Who We Are Instead, v. 1.0

I will be posting some "amended for blogging" versions of the study I've been preparing and teaching so far this year for our youth sunday school...I will make efforts to keep it fitting for everyone, but occasionally a "Parker County-specific" item may make it through...

"Trouble Is", by Jars of Clay
My wings don't sail me to the sky
On my own these wings won't fly
Jesus told me so
Still I'm not so sure that I know

Can't find no rest for my soul
Can't find no rest on my own
Jesus told me so
Still I'm not so sure that I know

Man, the trouble is
We don't know who we are instead

I'll keep runnin' the other way
My heart ain't built to stay
My heart ain't built to stay
And the world just ain't that way

My heart ain't built to stay
My heart ain't built to stay
Jesus told me so

This song might be one of my favorite “good lyrics” songs. Pretty simple, yet so much truth about how we tend to view faith. It is a song talking about one with some good “church answers”. You know the type: looks good, sounds good, meets the criteria, but in reality have no clue what it really means to be owned by Jesus. “On my own these wings won’t fly…Jesus told me so…not so sure that I know…”
And I think, just like the song says, the trouble or problem is that we don’t know who we are instead. But instead of what? Well, it can go a variety of ways. One way is just stock church answers, but for whatever reason, your heart is cold, indifferent, etc. Another is when we just want to be seen like everyone else, and not “treated” differently due to your faith. But if those (or other) examples aren’t “it”, then what instead?
All over scripture we can find examples, but we will be spending time in Galatians. Galatia was one of the first churches, and unlike some other early church sites (like Rome or Corinth), things seemed pretty “calm”, or normal. Not much weirdness or trouble compared to others, and there was a pseudo-existing “God culture” already there. Sound like your town? As one living in various big cities (and visiting many more), I can tell you this sounds like where I currently live…basically a simple place (comparatively), lots of “God” around (at least in name, culture, etc.), but underneath the surface, a lot of apathy, lots of “meh” toward truly being loyal to Christ above all (and all that may imply), and lots of folks who seem to go through the motions because they just don’t know anything else. The Book of Galatians was similar, and thus it will be our main source (along with lyrics, movies, quotes, etc.) as we try and discover who we as individuals and as a community of faith are supposed to be…instead…

Go read Galatians 1: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=galatians%201&version=65


At first it is a typical “Paul greeting”: saying hi, his credentials, reminding us about the awesomeness of salvation and God, etc. And then…
WHAM! He gets on them about losing the “message”, or even following a wrong one. Then he spends some time talking about how he got to where he is now faith/calling-wise. Notice the part about his Jewish history…lots of following “tradition” above all else, for example. This is where I want us to spend some time pondering for yourself: exploring areas of “Parker County Culture” (or wherever you live) that might be taking us from who we are to be instead…

Questions to Ponder:

1. Think back to the song. What are some things about living our faith that, “Jesus told me so, still I’m not so sure that I know”?

2. What are some things about the communities we live in (either school, or our town, or even your (gasp!) church) that seem to be the true “gods” that folks seem to “fight for” instead of just being and sharing Jesus with each other?

3. What about our nation as a whole? Any other things you see on the news, read, etc.?

4. Any other thoughts?