pastor of a church. She had 8 siblings and most of them went to my grandfather’s church or another church that was in the neighborhood where my grandparent’s lived. Interesting enough I went to my grandfather’s church while growing up even though my mother didn’t.

I don’t spend a lot of time with my family. I think some of my family members question if I feel loved by them. I never question their love. I hope they don’t question mine. I just often find that the God in them isn’t big enough for the God in me. I find their God often has had them assume they know what relationship I have, or maybe more importantly should have with my God. I think they also assume that my relationship with the divine is any of their business.

I was thinking about this because we are living in a time where people are carrying so many story of who God is and isn’t. I was also thinking about my Aunt Linda. She transitioned out of this world last year.

At her Home Going Celebration I listened to people talk about how much my Aunt Linda loved the Lord and how this is how they knew that she was going to make it into heaven. I Remember the part of me that has lived this story.

I love knowing the part of my Aunt Linda that had more room in who she knew her God to be to carry that story and a bigger inclusive one. A story that could honor and acknowledge the way that I live my own relationship with the divine and how I minister in the world. I love the part of God in her that knew that part of God in me.

While at the gym this morning these questions came to me:

Your God

Is your God a vengeful God or a loving God, or somewhere in between?

Is your God a God that demands obedience or one that offers you complete freedom giving you choice without attachment but not without consequences? Or does your God allow you to do things in the name of God without consequences?

Is your God Masculine, Feminine, Both or Genderless? Or maybe all of the above?

Does your God move you to action mostly through discipline, or through discipleship?

Do you believe that everything God is you are? Or do you believe that everything you are God is?

Does your God require you to love thy neighbor as yourself? Do you truly love yourself? How do you know?

I would love to hear from you. I would love to hear some of your answers and some of the questions you are carrying.

Much love,

Q