02 April 2007

Workbook Heebie Jeebies

Workbooks freak me out. Can I just say this without offending anyone here in my own little corner of the blogosphere? No offense intended. I have a dear friend who delights in them. I am waaaayy too compulsive - and have to fill in every blank - and not only that - I must write nicely. These are obsessive compulsive tendencies are derived directly from years of elementary school education. I just can't leave a blank undone. What does one with this issue do with a Bible study workbook? It makes me feel fake - because whether I've pondered the issue or not - I must have an answer every time. Yes, some are easy enough - the answer to the questions are direct and found easily in the material. But what about the spiritual issues with more depth? I have to mull those over in my mind. I took the Experiencing God study because our previous church required it for membership - and like a good little student, I filled in every blank. In all sincerity, I got little out of it. Later, when I was a leader of the group, and was able to use my first book that was already completed and able then to just focus on the material, I benefited far more from the lessons. Today I started a new Blackaby bible study for the Sunday School class we have started attending called, "When God Speaks". The information in this first lesson was basic. I didn't find the information to be difficult, but the two questions at the end of the chapter hanging in the air are completely unsettling to me -
  • What did God say to you during your study today?
  • What will you do as a result?
I feel like perhaps I should have had a major revelation from God during this time, but I didn't. God usually speaks to me when I'm doing the dishes, or making a bed, often taking a shower. I find it difficult to fit the relationship - I talk to God and then I listen to see what He has to say - into a workbook format. Yes, sometimes it does come very clearly and suddenly - but other times it is a process. Is there an elementary school purgatory for those of us who cannot fill in all the spiritual blanks? The Bible studies that ask these things of me come across cheesy, even if there is depth in the rest of the material.
Can anybody feel my pain?
I'm off to take some Benadryl - I think the whole thing gave me hives!

2 comments:

  1. I can totally feel your pain!! As a person struggling to renew my relationship with God, I would not be able to fill in probably half the stuff that you did.

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  2. I've written a couple of posts about my distaste for workbooks too. I definitely think there are more effective ways of teaching and learning. We don't use many in our schooling, and those we do use are mainly used orally.

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