Category / Eastertide

demonstrates a woman abiding in God
by Karen Twinem

Practicing God’s Presence: Lessons from Brother Lawrence

God’s presence is all around us. Do we notice it? We can when we practice the presence of God. Brother Lawrence figured out how.

Brother Lawrence was born Nicholas Herman around 1610 in Lorraine, then a Duchy of France. Educated by a parish priest whose first name was Lawrence, Nicholas was well read and very interested in a life with God.

Then he went to war. He fought as a soldier in the Thirty Years War, a religious conflict between Protestants and Catholics throughout Europe. A near-fatal injury left him disabled and in chronic pain for the rest of his life.

At mid-life he entered a newly established monastery in Paris where he took the name Brother Lawrence. He was the cook for the community, which grew to over 100 members. After 15 years, his duties were shifted to the sandal repair shop but, even then, he often returned to the busy kitchen to help out.

While repairing sandals and working in the kitchen, Brother Lawrence discovered and then followed a pure and uncomplicated way to walk continually in God’s presence. He practiced this for some 40 years until he died in 1691.

It was not until after his death that a few of his letters were collected. Joseph de Beaufort, representative and counsel to the local archbishop, first published the letters in a small pamphlet.The following year, in a second publication which he titled, ‘The Practice of the Presence of God’, de Beaufort included, as introductory material, the content of four conversations he had with Brother Lawrence.

Brother Lawrence’s Practical Spirituality

In this small book, through letters and conversations, Brother Lawrence explains how to continually walk with God. His direct approach to living in God’s presence is as practical today as it was 350 years ago. Here’s an excerpt from one of Brother Lawrence’s conversations with de Beaufort:

Brother Lawrence related that we should establish ourselves in a sense of God’s Presence by continually conversing with Him. It was a shameful thing to quit His conversation to think of trifles and fooleries. We should feed and nourish our souls with high notions of God which would yield us great joy in being devoted to Him.

He said we ought to quicken and enliven our faith. It was lamentable we had so little. Instead of taking faith for the rule of their conduct, men amused themselves with trivial devotions which changed daily. He said that faith was sufficient to bring us to a high degree of perfection. We ought to give ourselves up to God with regard both to things temporal and spiritual and seek our satisfaction only in the fulfilling of His will. Whether God led us by suffering or by consolation all would be equal to a soul truly resigned.

Biblical Foundations for the Practice of the Presence

What does the Bible say about God’s presence? Basically, that is is everywhere all the time.

Psalm 139: 7-10 says: “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. If I rise on the wings of dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.”

And Jeremiah 23: 23-24 says, “Am I only a God nearby,” declares the Lord, “and not a God far away? Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?” declares the Lord. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?’ declares the Lord.

God is omnipresent. So becoming aware of His presence is a relational response. It can replace anxiety, fear and other negative emotions. You can read more on that here.

The second Biblical foundation: God asks us to walk with Him so we can be effective Christians. He does this many times in the New Testament.

  • Galatians 5:16 “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”
  • Galatians 5:25: “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”
  • Ephesians 5:2:  “And walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
  • 1 John 1:7  “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”

What does walking with God imply? We have an ongoing close relationship in a shared life. Walking is slow. Left foot, right food, as my church’s founding pastor said. We are aware of God’s presence as we walk with Him.

The third Biblical foundation for the practice is the invitation to abide in Christ. That doesn’t mean you visit Him occasionally. It means that you stay connected to Him at all times.

As John 15:4-5 says: Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

The fourth foundation is the command (yes, a command, not a suggestion) to pray continually. Here it is in 1Thessalonians 5:16-18. “Rejoice always. Pray continually. Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

It’s God’s will that we do this. It doesn’t have to be nonstop talking, but it must be a continual awareness of the presence of God. You can rest in God’s peace and love without yakking up a storm.

Christian Leaders Who Practiced the Presence of God

Many Christians have practiced God’s presence, Three well-known saints, in particular, did this, two of them before Brother Lawrence was born.  

