Connection
Notes
Transcript
Handout
How do we connect to God in the Christmas season and in the coming year?
We all long for that connection, yet there are many things that hinder it. David says it well in Psalm 63:1.
1 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
How do we seek God in the business of life?
Gary Thomas gives us insight in his book “Sacred Pathways.” He gives us nine ways we were made to connect with God.
•Naturalist: Let me be outdoors.
•Sensate: Let me experience.
•Traditionalist: Let me remember.
•Ascetic: Let me be alone.
•Activist: Let me conquer.
•Caregiver: Let me care.
•Enthusiast: Let me celebrate.
•Contemplative: Let me feel.
•Intellectual: Let me think.
(Gary Thomas, Sacred Pathways: Nine Ways to Connect with God (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2020), 34.)
All nine ways are valid methods of connection when done in worship of God. Yet each of them has its strengths and weaknesses.
We see each of these sacred pathways in scripture.
For the Naturalist, there is Isaiah 40:25-26
To whom then will you compare me,
that I should be like him? says the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes on high and see:
who created these?
He who brings out their host by number,
calling them all by name;
by the greatness of his might
and because he is strong in power,
not one is missing.
For the Sensate, there is Psalm 27:4; Exodus 30:7-8; Leviticus 19:5-6; Colossians 3:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20.
We have the sense of sight.
One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire in his temple.
We have the sense of smell.
And Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it. Every morning when he dresses the lamps he shall burn it, and when Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he shall burn it, a regular incense offering before the Lord throughout your generations.
We have the sense of taste.
“When you offer a sacrifice of peace offerings to the Lord, you shall offer it so that you may be accepted. It shall be eaten the same day you offer it or on the day after, and anything left over until the third day shall be burned up with fire.
We have the sense of sound.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
We have the sense of touch.
All the brothers send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.
For the Traditionalist, there is Psalm 77:11-12.
I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
yes, I will remember your wonders of old.
I will ponder all your work,
and meditate on your mighty deeds.
For the Ascetic, there is Mark 1:35 and Psalm 62:1-2.
And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.
For God alone my soul waits in silence;
from him comes my salvation.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.
For the Activist, there is Proverbs 31:8-9.
Open your mouth for the mute,
for the rights of all who are destitute.
Open your mouth, judge righteously,
defend the rights of the poor and needy.
For the Caregiver, there is Matthew 25:34-40.
Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
For the Enthusiast, there is Psalm 150.
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens!
Praise him for his mighty deeds;
praise him according to his excellent greatness!
Praise him with trumpet sound;
praise him with lute and harp!
Praise him with tambourine and dance;
praise him with strings and pipe!
Praise him with sounding cymbals;
praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!
For the Contemplative, there is Deuteronomy 33:12; Psalm 63:3.
Of Benjamin he said,
“The beloved of the Lord dwells in safety.
The High God surrounds him all day long,
and dwells between his shoulders.”
Because your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
For the Intellectual, there is John 4:23-24; 2 Timothy 2:15; 3:16-17.
But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Churches themselves have a combination of these. The sacred pathways they emphasize will attract Christians of the same connection styles.
Here are some examples:
Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Anglican emphasize a combination of the Traditionalist and Sensate pathways with their high liturgy and engagement of the five senses in their services.
Presbyterian, Lutheran, Episcopalian, and Methodist emphasize the Traditionalist pathway, with a sprinkling of the other pathways depending on the church.
Charismatic churches emphasise the Enthusaist pathway with their high-energy worship, and the Contemplative pathway with their emphasis on feeling God’s presence.
Baptist churches emphasise the Intellectual pathway with a sprinkling of the other pathways, depending on the church.
African American churches emphasize the Activist pathway, with a sprinkling of the other pathways, depending on the church.
Bible Churches emphasize the Intellectual and Enthusiast pathways, with a sprinkling of the other pathways, depending on the church.
Each of us has a combination of these. My top three pathways are Intellectual (28), Naturalist (17), and Enthusiast (16). I would encourage you to think through what your combination is.
Identifying your preferred pathways will help you connect to God in the Christmas season and the coming new year.
There are some assessments on the Opportunity Table, or you can scan this QR code for a digital copy.
Go, discover how God has made you to worship him, and worship him with all that you are for his glory and honor.
