If God does indeed show up, in and around us, then how do we know? How do we tune in? How can we tell the difference between just “feeling good” and feeling God?
Those questions get at the heart of what last Thursday’s Bread for your journey gathering was all about. Feel free to step inside and do your own pondering as I recall how it went…
After checking in with one another, lighting our central candle, and connecting with God through prayer, we got into our rhythm of reading/candlelighting/prayer, starting with this:
What was so near
“I didn’t know what was so near, or that it was mine.
This perfect sweetness blossoming in the depths of my heart.”
Tagore’s poem makes me think about the inward/outward journey and how we are led, little by little, to treasure what we didn’t know was so near, or that it was ours. Finding “this perfect sweetness blossoming in the depths of my heart” should be so simple but proves to be a lifetime’s search, and basically proves to be impossible, in my experience, if we don’t seek it, resist it, ponder it, embrace it, loathe it, love it, sometimes leave it … together, in community.
Excerpt from “I didn’t know what was so near” by Kayla McClurg on inwardoutward.org
God, it’s sometimes hard to know what is treasure and what is not. Sometimes we miss the wonders you’ve planted around us, and sometimes we just don’t know what to think. Thank you for showing up this evening, in this community. Thank you for all the communities of our lives that help us to figure out where the treasure is, where you are, where you are showing up around us. In your name we pray… amen.
And a second reading followed by words of prayer:
Mark 4:26-29
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%204:26-29;&version=65;
So we have this picture, God, of seeds being thrown all over the place. And they’re growing… all by themselves, all over your world. Help us to absorb this reality, that the seeds of your presence are here, there, and everywhere. Bless our conversation tonight, that we might grow in the knowledge of how you are at work, all around us and through us. In your name we pray… amen.
And a third reading is a song by Jason Mraz, which you can hear/read with this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VzUPZ0heAU
God, this songwriter seems sure that you are moving through us… and also that you rest in reason. Help us to reason together where you are present, how you are moving, and what we are to do about it. In your name we pray… amen.
Our time of discussion followed… quite a powerful time of digging into the readings and finding pieces of our own stories to provide insight for one another. Here are some questions/comments to guide you into your own ponderings:
What’s the most unusual place you’ve ever noticed God showing up? (if at all) It’s a good question for two reasons:
~ Some tend to keep God in their own “boxes”, seeing God active in certain “holy” places/times, rather than in surprising unexpected spots, and:
~ Some go through their lives never expecting God to show up at all, and miss out on the many opportunities to connect and be empowered.
Thoughts on the first reading:
When (if at all) have you noticed that “perfect sweetness blossoming” in your life?
Kayla mentions the importance of “community” in understanding (and struggling with) the experiences of God that we treasure.
~ What are the dangers of assuming, all on our own, that we know what God is saying to us and how biblical texts are directing us? How do we, in community, help one another to recognize God at work?
Thoughts on the text from Mark’s book about Jesus:
God shows up by throwing out seeds, generously and thoroughly, all over the place. And those seeds grow without our input (the Greek word for this is automatos, or automatically). How much power there is in a tiny seed (!), sown by God, all set to grow.
~ It’s humbling (appropriately so) to become aware that God’s out there accomplishing so much, without our efforts! We need to recognize how much our own limitations weigh us down and trust in God’s power to open our eyes and overwhelm us with grace.
And the Jason Mraz song:
What do you do when God moves through you? Do you say, “I do”?
~ When we have profound experiences of God’s presence and unconditional love, what do we do with them? Just use them to feel good about ourselves and our choices? Or do we take them as challenges to share the wealth of God’s generous love?
To take this all one step further, consider these words of Jesus on seeing God show up, not in some holy cathedral or in a miracle of nature or in the kindness of a friend… but in really awful circumstances, surprising and tragic and disconcerting:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2025:34-40;&version=65;
So what do YOU do when God moves through you? when God shows up in strange places and ways? Add to our discussion here, if you like. And do feel free to come and join by the way next Thursday as we continue to journey onward in faith.
Peace,
Kari
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3 comments:
God has spoken to me in the past, I believe through other people and things that have happened, that could only have happened by a power greater than us; some folks call them God moments.
But there has been only one time that I can honestly say that I physically felt God's presence very strongly. In May of 2000, I attended an organizing meeting for what is now The Greater Nashua Interfaith Hospitality Network (GNIHN)in Hudson, NH. The group did not want to talk about it anymore, they wanted to start the process to develop this ministry. Well it seems they needed someone to facilitate the process, someone who could organize the process. Well, sitting there among the crowd was I, who said to myself that I'm good at organizing, but then, I have too much on my plate right now. It was then I felt someone pushing my shoulder and saying, "Get up there, you can do it. You need to do this!" I turned around to say, No, I don't have the time - when I realized that no one was behind me. It was God pushing me on my shoulder and I arguing with Him. Well He won and I did get up and then I enlisted the help of four more folks after I was told that the facilitator becomes the first President of the Board.
It has been a little over nine years since that day and GNIHN will be celebrating 5 years in operation and growth. I will never forget the long road it was, certainly not without its obstacles, but with numerous rewards along the way. I enjoyed every new thing I learned and experienced, which I would not have had - if I had said NO to God when He came.
Moral of my blog... You can fight with God, but He always wins. You'll want Him to win!
Thanks so much, Helen. What a powerful story! And what an amazing blessing GNIHN has been to our community and to so many familes in transition. I'm breathing a prayer of thanks for you, for your "yes", for God's shoving hand...
When God Shows up in your daily life... smack when you least expect it. ARE U READY...
( few years ago, god knocked on my door, and kept knocking...)
In the past before I got baptized, or had a really strong friend in faith to explain what was happening. I was searching for something deeper, every time GOD showed up.
I'd get so scared, shocked, confused, excited. BUT my action were funny and like any normal human...I got on my "running shoes".
Trust me I am not proud of my responses.
It's scary to think about how much GOD knows exactly what YOU NEED. Without even words aloud. Amazing isn't it?
TODAY. I am proud to say that I don't get on my running shoes, I hit it head on every time HE shows up. :) We are limitless when god choose to use us to help others.
It you want to hear true, funny, inspiring stories , seriously don't hesitate to ask ME. I could write a book w/ all the times god showed up and how I was blown out of the water.
I opted not to post them cause they are long.
But just hoping that the "candid responses"
will help someone new to the faith...
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