  • Augustine of Hippo (354-430): He described God’s presence as intimate, interior, and all-encompassing, famously stating that “God is closer to me than I am to myself.” He taught that encountering God required a new focus. We must look past the material world and turn within, as the soul bears God’s imprint. Augustine also said that the loss of God’s felt presence is not due to His withdrawal, but to our choice to focus on lesser things.
  • Teresa of Avila (1515-1582): Teresa of Avila defined prayer as an “intimate sharing between friends.” She emphasized a personal, frequent and loving conversation with God who loves us. This approach focuses less on words and more on developing a deep, relational and enduring bond with God. This was often described as simply being in His presence. Teresa taught us to converse in secret with God as our closest friend. She encouraged us to realize the God is always looking at us with love. To Teresa, the goal of practicing the presence of God was not emotional consolation, but a union of will with God. The result is a changed life based on God’s will, not our own selfishness.
  • John Wesley (1703–1791): The founder of Methodism, he was known for striving for holy living and continuous awareness of God’s grace. He taught the use of persistent prayer, regular Bible study and service to the poor as means of grace for increasing awareness of God’s presence. (This is “the Method” in Methodism.) He encouraged his followers not to wait passively for God’s presence, but to actively use the means of grace to experience it.

Why Is This So Hard?

We have a disadvantage over Brother Lawrence: We live in a loud time.  Christians often try to combat that through quiet time in the morning and perhaps at night. But the world often wins during the day.  We are struggling against:

  • Hurry and distraction
  • Anxiety and overthinking
  • Compartmentalizing faith
  • Viewing prayer as an event instead of an attitude

When we become Christian, we receive the Holy Spirit who is with us all the time. Certain habits can help us to become more aware of the presence of the Holy Spirit and keep connected to God.  This is not just for the extremely devout. All of us can accomplish this. What we do need is faith.

As it says in Hebrews 11:6: And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Next time we’ll cover some practical methods for building the ability to practice the presence of God.

by Karen Twinem

Embrace God’s Presence: A Mindful Easter Meditation

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Happy Eastertide! We focus on Jesus’ resurrection. He is alive. And that makes spring a perfect time to expand your awareness of his presence. This is Christian mindfulness: the practice of the presence of God in the present moment. God is all around you. All you have to do is notice and embrace God’s presence.

Would you like to notice God now? Try this simple three-minute meditation on Psalm 49:10. Don’t judge yourself as you do it. Just let God’s grace move you into awareness of God’s presence.

  1. Settle yourself quietly. Begin to breathe slowly.
    • As you inhale, say: God, you are here.
    • As you exhale, say: I am with You, God.
  2. Once you feel settled and open to God’s presence, start to meditate on the phrase: Be still and know that I am God.
    • Do this for at least one minute in silence.
  3. Ask God what part of your life … a problem, an issue … that He would you to share with Him right now.
    • Place those concerns before God.
    • Do this for at least one minute in silence.
  4. Close in prayer: “Lord, teach us to recognize you in every moment … in work, rest, conversation and silence. Amen”

I hope you sensed God as you quieted yourself to feel His presence. As it says in Psalm 145:18: “The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.”

He is all around you. And he wants you to live in his presence. As Jesus said in John 15:4-5:

Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

What Is Abiding in God?

What does that mean exactly? One of the best explanations I’ve read comes from Brian Hedges, writing on Christianity.com years ago. He said abiding has three interwoven aspects:

1. Connection: Abiding in Jesus depends on a life-giving, mutual connection. A branch is connected to the vine, and the vine is connected to the branch. This is what theologians call union with Christ.

2. Dependence: Although they are connected, the vine is not dependent on the branch. Instead, the branch is dependent on the vine. It gets its power and life-force through the branch. So we are dependent on Jesus to bear fruit. Apart from Him, we can do nothing.

3. Constancy: In fact, “abide” (Greek, meno) means to remain, or stay, or continue. This relationship is permanent and ongoing.

How can this abiding become reality rather than a goal?  I believe the first step is to practice the presence of God, which I call Christian mindfulness.

Practicing the presence of God means becoming increasingly aware of God’s presence and developing habits that allow you to feel more connected, dependent and constant in Him. As James 4:8 reads: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to You.”

