Enthusiasm :: 9 of 31 Days of Blogging :: Join

Day 9 :: Join

Joining the BSF Leader’s circle … Everyone is so incredibly enthusiastic about BSF.  I keep being asked, “Isn’t BSF wonderful?” and it makes me wonder if I am in the wrong place.  BSF is a good bible study.  It keeps us in the word and asks questions that require us to pay attention.  The notes that are passed out every week as a sort of “answer key” give a rather dry, but accurate explanation of what the text means.  It is good.  But is not the only bible study out there and there are pros and cons to each. BSF is very organized and structured; that means that we cover the lesson exactly as planned, but we don’t have space to really get to know people.  I attend another bible study where we don’t always get all the way through the homework, but we have time to share our struggles and what it going on in our life and how the lesson affected us.  There are times I really like each style and other times that both style annoy me.

 So I have been wondering how enthusiastic I need to be about something to join it.  My husband says enthusiasm really isn’t necessary.  He is the sort of person who very rarely gets enthusiastic about things, but he joins organizations and serves in ministry opportunities and is happy enough if he was able to play a role in helping people be more efficient.  He tells me that if someone says something based in emotion, like “Isn’t BSF wonderful?” his response will be a factual one, like “I appreciated the section on God’s holiness.”  By responding with a factual statement, he allows the other person to either accept that as agreeing enthusiasm or provide their own factual statements, which might start a real discussion. 

 But the only thing I can think to say in response to “isn’t BSF wonderful?” is “Well, it’s a lot of work.”  That really doesn’t feel like an appropriate response.  I am enthusiastic about the children’s program, which I guess is why I am a Children’s Leader.  I continue to be amazed how much my four and two year old daughters learn, so when people talk about how wonderful the children’s program is, I can join in appropriately.  But as far as the grown-up part of what we do in BSF, it’s a bible study, a very organized bible study.