Connected to God’s Presence & to Each Other

Relate to God through a Two-Way Conversation of speaking and listening

Our God desires to be in relationship with us, and like any relationship, we are to engage in conversation with the Lord, both talking to Him and listening to Him. We typically call this prayer. Now, while many of us have been taught that prayer is simply about asking for our needs and the needs of others, there is so much more to prayer that that.

Intercession and petition is an important part of the conversation, but we can also thank God, praise Him for who He is and what He has done, lament the things that are broken in the world, and offer up our lives to Him. We can also just chat casually with the Lord throughout the day as we would do with any friend, listen to the Lord’s voice as we reflect on Scripture and life, and sit in stillness with the Lord, simply enjoying His company

Recognize God’s presence in the Ordinary stuff of life

God is always present with us and desires to reveal Himself to us, sometimes in “mountaintop experiences”, but most of the time in subtle and ordinary ways.  God also wants to care for us and His world.  Thus, we are invited to live life “sacramentally”, recognizing the intrinsic worth of things, as well as recognizing God’s presence in the ordinarycircumstances of our lives – our sleeping, playing, working, creating, and relationships.  Then we are to relate to God through these circumstances, bringing them into conversation with Him, thanking Him for His gifts, and asking for provision, help, and guidance.

Revel in the Beauty of Creation, created things, and God Himself

God created a world of beauty and joy in which we feel deep resonance , and He created usto be makers of beauty and participants in joy.  And God Himself is the ultimate definition and source of all beauty and joy. 

Therefore, we are invited to worship our Lord, gaze upon on His Beauty,  and revere Him.  We are also invited to revel in beauty & joy wherever we find it – whether it is found in God’s Creation; art, music, architecture, writing, technology, scientific discovery, relationships, etc.  And then, we are to allow this beauty and joy to do its deep work of nourishment and healing within us and to connect us to our Lord.

Reframe suffering in light of the Cross & Meet Jesus in pain & difficulty

The life of a follower of Jesus is full of ups and downs, joys and sorrows, triumphs and pains, and gifts and sacrifices.  Though we would like to avoid all the hard things – sorrow, pain, trauma, hurt, and even God’s felt absence at times, we cannot do so as long as we live in this broken world and contend with our own broken and sinful lives.  Yet the good news is that having suffered himself, Jesus understands and is present with us in our suffering.  Moreover, Jesus’ death and resurrection changes everything because it shows us that life can come from death.  Indeed, Jesus is always at work, bringing beauty, love, and life from the ashes of our lives.  Thus, we can reframe our lives in light of the cross, drawing close to Jesus, experiencing His “presence in absence”, receiving His resurrection life, and walking in the pattern of Jesus’ cruciform life.  We can also relate to others who are suffering, showing empathy, being “wounded healers”, and  encountering Jesus in the “distressing disguise” of the poor and suffering.