Discussion Jumpstarter
Study leader reference - not a definitive answer
Question 10
Merle insists “There is a God, and it’s not me… he is sovereign, but he loves me,” then tells two cases where God’s answers were not what he demanded (the dying woman’s “hand squeeze,” and the Leviticus study that unexpectedly connected with Native tradition); what do these stories reveal about God’s wisdom and purposes, and what modern Christian expectations about control, outcomes, and “successful ministry” do they unsettle?
Another way to ask: Merle says God is in control and loves him, but God didn’t answer the way Merle wanted in two stories. What do these stories teach about God’s wisdom and goals, and what expectations about control, results, and “successful ministry” do they challenge?
Discussion Jumpstarter
Direct Answer
They show that God’s wisdom can surpass our preferred outcomes, and that his purposes may include community-wide impact and unexpected connections rather than the quick, controllable results we demand. These stories unsettle the expectation that “successful ministry” means predictable plans, immediate proof, and outcomes we can manage.
- Merle states his core lesson: “There is a God, and it’s not me… God is sovereign… he’s good, and he loves me.”
- He admits he has tried to be “God’s counselor,” telling God what to do, but he rests that “he knows what he’s doing. I don’t know what he knows.”
- Dying woman: Merle wanted a clear sign—“squeeze my hand”—and he was “really mad… really angry” that God didn’t give 30 seconds of consciousness.
- God’s alternative produced wider assurance: an “old, old man” dreamed she was “in a good place… wearing… [what] Sunday school teachers wear,” and “everybody interpreted” it as she “chose the Christian way.” Merle concludes it was “so much better than what I would have done.”
- Leviticus: Merle tried to steer new believers away (“You don’t want to study Leviticus… it’s not interesting”), expecting it to “fall apart.”
- Instead, Leviticus connected deeply to Native practices (sacrifice parallels, smudging-like cleansing, land belonging to God), leading to the insight that their tradition “pointed to Christ,” strengthening inclusion and witness.