Uncomfortable S2 - Day 1
Uncomfortable People
The church is filled with weird and crazy people. We can admit this to one another. It doesn’t sound like the most excellent thing to say about church people. But we are all a little crazy at times.
Have you ever had that conversation with someone so awkward that neither of you knew what to say? You get to that point in the conversation where you are unsure whether to break it off or go in for more, but it will be uncomfortable.
This may not be anyone’s fault, but it does create some awkwardness along the way. And we have to be ready to live with some of that awkwardness if we are going to be in a community with one another. Today, we will discuss the first “most awkward conversation” recorded in scripture. We find it in Genesis 3.
Genesis 3:1 The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” 2 “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied.3 “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’” 4 “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. 5 “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.” 6 The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful, and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. 7 At that moment, their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. 8 When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. 9 Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” 10 He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.” 11 “Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.” 13 Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?” “The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.”
The last few sentences are the ones that create an uncomfortable situation for all involved. God is creating some room for grace, confession, and forgiveness. But all that Adam and Eve want to do is blame one another and ultimately, God for the situation they find themselves in. How often do we do this same thing?
It is uncomfortable to take responsibility for our actions. It is almost so painful that we simply don’t do it. Like Adam and Eve, we are willing to blame other people, blame God but rarely blame ourselves for where we are.
What would happen if we were willing to be very present in our understanding of who and what we are? If we all were willing to stand up and speak to the reality of what we had put ourselves through, while at the same time creating a space for grace for not just ourselves but for others as well, I think we would create communities that were more than just full of belonging, but full of hope, of honesty, and of deep and abiding connections with one another and with God.L
JOURNAL:
Have you ever had that conversation with someone so awkward that neither of you knew what to say? You get to that point in the conversation where you are unsure whether to break it off or go in for more, but it will be uncomfortable.
This may not be anyone’s fault, but it does create some awkwardness along the way. And we have to be ready to live with some of that awkwardness if we are going to be in a community with one another. Today, we will discuss the first “most awkward conversation” recorded in scripture. We find it in Genesis 3.
Genesis 3:1 The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” 2 “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied.3 “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’” 4 “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. 5 “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.” 6 The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful, and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. 7 At that moment, their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. 8 When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. 9 Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” 10 He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.” 11 “Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.” 13 Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?” “The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.”
The last few sentences are the ones that create an uncomfortable situation for all involved. God is creating some room for grace, confession, and forgiveness. But all that Adam and Eve want to do is blame one another and ultimately, God for the situation they find themselves in. How often do we do this same thing?
It is uncomfortable to take responsibility for our actions. It is almost so painful that we simply don’t do it. Like Adam and Eve, we are willing to blame other people, blame God but rarely blame ourselves for where we are.
What would happen if we were willing to be very present in our understanding of who and what we are? If we all were willing to stand up and speak to the reality of what we had put ourselves through, while at the same time creating a space for grace for not just ourselves but for others as well, I think we would create communities that were more than just full of belonging, but full of hope, of honesty, and of deep and abiding connections with one another and with God.L
JOURNAL:
- Have you lived your life taking responsibility for your actions or avoiding that responsibility?
- What does this story tell us about our willingness to accept the blame for our actions?
- Would you be willing to take responsibility today for something uncomfortable for you or those around you? What would that look like?
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