Amazing Saturday

For weeks a group of women from my church have been working on a Women's Conference based on the book "Sacred Pathways" by Gary Thomas. We had read it and discussed it together and decided that the ideas needed to be shared.

The premise of the book is that we all connect to God in different ways and that each way is acceptable to God. There is the Traditionalist, the Intellectual, the Enthusiast, the Sensate, the Activist, the Caregiver, the Ascetic, the Contemplative and the Naturalist.

Our work came to fruition Saturday morning at 9:00am. We had about 20 women in attendance.
We began with the Traditionalist and ended with the Sensate. My part was the Enthusiast. We connect with God through enthusiastic worship - songs, dance, instruments, prayer and anticipation.

Each woman's section was unique and wonderful and even if it was not the way I connect with God, it gave me an insight into the people who use other pathways. We even went out to a park to find God in nature. Even though the wind was a little chilly, everyone enjoyed it.

We ended the day with the Sensate. The person who finds God through her senses - sight, smell, sound, touch and taste. We had several stations to experience these senses - hand washing (we decided against foot washing!), communion, annointing with oil, candles to light and a place to pray. While we were doing that music played and beautiful pictures of women in the Bible were displayed on the screens. It was inspiring.

When we parted at 4:30 or so, we had all bonded in a special way.

I encourage any of you out there to create a workshop or conference for the women in your church and see what wonderful things God will do with it - far beyond what you could hope for or imagine.