God's Presence

I have been doing some thinking about the “church thing” lately. I have a confession to make to you. No, that's not true. It is not a confession. It is more a statement about my spiritual journey. Last week, I skipped church, I did not go to a 'house of worship' with other believers. No, that's not true either. I did go to church, but I did not go to what we would consider to be a 'house of worship' like we normally think of them.

As a matter of fact, I was with other believers. I was with my family. And I did go to 'church.'

I took my grand-dog, Max, on a long, slow walk along the Chicago shores of Lake Michigan. I sat on concrete barriers holding back the gentle, persistent waves. I watched a row of perhaps 20 sailing ships heading into the free and open water. I just sat and watched the water. There were sunbathers, bikers, joggers, family, and even a wedding – on a perfect day and in a perfect place.

It was there that I experienced God. It was there, with the warm sun and a dog that I 'went to church.' It wasn't like I 'talked' to God, or that he 'spoke' to me. But for me, it was just the kind of 'church' that I needed.

How often have I (How often do we) go about our lives from one appointment to another, from one chore at home to another, from work to home to sleep. From work to home to sleep. From work to home to sleep. Weary and tired. Drink more coffee. Go to bed late. Get up early. ----Whatever happened to 'the moment?'

You see, it is in these Precious moments that God often has “church” with us. It may be in a church, but it may also be on a plane ride. It may be in a cathedral or a state park. It may happen when we are holding our children or grandchildren. It may happen during your morning devotions or at lunch away from the office. It may happen as you stare into the night sky or into a pages of a great novel.

The presence of Almighty God seems to reach out to us at unexpected times and in odd ways. Indeed, it seems that God does most of the reaching.

Remembering my experience along the shores of Lake Michigan kind of made me wonder: why would anyone want to come to the 'house of worship' anyway? The out-of-doors cathedral is so beautiful and majestic. Any of these venues invite, even lure us into the presence of the Almighty.

And so it is with our two readings here today that we are offered some insights into the presence of the Lord. In Psalm 29, the focus is on the powerful voice of the Lord. The voice of the Lord here is associated with the thunder and lighting, the mighty waters, the floods, which can bring cedars and great forests to complete ruin. Surely at various times God addresses his creation in these ways. And we would be wise to pay attention. But, we would also be wise not to read God's words into every destructive act of nature.

It is this Presence which we desire and seek when we come to worship, whether in our 'house of worship' or in the house of His Majestic Creation. This presence is not something that we can conjure up (though many try to do this). Indeed, if we were honest there are many times that we have tried to stir up God's presence in the same way we try to cook up some soup. We keep adding different ingredients for just the right effect. The problem is that not all soup tastes good. Likewise, our efforts to elicit God's presence often taste as flat as that soda that been sitting in your glass on the counter since yesterday. We read about Isaiah's call and realize how disconnected it is for us in our real existence. It may be helpful for us to recall that this only happened once in his life. And in spite of the visions that Isaiah recorded, they really are not the norm – even for Isaiah. So, let us remember that Isaiah had years just like us, experiencing God's presence just like us.

My observation is that God's presence is around us, all the time – but that we have been misinformed about how God speaks and reveals his presence to us. Somehow, somewhere we were fed this bill of goods indoctrinating us to the belief that it is in the 'house of worship' that we are supposed to encounter God's presence. This is really Old Testament Tabernacle/Temple stuff that does not really apply for us as New Testament believers. For Paul tells us that Christ is in us, which is the hope of glory. We do not need to come to church to find Christ. He resides in us by His Spirit.

The idea that the 'house of worship' is where we encounter God his has had two negative effects. First, we are completely missing 167 hours of opportunities for worship (or experience His presence) during the rest of the week. Sitting on the porch. Walking the dog. Jogging. I 'shuffled' in the Sunburst 5K yesterday. The sun was bright, the trees were green. People were cheering and encouraging us on from their front lawns. I thought to myself again about the majesty of God. There He is again.

The other negative effect (of the idea that we encounter God primarily in our 'house of worship' during one hour a week), is the one hour that we do devote to is under intense pressure to deliver the desired product. In other words, the less we are aware of his presence during the other 167 hours, the more demanding we are that it must happen during the one hour that we want that to happen. If it is to happen in that one hour, then everything must be perfect. The music, the sound, the scripture, the preaching, the specials, and let's not forget the ambiance and temperature of the place. And if our perception of God's presence in that 60 minute time frame falls short of our expectations, then we may choose to go someplace where that can happen. And usually that means that we want to feel good about God's presence.

