Rev. Glenn ChaffinNewThoughtStudy.com
Relation Ships
• “I knew the ship was sunk before I ever set foot onboard”. Seneca
Battle Ship
• Shouting Orders
• Danger
• Crisis
• At war[What did Seneca say?]
Sailing Ship
• “I didn't know it would be so much work.”
• Constantly Correcting Course
• Mutiny
Cargo Ship
• Tons of Goods
• No Fun
• Slow Boat to ...?
Cruise Ship
• Life's a Party
• I'm a Passenger
Canoe
• In the midst of nature's beauty …
• “Sit down, sit down sit down! Sit down -you’re rocking the boat”
• “Shut up! You’re rocking the boat”.
Boat Rocking Strategies
• Time Management – “It’s Now or Never”! / “When”? / Curfew, Curtail, Control
• $ Management – Allow-ance / Saving / Benefit and Tax / Pay to Play
• Weight Management – throw your weight around / Prioritize / Burden
• Personnel Management – Rule / Judge / Persuade / Promise / Policy / Police
• Who is rocking the boat?
Walking the Plank
• Balance:– relative "weight" & relative "distance" from pivot point
• Weight: – add another person, bricks of gold, burdens, baggage, etc.
• Distance: – we move toward or away from the pivotal point of the relationship,
seeking balance.
• Pivotal Point:– it’s what we are going back and forth, over and over, up and down on!
Balancing Acts• MASTER /\ SLAVE
PARENT /\ CHILDOWNER /\ PET – The pivotal point is Self-awareness.
• DIVORCE /\ MARRIAGE– The pivotal point is Giving.
• WINNING /\ LOSING– The pivotal point is Self-worth.
• TAKING /\ GIVING– The pivotal point is Fulfillment.
• LISTEN /\ SPEAK– The pivotal point is Recognition.
• JUDGMENT /\ LOVEANGER /\ ACCEPTANCEWRESTLE /\ EMBRACE– The pivotal point is agreement.
Equality
• Premise 1: We are never = , therefore we must seek balance to express love.– equality cannot be established by a balancing act
because … – we can't keep up the balancing act in the midst of
change; and because …– equality IS; and nothing we do, while thinking it isn't,
will ever overcome our ignorance. • Premise 2:
We are = , therefore we express love and things balance out.
Relation Ship with God?
• God is the ocean, not the Captain of our Relation Ship.
• We are not in a Relation Ship with God, because we are one with God.
• If you are one with the Infinite, then you are equal to any one, deserving of their love, respect and gifts.
• We don't seek a personal relationship with God. We express God personally in all relationships.