In the Thursday afternoon session, we looked at various ways that women and men will interact with truth (both subjective and objective).  There are many men and women who never deal with truth at all, because they *actually* believe that they are powerless.  They are convinced subconsciously that they are subject to the whims of more powerful people outside themselves.  There are also people who are able to understand that while truth is objective, truth is also subjective according to our culture, environment and experience.  There are valid objective AND subjective methods and strategies for knowing truth.  (Think like a missionary, anyone?)

This has given incredible perspective on some people in my church who constantly ask me “Why are we even asking this question?”  I have always felt this might be an attack on me and my leadership.  But perhaps it is a sign of their well-developed strategy to know God’s truth!  Perhaps it’s not an attack!  (Some people do attack, because they are defending an agenda, but there are some who legitimately are being like the Bereans (Acts 17:11).

As we finish up these two weeks, I’m now more confident than ever that I hardly know my own church and I need to know my audience better and their culture!