God is with us

All our kids, for as long as they can remember, have been raised in rural villages, so the busyness of the large cities we explored this summer was a lot. What was wonderful, though, was that we found God in our travels and in the busyness of the city. An obvious comment, perhaps, but not one we extol all that often at Rural Ministries! We all know that God is with us wherever we go, but it is always good to be reminded of it.

However, the joy of finding peace and rest in nature seems pretty universal. There is even research suggesting that blue and green spaces help us heal and relax. But through our city breaks, and through the daily routines of life back home, God has been reminding me that God is with me. And I felt as though perhaps we all need a little reminder of that this September.

For many of us, September is a busy season, bringing all sorts of things that can crowd out the slower rhythms of summer. Whatever your rhythm, I imagine there are similar points in the year when life suddenly gathers pace. I know Scotland has been back into the busyness of life for a while now, as Jon keeps reminding me! Last week Sam reminded us to discover God in this season. This week, I want to remind us that God is already with us in it.

Which brings me to that really annoying Psalm, Psalm 139:

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

I find it annoying partly because it is quoted all the time, and partly because, for introverts who often just need some space, it does not initially sound like the most comforting verse. I am not entirely sure I want God right there when I am hiding in my room, watching my favourite TV series, reading a book and sneaking chocolate. That is my time.

More seriously, though, it can feel a little unsettling. There is a disquieting notion that ‘God is always watching’ and what does it actually mean that we cannot flee from God’s presence?

That is a huge theological question, and certainly not one I can answer properly in a few hundred words. I nearly got lost in N.T. Wright’s ‘Homecoming’ theology. But for our purposes this week at Rural Ministries, I want to think about it in relation to the small routines and habits of everyday life, and the ordinary places we so easily overlook.

In slowing down a little over these past few months, there have been plenty of ordinary moments. There is the everyday monotony of washing up, tidying shoes and preparing food. And for me, there has also been the ongoing experience of being unwell for several months, with the daily wrestling involved in finding hope and peace. For many of us, ordinary life carries its own limitations, whether through neurodiversity, chronic pain, sudden illness or injury, ageing, exhaustion, or something else entirely. Rather surprisingly, these are some of the places where I have been finding God.

Yet, when it comes to church leadership, our prayers are often for the people God has called us to, the people we love and the places we love. Rightly so, but "Your kingdom come, your will be done" can quietly become something we pray for everyone else except ourselves.

Yet there is a deep intimacy that comes from turning towards God in the small moments. I think it can sometimes take us deeper than finding God only in the highs of ministry. Not because those bigger moments do not matter, they do, but the mundane moments of our lives are much more constant. If we begin to discover God there, then we are discovering God daily.

The slightly annoying thing, again, is that we cannot manufacture this. I wish I could click a switch and all of a sudden see God in everything, but it’s a lifetimes work, isn’t it. I do not think there are any shortcuts, as it involves attentiveness, noticing and slowing down. And that is hard when our lives are full.

One thing I was reminded of on holiday, surrounded by cities that were constantly moving, is that it is not really about the busyness around us. It is about the posture of our hearts. We can be in the middle of one of the largest cities in the world or secluded on a rural retreat, and still miss God entirely. Equally, we can find ourselves on a crowded train, washing the dishes, resting in bed, preparing another church meeting, walking the dog or hiding away with a book and some illicit chocolate, and discover that God is already there. Perhaps this is a little of what the writer of Psalm 139 meant. In John 14, Jesus says that the Father and the Son will come and make their home with those who love them, through the gift of the Holy Spirit. The intimacy of a God who makes a home with us.

So, perhaps the invitation this September is to notice the God who is already present in the moments that feel utterly ordinary. The Holy Spirit really is with us wherever we go, even, rather inconveniently, when we are hiding with the chocolate.

Jo Allen

Joint CEO, Rural Ministries