Most of us gauge our own experience of the presence of God on the yardstick of how good we feel after the Sunday Morning Church Service. I hasten to point out to you that Isaiah's experience was markedly different. Isaiah became undone and simply said

Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!

Upon realizing our true inadequacy for very real sin, God is then able to rush in and cleanse us which is demonstrated in the story as the seraph touches Isaiah's tongue with a live hot coal. This removes all guilt and atones for Isaiah's sin.

But that is not the end of the story. God did not simply share his presence, enjoy Isaiah's prostrating before him, and granting him cleansing. No, God was offering an opportunity. God offered Isaiah an opportunity to respond. God asked rhetorically, who he could send? Again he asked, who would go? We note also that Isaiah really had no idea of what the task would be, but he volunteered nonetheless.

And so we have discovered in this story 4 of the key elements of true worship.
1. Encountering God's presence
2. Our coming undone, the awareness of our real sin
3. Cleansing (the guilt is taken away and the real sin atoned for)
4. Something often changes (our response)

There are times when we read the scripture that these powerful examples are the norm. I am not convinced of that. I need only return to one of my favorite Bible passages for a glimpse of the end of Elijah's ministry in II Kings 19. God had just defeated the prophets of Baal through the ministry of Elijah. But when Ahab went crying back to Jezebel, Jezebel threatened to kill Elijah. So, Elijah became terrified and went in hiding. When God asked him why he was in the wilderness, Elijah complained that he was the only one left and now they are trying to kill me. Here's how God responded:
Then he was told, "Go, stand on the mountain at attention before God. God will pass by."
A hurricane wind ripped through the mountains and shattered the rocks before God, but God wasn't to be found in the wind; after the wind an earthquake, but God wasn't in the earthquake; and after the earthquake fire, but God wasn't in the fire; and after the fire a gentle and quiet whisper.
When Elijah heard the quiet voice, he muffled his face with his great cloak, went to the mouth of the cave, and stood there. A quiet voice asked, "So Elijah, now tell me, what are you doing here?" Elijah said it again, "I've been working my heart out for God, the God-of-the-Angel-Armies, because the people of Israel have abandoned your covenant, destroyed your places of worship, and murdered your prophets. I'm the only one left, and now they're trying to kill me."
God said, "Go back the way you came through the desert to Damascus. When you get there anoint Hazael; make him king over Aram. Then anoint Jehu son of Nimshi; make him king over Israel. Finally, anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Anyone who escapes death by Hazael will be killed by Jehu; and anyone who escapes death by Jehu will be killed by Elisha. Meanwhile, I'm preserving for myself seven thousand souls: the knees that haven't bowed to the god Baal, the mouths that haven't kissed his image."

And so here on the mountain, in the middle of nowhere, God announces to Elijah, the great prophet of God, that God's presence will pass by. About that time there is a great and mighty wind that tears up the mountain – it is that powerful. It shatters rocks. And yet, the great, Almighty God of the Universe is not to be found in this great wind.

Then along comes an earthquake. If I were Elijah, having just been subjected to such forceful winds that rocks were shattered and now an earthquake, I believe I'd be moving away from the mountain. But Elijah does not move, for he is waiting for the presence of the Lord. And still God does not show up.

Then there is a fierce fire and still God does not show up.

Wait, the wind, the earthquake, and the fire have all subsided. There is no more wind, no more shaking of the ground and the fire has been reduced to embers. And in the quiet aftermath of these natural disasters, God appears in a quiet, inquisitive and yet seemingly troubled voice. I can almost picture God kneeling down on one knee, placing a hand on Elijah's shoulder and taking one hand in his and saying, “I just don't get it, Elijah. What are doing here?” For some reason, Elijah's duplicated response indicated to God that Elijah had just ran out of gas. The tank was completely empty. There were no fumes left. He was done. And God spoke to him quietly.

God gave him a few specific instructions and assurances. God let Elijah know
1) that there were others who had remained and would still be faithful,
2) that God would punish those who had wrought destruction, and
3) that God would continue Elijah's ministry through Elisha.

God's presence is characterized in Psalm 29 as a powerful voice that can be demonstrated in the forces of nature, particularly the destructive forces.

God's presence is also characterized by the pattern of worship demonstrated in the bizarre story of Isaiah's calling. His presence undoes us, reveals our sinfulness and cleanses us in the process and moves us beyond that experience as changed people.

And then there are those times like my walk along Lake Michigan where I experience God's presence and attend 'church' all by myself.

May you experience God's presence in you lives sometime in the next 167 hours, before we meet again.