Summary –
*RevelationShip Concept: Cathy Garland discusses the concept of “revelationship,” a term that emerged from a teaching session at her father’s church. It emphasizes a dynamic relationship with God through ongoing revelations, exploring how God reveals Himself through various ways, including scripture, creation, and personal experiences.
*Suffering and Faith: Cathy shares her personal journey through significant life challenges such as divorce, child loss, and a severe car accident. Despite these hardships, her faith remained strong, and she questions why churches often fail to teach believers how to suffer well and glorify God through their suffering.
*Authentic Faith and Deconstruction: Cathy talks about the importance of authentic questioning in faith, drawing from her own deconstruction experience. She highlights the value of testing one’s beliefs and the dangers of adopting a consumer-like approach to religion by picking elements from different faiths without deeper understanding.
*Attributes of God: The discussion touches on God’s holiness as the foundation of His attributes, referencing a quote by Stephen Charnock. Cathy emphasizes that every action of God is inherently holy and serves a purpose, even if difficult to understand.
*Upcoming Works and Study Guides: Cathy mentions her upcoming book “The God Who,” which will further explore how God reveals Himself. Both this and her previous work, “Revelationship,” include study guides designed to help readers apply theological insights practically in their lives.
Podcast Intro:
My guest Cathy Garland introduces us to the word and concept of revelationship. She shares her journey of faith, which has been tested through numerous hardships, including divorce, child loss, and a car accident. These experiences have led her to develop a concept called “revelationship,” which she explains as an evolving relationship with God through revelations. Cathy emphasizes the importance of seeing God in all aspects of life, including the painful parts, and how this understanding forms the basis of her book titled Revelationship – Transformative Intimacy with Christ.
Cathy discusses the shortcomings of the church in teaching believers how to suffer and mourn well. She critiques certain prosperity-driven teachings that suggest hardships are solely a result of personal failures. Instead, she argues that suffering is a part of life and can serve as a profound teacher that draws individuals closer to God. Cathy stresses the importance of authentic mourning and the discomfort it can cause others, highlighting the cultural reluctance to face and share pain openly.
The conversation also delves into the topic of deconstruction of faith, with Cathy sharing her own experience of questioning her beliefs and how her parents, her father was a pastor, supported her exploration. She emphasizes that true faith can withstand questioning and that deconstruction should not be feared. Cathy advocates for the importance of surrender and obedience to God, suggesting that these practices help train us to resist the our human tendency to choose lesser things over what God offers us and Cathy even points out how we would easily and consistently choose the very thing that will kill us if left to our own understanding and our own desires.
Finally, Cathy discusses various ways people can experience God, such as through worship, nature, and service, noting that these are legitimate pathways to deepen one’s faith. She highlights the significance of repentance, not as a means to earn God’s forgiveness but as a process of personal growth and sanctification. As we wrapped up you’ll hear Cathy’s passion for people to understand that God actively pursues a relationship with us, and that He’s eager to reveal Himself, driven by His unwavering and holy love for us.
Live Loved and Thrive!
Other Related Podcast topics and/or blogs:
The Trouble With Jesus, Navigating Faith with Constance Hastings: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/10/09/the-trouble-with-jesus-navigating-faith-with-constance-hastings/
Relationship is Simple (Blog – Sherrie): https://alifeofthrive.com/2019/03/11/relationship-is-simple-but-it-will-take-courage/
Micro Moments with God to Grow Relationship Intimacy: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/08/14/micro-moments-with-god-to-grow-relationship-intimacy/
Connect with Cathy – Revelationship:
Revelationship site: revelationship.net
Revelationship on IG: https://www.instagram.com/seekrevelationship/
Revelationship on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seekrevelationship
Revelationship on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@seekrevelationship
Free Devotional & Study Guide: https://www.revelationship.net/devotional-and-study-guide-lp
Gracefull Garlands:
Gracefull Garlands on IG: https://www.instagram.com/gracefullgarlands
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@gracefullgarlands
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gracefullgarlands
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherinegarland/
Blog: https://cathy544.wixsite.com/gracefullgarlands (also on Revelationship.net)
Bio:
Cathy Colver Garland, oldest daughter of Dr. Randy Colver, writes Gracefull Musings, a blog providing
women a moment of rest and challenge before those little fingers appear under the bathroom door. A
former Vice-President of a software company, she currently consults with institutions and companies on
marketing, sales, and strategy. She also mentors women in professional, spiritual, and personal
development. Saved and living an “absolutely surrendered” life, her passion is to teach people to hear
God’s voice and obey, surrender their lives absolutely, and walk in freedom. She is married to
Mickey and has two children in elementary school.
Since Cathy mentioned her father (Dr. Randy Clover) as being the co-author of the book, here is his Bio:
Ordained in 1982, Dr. Randy Colver is a seasoned Bible teacher who has written numerous Bible
workbooks for class instruction and online studies. Dr. Colver received his ThD from Logos University
and is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society. Dr. Colver serves as an elder and teacher at the
Coweta Community Church. Dr. Colver and his wife, Kim, have been married for over forty years. They
have six children and fifteen grandchildren, including co-author Cathy Colver Garland. Dr. Colver
believes, “My greatest blessing is to know that all my children are serving God.“
