Jesus as Presence
Series: Meeting Jesus Again - Part 6
2023 - A Lenten Journey
John 15:4-5, Matthew 28:19-20
(based on the book Freeing Jesus, by Diana Butler Bass)
Remain in me, and I will remain in you. A branch can’t produce fruit by itself, but must remain in the vine. Likewise, you can’t produce fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, then you will produce much fruit. Without me, you can’t do anything.
John 15:4-5 (CEB)
Listen to this week’s sermon here:
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Presence is a challenging word in our culture. On one hand it seems simple enough. When we were in school, the teacher called our name and we said “present” or “here.” We are present by virtue of the fact that we are physically located in a particular place. On the other hand, we have all been present in places or situations when we were physically there but our thoughts or feelings seemed a million miles away. We’ve also likely been talking with someone only to realize that their mind is somewhere else and despite their physical proximity, they are not really present at all to the conversation. Being fully present in a moment or with another person requires intentionality and paying attention.
In a spiritual sense, the word presence is even more complicated. There is an element of mystery, uncertainty, and perhaps even fear involved with the idea of a spiritual presence. Some describe feeling a “presence” in ghostly terms, like a chill up the spine. Others find comfort in sensing the “presence” of a loved one who has passed away. Any spiritual presence, particularly the presence of God, is impossible to fully describe or define.
Even through all the mystery, Jesus promises to be present with us, to abide in us, so that we can produce the fruit of God’s love. He also invites us to remain present with him in the same way he is present with us. If we find it difficult sometimes to be fully present with another flesh and blood person, how can we abide in, remain in, or be fully present with Jesus?
Prayer is one of our primary means of connecting with or remaining present with Christ. Esther DeWaal writes...
Absolute attention is prayer… If one looks long enough at almost anything, looks with absolute attention at a flower, a stone, the bark of a tree, grass, snow, a cloud, something like revelation takes place. Something is given…
That “something” is nothing less than the grace of God and the gift of awareness that God is with us. We need not live in a monastery or isolate ourselves from the world to pay closer attention to a God who is always near. We only need to carve out those moments in the day where we intentionally turn our attention to God.
Just as with any other relationship, intentionality and paying attention is necessary to grow in our relationship with Jesus. The question is not, “Where is God?”, but rather, “How is God inviting me to open my eyes and pay closer attention to Christ’s presence already with me?”
No matter how busy our lives may be, we can all learn to be more attentive to God’s presence in everything we see, everything we do, and in everyone we meet.
What steps will you take this week to pay more attention to the presence of Jesus who is already with you, inviting you to be fully present with him?