Present

"I believe that the Holy Spirit really does offer to lead or guide or give direction to human beings - ordinary people.  He wants to do this for all of us.

"We can all learn how to be open to the promptings of the Spirit.  They are not reserved for the elite or for leaders only or for "important people."  They are not reserved for people who work as pastors or missionaries.  They are not reserved for people who are 'more spiritual' than you.  The Holy Spirit can and will give direction to us if we desire it.

"You may be right on the verge of experiencing this.  Your adventure is about to begin..."

But why do I never hear God's voice?

"I believe that one reason why we fail to hear God speak is that we are not attentive.  We suffer from what might be called 'spiritual mindlessness...'  It is a failure to be fully present, a lack of attending to the present moment.  In such a state, we go on autopilot..."
--John Ortberg, "The Life You've Always Wanted"

We spent a whole month talking about fasting...  making room for the important things and our faith, by cutting out the distractions. Maybe we all need to fast a few moments a day - to be attentive and focused on what God may be saying to us.

I'm writing this the morning after Open Sanctuary.  That is one way to find focus, to be in the moment.  There's nothing like staring at the flickering candles, soaking up the beauty of the space, and feeling completely at peace and in God's presence.  Do you need some space to put aside for God to speak?

Thursdays, 5-7pm.  The sanctuary is waiting.