What's Your Passion?

I went to church this morning...spurred on by a new Sunday School class....Seeing Gray in a Black and White World. The class is based on the book by Adam Hamilton, senior pastor of a United Methodist mega church in Kansas.  The gist of the book....

One solution to the culture and political wars that hasn't yet been tried, suggests Adam Hamilton, is for thinking persons of faith to model for the rest of the country a richer, more thoughtful conversation on the political, moral, and religious issues that divide us. Hamilton rejects the easy assumptions and sloppy analysis of black and white thinking, seeking instead the truth that resides on all sides of the issues and offering a faithful and compassionate way forward."--

and

Everyone agrees that America is polarized, with ever-hardening positions held by people less and less willing to listen to one another. No one agrees on what to do about it.One solution that hasn't yet been tried, says Adam Hamilton, is for thinking persons of faith to model for the rest of the country a richer, more thoughtful conversation on the political, moral, and religious issues that divide us. Hamilton rejects the easy assumptions and sloppy analysis of black and white thinking, seeking instead the truth that resides on all sides of the issues, and offering a faithful and compassionate way forward.He writes, "I don't expect you to agree with everything I've written. I expect that in the future even I won't agree with everything I've written here. The point is not to get you to agree with me, but to encourage you to think about what you believe. In the end I will be inviting those of you who find this book resonates with what you feel is true, to join the movement to pursue a middle way between the left and the right - to make your voices heard - and to model for our nation and for the church, how we can listen, learn, see truth as multi-sided, and love those with whom we disagree."

There are 9 other people in the class....2 couples, 3 college students, the guy who is leading the class is the head of the Lycoming College ministry and the assistant teacher is a member of the church...a youngish mother of two kids who will soon be thirty and works with AIDS patients.  I would guess I am the most liberal of the bunch...especially spiritually. 

One of the woman mentioned that sometimes it seems really hard to know what to do, where to start, how to proceed because there is so much to be done.  The suggestion was made that we find our passion and go from there.  Several mentioned what their passion was.  I was quiet.  But it got me thinking....what is my passion?

I know the thing that occupies most of my time...other than my kids, Keith and work...is writing on this blog...reading and "researching," pondering, musing about...mulling over in my head  the things I write about on this blog.  And what is the main gist of what I want to convey here?  Like the title of the book my friend daniel talked about a few weeks ago on EU (and that I posted about here)  I want to tell people....

YOUR GOD IS TOO SMALL!!!!

If you think he can be confined to any one religion (even Christianity) HE IS TOO SMALL!!!  If you think he speaks only through the Bible.  HE IS TOO SMALL!!!  If you think he cannot win over the hardest heart and cause the most stubborn knee to bow and cause every tongue to joyfully proclaim Christ is Lord...then HE IS TOO SMALL!!!  THAT is the gist of my passion...

Our assignment this week is to read several chapters of the book...one of which asks the question, Is Your Jesus Is Too Small?" 

I will pass on any interesting insights from the book and from the class.  I think it will be interesting and I do really enjoy the face to face, in real life fellowship. 

In fits and starts, in my usual meandering haphazard fashion....more to follow....