Designed for Fabulous

Life Notes—August 11, 2011

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”  Marianne Williamson

I came across a variation of this quote in the movie “Akeelah and the Bee,” on the wall of the testy old spelling coach.  I know very little about Marianne Williamson, except she’s an author and lecturer on the west coast (www.marianne.com).  I appreciate authors who take common ‘wisdom’ and turn it upside down, shaping it into truth, as she does above.  

She’s right.  We each have a legacy of greatness we can barely imagine. For example:

“So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them…” Genesis 1:27a

“…what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them? Yet you have made them a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor.”  Psalm 8:4-5

“See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are.”  1 John 3:1

The Bible is full of stories of everyday, tremendously flawed people (like us) doing marvelous things. Moses. David. Mary. Paul.  Among the heroes of the Bible are tax cheats, adulterers, murderers, criminals and prostitutes. People who might have considered themselves too fat or old or young or busy or dumb or ugly or too out-of-touch to participate in God-work.  What did they have in common?  Exactly what we share in common with them and each other today—being made in the image of God, created a little lower than God, crowned with glory and honor, children of God! 

“Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these…” John 14:12.   Believe it! Live it!  Be it! 

Tom returns to Life worship this Sunday, new knees and all.  He will be hosting a discussion about Life worship immediately following the service.  Life worship is at 9:40 in Brady Hall.  Traditional worship is at 8:30 and 11:00 in the sanctuary.  Mitch will be preaching at the west campus where contemporary worship is at 9:00 and 11:00. 

Come home to church this Sunday.  Find your fabulous and go serve the world!

Greg Hildenbrand, Life Music Coordinator