¶324.9a: Describe your personal experience of God and the understanding of God you derive from biblical, theological, and historical sources.
I understand God as Trinitarian – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. My first experience of God happened after Grandfather died, and Mom taught me to pray a common child’s prayer entitled “Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep.” I have a distinct memory of God’s prevenient presence during our prayer. I came to understand justifying grace through the teaching of The Lord’s Prayer (United Methodist Hymnal [UMH] 270) by my second grade Sunday school teacher, and went before the church to confess Jesus is Lord. My life changed as I acknowledged Jesus is the One who could save me from the sin in my life. I was later baptized. Through worship experiences that included …show more content…
During college, I experienced a party lifestyle and it was during this time I experienced God as Redeemer. Directly following college, I married my husband; and we explored churches that would blend our faith traditions. During this time of spiritual redirection in our lives, the Scriptures that God brought to mind were the difficult ministries of the prophets, particularly Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1-3). We attended a non-denominational church where a pastor affirmed my call to ministry and urged me to attend Asbury Theological Seminary. While at seminary, I sensed that I had found my spiritual home. The Scriptures that spoke most to me during my time at seminary was the call of the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah (Isaiah 6, Jeremiah 1). I had mentors who influence my ministry style to this very day including Bob Tuttle (evangelism and prayer), Steve Seamands (doctrine and prayer), Donald Boyd (worship), and Jerry Mercer (narrative preaching). At seminary my sense of call grew as well as my love for Wesleyan theology, doctrine, and
I understand God as Trinitarian – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. My first experience of God happened after Grandfather died, and Mom taught me to pray a common child’s prayer entitled “Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep.” I have a distinct memory of God’s prevenient presence during our prayer. I came to understand justifying grace through the teaching of The Lord’s Prayer (United Methodist Hymnal [UMH] 270) by my second grade Sunday school teacher, and went before the church to confess Jesus is Lord. My life changed as I acknowledged Jesus is the One who could save me from the sin in my life. I was later baptized. Through worship experiences that included …show more content…
During college, I experienced a party lifestyle and it was during this time I experienced God as Redeemer. Directly following college, I married my husband; and we explored churches that would blend our faith traditions. During this time of spiritual redirection in our lives, the Scriptures that God brought to mind were the difficult ministries of the prophets, particularly Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1-3). We attended a non-denominational church where a pastor affirmed my call to ministry and urged me to attend Asbury Theological Seminary. While at seminary, I sensed that I had found my spiritual home. The Scriptures that spoke most to me during my time at seminary was the call of the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah (Isaiah 6, Jeremiah 1). I had mentors who influence my ministry style to this very day including Bob Tuttle (evangelism and prayer), Steve Seamands (doctrine and prayer), Donald Boyd (worship), and Jerry Mercer (narrative preaching). At seminary my sense of call grew as well as my love for Wesleyan theology, doctrine, and