who is God for?

In my preparations for an up coming class that I get to team each – we as a faculty – needed a few case studies to open up the kinds of conversations that might help us to bring into our learning environment conversations that we could, then step back from and learn about community but have meta-conversations about our conversations. This is one of the case studies that I wrote, not sure if we will use it but…

After 13 years of trying to start a family and failing with nearly every option on the infertility menu – and in the process exhausting both their emotional and financial resources – Amy and Barb were done. 

While reading Saturday’s Religious Section of the newspaper Barb noticed a local church that was having a Hannah’s Prayer service.  The newspaper ad promised a community blessing with a time prayer for couples seeking to have a child and information regarding support groups with others in similar situations. 

Though Amy and Barb were more than a little skeptical of visiting a church, their need for hope and healing outweighed the hurt of their past. 

It felt surprising good to walk into the church building and to look at some of resources displayed on the folding tables in the narthex.  After picking up a few brochures they found seats and settled in.  As the service began, personal story after personal story was told of people touched by infertility, woven together with Scripture narratives and music.  The muted sounds of sobbing throughout the sacred space were apparent to everyone; surely, this was a holy moment. 

Amy and Barb sat with tears streaming down their cheeks, so present to the moment that when the invitation for couples to come forward to be specifically prayed for by pastors and elders was offered, they simply stood up, and walked down the side aisle.  They stood out.  As soon as they arrived at the altar a gracious yet troubled-looking elder began walking toward them.  He asked Amy and Barb to join him in the Pastor’s study for a conversation.

Who is God for?

Peace, dwight