How do you experience God? Conversations with our congregation

This series of blogs are responses from  congregation members to drawings created by one of our children Enrique and his mother Katie. One Sunday in worship during the children’s conversation, we created a list of names for God. The congregation shared the names they use for God. As our worship continued, Enrique and his mom created images of how they see and experience these various names of God.

In this blog entry, Shari has responded to the drawing of God as Powerful. I am grateful for the way in which she brings God's love and power together, reminding us of God's power to change and transform us.

How do you experience God as Powerful in your life?

I consider God’s Power and God’s Love to be synonymous. When I have experienced His Power in my life, it has come with a huge dose of love—even when I didn’t recognize it as love at the time. As I write this, I am thinking about Elijah when he ran from Jezebel. He was hiding in a cave and whining about all that he had done for God and now this! The Lord told him to go stand on the mountain, as He was about to pass by. I’m sure Elijah thought at the time, “Yes! Now we’re going to see some action!” There was a powerful wind that tore the mountain apart, but God was not in the wind. Then an earthquake—same thing. A fire, but still nothing. Then there was a gentle whisper. I, like Elijah, have not experienced God’s power during one of my temper tantrums or pity parties. It is after I have calmed down and let Him speak in that gentle whisper that I am in awe of His Love, of His Power. 

Can you remember a time when God as Powerful changed your life?

We often relate God’s power to physical healing, or miracles on a grand scale—but through my personal experience, even though I have witnessed what I perceive as miracles and have had a physical healing of my own, His greatest power, in my opinion, is when He changes a heart. I know this, because He changed mine. I had been an Evangelical Christian for over 30 years when my 37-year-old daughter told me she was gay. I did not take this news well. I didn’t just knock on Heaven’s door, I tried to beat it down, demanding that God change her! Silence. When I was worn out and totally out of ideas on how He should accomplish this, I heard the gentle whisper. He very lovingly told me (as only God can tell someone this lovingly), that I was the problem. That it was my lack of love and judgmental spirit that had to change. Although it didn’t happen overnight, changes in me took place until I felt an overwhelming sense of joy beyond what I had ever experienced, and I now embrace my precious daughter for who she is. That is Power! 

What Scripture arises in you as you contemplate God as Powerful?

Oddly enough, it is Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God . . .” First, it seems like a personal message directed to me, one who has a difficult time being still,  but also it reminds me that He is the powerful one – not I! 

How does relating to God as Powerful still allow you to relate to God as Compassion/Merciful? Are they the same? How do they relate to each other in your life.

I can only see God’s Power as Compassionate, Merciful and Loving. Through the years, I have heard so many teachings about the punitive nature of God. Apparently, “punitive” is only in the eyes of the beholder, because this beholder sees only a Powerful, Merciful, and Compassionate God. 

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