This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 4:07 pm. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Josh, Great video. This is exactly what I am attempting to teach Christians around the world. However, even for me, the teacher, it is not always easy to see God’s image. I have to constantly remind myself. I hope after a while it will get easier to see people as God sees them. That is a goal I have.
Thanks Bob. It’s obvious to me that your teaching has profoundly influenced the Pathways community. From when you first introduced it to us in your “Maintaining Relationships” study, to Dean’s reminder of it in last weeks message. It truly is a concept we have to consciously be reminded of. May we continue to strive and see “Imago Dei” in everyone we meet.
Yes, Bob, you truly have affected my life forever. Since going to your study this summer,there hasn’t been a day go by that I haven’t thought Imago Dei…Let me tell ya, it hasn’t been easy and I have not always been successful but the thought DOES go through my brain! Now my goal is to be able to let the anger and other feelings go when I say to myself-”remember Barb,Imago Dei”! I guess nobody ever said that growing and changing would ever be easy…THANKS BOB!!!!!
In the past, I would look at someone and quite frequently form an immediate judgement or opinion of them. I have changed in the past 6 months and cannot pinpoint why? Bob’s summer study does have a bearing as do sermons I have heard at Pathways. I just can’t nail down what has changed. Now, when I see somebody, particularly if they differ in some aspect, I want to know there “story”. On occasions, I’ve really just wanted to go up to someone and ask them to tell me about yourself. That might sound unusual or weird but it is the case. I was always disappointed in myself for forming such quick opinions and am encouraged by wanting to know more about someone prior to having any “biases”. I try to do this in work, life and at Pathways. Lately, I have been disappointed in myself and others at Pathways for how critical we can be of Pathways and folks at the church. Just a week ago, I was whining about stupid stuff at Pathways. Did I bother to share it with the right people? No – I just wanted to whine. What point did it serve – not much. Well, I shared it with the right person and I got to hear the other side. Was Imago Dei in play as I whined? NO. Was it in play as we discussed things and I got to hear more of the story. I sure do think so. If you have a problem with somebody or something and won’t even discuss it with the right person, you are not practicing Imago Dei. I know this is a tough subject and it is hard to hear, but I could not withhold it any longer. If you have an issue with someone, seek them out this week. Hear their side of something. Practice Imago Dei.
Alex, I read your comment through tears in my eyes. Not only for what you said, but because we are all so guilty of the exact situation you have pointed out. I truly appreciate your transparency in sharing your heart. Your post is a great encouragement for all of us to re-examine how we see people and how we choose to interact with those we come in contact with.
Alex, I love the heart you express here. I think that you are growing to see and understand God’s heart better. The reason I say that I have gone through the same thing over the last 3 years and I agree with so much of what you expressed. What you said about wanting to know someone’s story is what God is all about. I was just reading about this, “After years of hearing the heart-cry of women, I am convinced beyond a doubt of this: God wants to be loved. He wants to be a priority to someone. How could we have missed this? From cover to cover, from beginning to end, the cry of God’s heart is “Why won’t you choose me?” It is amazing to me how humble, how vulnerable God is on this point. “You will find me,” says the Lord, “when you seek me with all your heart” (Jer. 29:13). In other words, “Look for me, pursue me – I want you to pursue me.” ” (Wild at Heart by John Eldridge) As people who were created in the image of God we, like God, want to be pursued and known. From my experience, women experience this even more deeply than men. Often we can think we know those we are around when really all we know is the surface image they project. Even at Pathways we (and I am definitely included in that we) can assume we know people just because we see them face to face every week, or even every day. After a year and a half in this community I am aware that no one knows huge portions of my story. That is not because I am not willing to share, but rather because it takes time and investment to learn. Without knowing stories we can’t understand how our pasts or even what happened right before church that morning can affect reactions, thoughts, and interactions today. I know that things from my story have affected how I interact with and communicate with people in this community. Sometimes those are beneficial things, but in my case they have also resulted in misunderstandings and broken relationships with people I love. I believe it is God’s heart for us to pursue knowing those that around us, and hearing those stories rather than jumping to conclusions and making assumptions. Through those stories we can learn how much we are alike, and see God’s glory and heart in each other’s lives.
Pathways Church is people, not a place. We gather every Sunday morning at 10am at Archbishop Murphy High School in Everett. We invite you to join with us as we strive to follow the example of Jesus in this world in which we live in.
