Devotion: Who Is God?
January 23, 2010
Leave a comment
Rationale
Developing a healthy, growing faith requires knowledge of and relationship to God. Yet this simple word is a source of trouble to many and is a cause of dispute at a personal and global level. If we can define and expand our ideas about God then we can grow spiritually and develop an understanding of others.
Objectives: Group members are to
- identify, describe and clarify what ‘God’ as a word means to them
- develop a wider notion of God
- grow spiritually
- identify possible blockages
Utilising Habits of Mind:
- Thinking Flexibly
- Listening with Understanding and Empathy
- Thinking interdependently
Part One
- What does the word ‘God’ mean to you? Do you have an image in mind when you think about the word?
- Make a list of words you would use to describe God.
- Share your list with somebody in the group.
- What words or ideas did you agree on? What words or ideas were new to you?
Part Two
Here are some words and phrases that describe God. Which of them match or nearly match yours? Which ones are new to you? You might need to research some of them…
- father of creation
- king of heaven and earth
- the ground of our being (Paul Tilloch)
- numinous (Rudolph Otto)
- trinity
- strength, power
- love
- glory
- judge
- mother
Reflection:
Of these words, why do you think you are attracted to some and not to others? What might you gain from thinking about God in this new way?
Tim Kelly
