Encountering God

I’ve struggled this week with what to focus on for Sunday’s service and message. Partly it’s that there are so many directions possible in Genesis 18:1-15 when the three strangers visit Abraham and Sarah mid-day and pronounce that a baby is coming in ‘due season’. Among others, there’s the over-the-top hospitality offered these unexpected guests and the fact that Sarah laughs about their news and then denies it. It being Reformation Sunday, there’s the idea of how well we play with others within and outside our family of denominations and even outside the church itself. And then there’s the Hallowe’en coming up on Tuesday angle, and the fact that I’m continually concerned by the Hamas-Israel war. What to focus on indeed.

I was privileged to take in an online workshop on Wednesday led by Drs. Blair Bertrand and Andy Root titled When Church Stops Working. There was so much they shared that resonated with me, but in particular it was the solution they propose to the non-stop societal pressure to produce (and in the church, to grow membership and givings). They suggested reflection rather than agitation, and looking back on how God has acted among us, where we see God in the present moment, and what future we feel God leading us towards. It was noted that we tend to want to find our own solutions rather than wait on God’s timing.

Encounter is a word I keep coming across, and the workshop was no exception. In that case, it was about how crucial it is for those of us in the church to come together and truly hear, see and serve each other. It makes us more Christ-like, they said, and more of who we were meant to be. I took notice as I had been reflecting on Genesis 18 and the time and attention Abraham gave these strangers as he realized they weren’t just anyone. I’m sure any wayward traveler in the desert would have been warmly welcomed as per the custom of that time and place, but this had a different feel. Abraham’s antennae were up and he picked up on this being a divine appointment.

Covid collapsed so many social skills for so many in society. Niceties of how to speak to others and play well with them and put their needs first have had to be re-learned for many of us. Covid often made us reclusive, suspicious and untrusting out of fear and anxiety. The idea of welcoming strangers into our homes was already falling off the radar, but now? Highly unlikely for most. Sharing a meal? With the many diet restrictions out there and high grocery costs, again, unlikely for many. And yet so much is lost when we don’t have to do the work of being face to face, breaking bread together and truly seeing, hearing and serving each other.

As Hebrews 13:1 reminds us, by offering hospitality some have entertained angels without knowing it. As we offer welcome and treat the other as though they were Jesus Himself, our self-obsession is tempered and we move out of ourselves in order to meet the needs of the one in front of us. In serving we find purpose and meaning. And in that slowing down and intentional focus on the other, we may just pick up on important insight or even a message from God that we need to hear.

It’s good to reflect back on when we feel we’ve encountered God and how God has been with us. When the present can seem out of control, the reminder of God’s past faithfulness can bolster and guide us. When we reflect daily on how God impacted what we did or turned up in a surprising way, through conversation or media or reading or in a breathtaking sunset, we are grounded in the reality that God is on our journey alongside us. We find reassurance when, like Abraham, our antennae are up and we are tuned in to sensing God’s presence.

I pray that as difficult times continue close to home and around the world, you are able to not only find solace in scripture and prayer but also in recognizing God reaching out to you in surprising ways. I pray that you can believe that God is able to do the impossible and remember that laughter is good for the soul. I pray that you can experience many healing encounters that restore our collective humanity and illumine the divine image in each of us.