September 20th, 2007 at 3:03 pm
Josh, Great video. This is exactly what I am attempting to teach Christians around the world. However, even for me, the teacher, it is not always easy to see God’s image. I have to constantly remind myself. I hope after a while it will get easier to see people as God sees them. That is a goal I have.
September 20th, 2007 at 3:51 pm
Thanks Bob. It’s obvious to me that your teaching has profoundly influenced the Pathways community. From when you first introduced it to us in your “Maintaining Relationships” study, to Dean’s reminder of it in last weeks message. It truly is a concept we have to consciously be reminded of. May we continue to strive and see “Imago Dei” in everyone we meet.
September 22nd, 2007 at 10:47 am
Yes, Bob, you truly have affected my life forever. Since going to your study this summer,there hasn’t been a day go by that I haven’t thought Imago Dei…Let me tell ya, it hasn’t been easy and I have not always been successful but the thought DOES go through my brain! Now my goal is to be able to let the anger and other feelings go when I say to myself-”remember Barb,Imago Dei”! I guess nobody ever said that growing and changing would ever be easy…THANKS BOB!!!!!
September 22nd, 2007 at 2:24 pm
In the past, I would look at someone and quite frequently form an immediate judgement or opinion of them. I have changed in the past 6 months and cannot pinpoint why? Bob’s summer study does have a bearing as do sermons I have heard at Pathways. I just can’t nail down what has changed. Now, when I see somebody, particularly if they differ in some aspect, I want to know there “story”. On occasions, I’ve really just wanted to go up to someone and ask them to tell me about yourself. That might sound unusual or weird but it is the case. I was always disappointed in myself for forming such quick opinions and am encouraged by wanting to know more about someone prior to having any “biases”. I try to do this in work, life and at Pathways. Lately, I have been disappointed in myself and others at Pathways for how critical we can be of Pathways and folks at the church. Just a week ago, I was whining about stupid stuff at Pathways. Did I bother to share it with the right people? No – I just wanted to whine. What point did it serve – not much. Well, I shared it with the right person and I got to hear the other side. Was Imago Dei in play as I whined? NO. Was it in play as we discussed things and I got to hear more of the story. I sure do think so. If you have a problem with somebody or something and won’t even discuss it with the right person, you are not practicing Imago Dei. I know this is a tough subject and it is hard to hear, but I could not withhold it any longer. If you have an issue with someone, seek them out this week. Hear their side of something. Practice Imago Dei.
September 22nd, 2007 at 2:50 pm
Alex, I read your comment through tears in my eyes. Not only for what you said, but because we are all so guilty of the exact situation you have pointed out. I truly appreciate your transparency in sharing your heart. Your post is a great encouragement for all of us to re-examine how we see people and how we choose to interact with those we come in contact with.
September 23rd, 2007 at 2:21 pm
Alex, I love the heart you express here. I think that you are growing to see and understand God’s heart better. The reason I say that I have gone through the same thing over the last 3 years and I agree with so much of what you expressed. What you said about wanting to know someone’s story is what God is all about. I was just reading about this, “After years of hearing the heart-cry of women, I am convinced beyond a doubt of this: God wants to be loved. He wants to be a priority to someone. How could we have missed this? From cover to cover, from beginning to end, the cry of God’s heart is “Why won’t you choose me?” It is amazing to me how humble, how vulnerable God is on this point. “You will find me,” says the Lord, “when you seek me with all your heart” (Jer. 29:13). In other words, “Look for me, pursue me – I want you to pursue me.” ” (Wild at Heart by John Eldridge) As people who were created in the image of God we, like God, want to be pursued and known. From my experience, women experience this even more deeply than men. Often we can think we know those we are around when really all we know is the surface image they project. Even at Pathways we (and I am definitely included in that we) can assume we know people just because we see them face to face every week, or even every day. After a year and a half in this community I am aware that no one knows huge portions of my story. That is not because I am not willing to share, but rather because it takes time and investment to learn. Without knowing stories we can’t understand how our pasts or even what happened right before church that morning can affect reactions, thoughts, and interactions today. I know that things from my story have affected how I interact with and communicate with people in this community. Sometimes those are beneficial things, but in my case they have also resulted in misunderstandings and broken relationships with people I love. I believe it is God’s heart for us to pursue knowing those that around us, and hearing those stories rather than jumping to conclusions and making assumptions. Through those stories we can learn how much we are alike, and see God’s glory and heart in each other’s lives.