18 Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” 19 And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” 21 Then the Lord said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. 22 When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”

Exodus 33:18-23

Whether we are charged to live into our identity as being made in the image of God, or whether we are seeking to be apprentices of Jesus, we are called to be people who do God’s will, and who empowered by the Holy Spirit, proclaim and share about God’s presence with us. Perhaps, that is why during Advent we name Jesus as “Immanuel, God with Us.”

The supervisor of my current educational program I am enrolled in wrote a book nearly eight years ago called Faithful Presence. Faithful Presence is an insightful and biblically grounded book. It challenges folks like you and me to engage in seven spiritual practices. Each of these practices is found in the Scripture, and each speaks of God being with believers in a unique and powerful way in the lives of believers and in the community of faith (the church) when folks engage in these disciplines as missionaries to the people in their towns and neighborhoods. I am challenged and renewed every time I read it.

The disciplines mentioned include the following: The Ministry of the Table, Reconciliation, Proclaiming the Gospel, Being with the “Lease of These”, Being with Children, Shared Leadership and Responsibility according to Spiritual Gifts, and Kingdom Prayer. All of these can and should be engaged in wherever you are in your spiritual journey. When you do them in Christ’s name, all of these practices will also help you and your friends experience God’s presence in a powerful way, especially when you engage in these actions with that intention. These practices should take place in our churches, our neighborhoods, and out in the world—even though they may look different in each context.

Let us look at short-term mission trips in youth ministry as an example. Youth Mission trips are such a powerful part of youth ministry. These trips take teenagers out of their normal routines, put them in an unfamiliar place where they need to depend on God more, and then they engage in at least three or four of these missional practices where God empowers and enlightens you as you go out in his name, and experience his presence at the same time. There is much debate about whether short-term mission trips have an impact on those they serve. However, participants in these trips are often deeply transformed because they have removed distractions and, with intentionality, opened themselves up to experience the powerful presence of God in amazing ways. 

I think the challenge for many of us in our spiritual journeys is that we just expect transformation to simply happen. We don’t, as Brother Lawrence said, practice the presence of God. To paraphrase Christian leader Dallas Willard, “Grace is opposed to earning, but it is not opposed to effort.” God’s grace and presence with us are always gift, but there is an intentionality of action that facilitates our noticing, marinating, and living dependent on that powerful presence.

My question for you now is, are you living your life with CLEAR INTENTION to be God’s people SEEKING to experience his presence? Do you come to worship and participate in ministry with a sense of joy and expectation? Are you actively listening for the lesson God may have for you each day? Are you orienting your life in a way in which all of your moments are lived with an awareness of the truth that God is with you? Do you have an expectant attitude about what God is doing in your local church and in the ABCRM? Does that intentionality and seeking attitude make its way into your personal life and your life in the world? If not, why not? Are you taking responsibility for your spiritual life or blaming others for your struggles? Are you able to get your eyes off yourself, to see what others need and what God is doing? Are you LONGING for God, or are you just seeking to live comfortably and easily? Start to ponder these things and start to imagine what could happen if we were passionate about being God’s people, experiencing and sharing his presence. It is amazing what God can do if we open ourselves to God’s working in and through us.

Prayer



God, let us open ourselves to noticing and living in your presence and serving you and your gospel by sharing that presence with others.

Amen.

By Rev. Rodney Perry

Ministry and Mission Coach

American Baptist Churches of the Rocky Mountains