Reflection
As well as the naturally supernatural moments mentioned in yesterday’s post, God’s river flows through all the seasons and rhythms of life. Many of us have been learning about this in new ways, learning new habits of practising the presence of God in the whole of life. Maybe you are unfamiliar or uncomfortable with phrases like ‘spiritual disciplines’ or ‘contemplative prayer’. That’s okay. Try what John Ortberg calls it: ‘the with God life’. It is about recognising the rhythms of the river in everyday life, and in all the different stages and seasons of life. We maybe lying beside quiet waters to restore our souls. Or maybe the breakers are breaking over us – we feel overwhelmed – but we still hear deep calling unto deep. Or we are experiencing the scary excitement of whitewater rafting. In all these different rhythms of the river, we can learn to live with God in all of life, cultivating the disciplines or habits that help us to practise God’s presence in everyday life – prayer, meditation, reading Scripture, silence, service etc. We see a church where we are all helping each other learn the habits of ‘the with God life’ so that we are a people continually aware of his presence.
Prayer
Father, thank you that you are always with us. We want to know your presence not just in great gatherings of worship, or at special moments; we want to walk with you in our everyday lives. Help us to cultivate the habits that enable us to be more and more aware of you each day. And help us to help each other to do this. Amen.