This is a practice I’ve had since 1990. One of the greatest benefits is that you develop an undivided heart. You gradually move from a split allegiance to the kingdom and the world. God’s presence becomes something you notice all the time. As Psalm 16:11 says, “You make known to me the path of life. You will fill me with joy in your presence with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”

One of best known practitioners of this was little known in his lifetime: Brother Lawrence. I’ll write about his life story and the Biblical principles behind his practice next time.

low angle view of pink flowers against blue sky
by Karen Twinem

Smell Spring

Spring is the only time you can do this simple mindfulness exercise: Go outside and smell spring.

Many of us are having vacillating weather this year. So you can smell all kinds of things: a late snow, the pungent smell of mulch, the hint of rain in the air.

Spring is the time to open your windows, air out your comforter and sniff the lilacs. Read under a tree if you can. Any of your favorite breathing exercises becomes even more refreshing with all the scents in the area. You can find some ideas here.

Full disclosure: I am allergic to trees, grass and many plants God created. But I won’t let that stop me from enjoying this season. So I have to be especially mindful about enjoying the smells, which tend to be full of pollen. I take a pill, insert some nasal spray and head out to sniff until it’s time to come in. Or I stand by the window smelling the rain and wind.

All of these smells are God’s work. He invented scent and created a special smell for every living thing. I love to smell the musk of my cat’s fur, the intoxicating scent of hyacinths and the signature fragrance of the first rose of the season.

Be mindful of all the smells of spring and give thanks for each one you detect. That kind of Christian mindfulness can water the kindness and joy in your soul. You may find yourself writing a happy text to a friend or listening intently to your child, all as an outpouring from the freshness of your soul.

The smells of spring come just for a few weeks a year. Let’s rejoice and give thanks for them.

symbol of God pouring out his spirit
by Karen Twinem

Prepare for Pentecost

Today we have arrived at the peak of all blessings. We have reached the capital of feasts. We have obtained the very fruit of the Lord’s promise.

John Chrysostom

Pentecost is one of the holiest, happiest days of the Christian year. Coming 10 days after the celebration of the risen Christ’s ascension into heaven, Pentecost commemorates the gift of the Holy Spirit upon the first Christians. This was the day that Peter stepped forward to speak to the crowd. As a result, thousands of people who first thought the Christians were drunk at 9 a.m. decided that Jesus really was the Messiah after all.

How can we prepare for this day, which falls on May 28th this year? We have time to devote ourselves to opening up to the power of the Holy Spirit before Pentecost. Here are a few intentional ways to do so.

  • Before Pentecost, every time you see a bird, say “Come, Holy Spirit.” This honors the symbol of the dove representing the Spirit. But it also opens us up to calling on the Holy Spirit throughout the day.
  • Review your Lenten resolutions. How did it go? Pray over them again. Perhaps you should continue doing some of them, in part or in full.
  • Listen to songs about the Holy Spirit. Several in this list have similar names, but they are different songs.
    • “Come Holy Spirit” by Vineyard Music
    • “The Change in Me” by Casting Crowns
    • “Spirit of the Living God” by Vertical Worship
    • “Spirit of the Living God” (Fall Afresh on Me) by Phil Wickham
    • “Spirit Fall” by Chris Tomlin
    • “Fresh Wind” by Hillsong Worship
    • “Come Holy Spirit (Need You Now)” by New Wine Worship
  • Meditate over the role of the Holy Spirit in your life. I think about the traditional gifts of the Spirit:
    • Wisdom
    • Understanding
    • Counsel
    • Fortitude
    • Knowledge
    • Piety
    • Fear of God
  • Pray that God with bless you with the graces necessary for you to demonstrate the fruits of the Holy Spirit:
    • Love
    • Joy
    • Peace
    • Patience
    • Kindness
    • Goodness
    • Faithfulness
    • Gentleness
    • Self-control

Preparing for Pentecost Sunday can bring more intention to your life.

picture of Jesus
by Karen Twinem

The Church in Crisis: Jesus Who?

“Is the church in crisis? If so, what?” That’s the answer I found in a notebook I retrieved to go a community meeting.

I don’t even remember the meeting where we discussed the question. But my answer is there: “The crisis is that the truth of Jesus has been obscured, often by His own people.”

I wrote it about a year ago, and it’s more true that ever.

Exhibit A: The failure of my Lenten pledge.

I wanted to find a group of committed Christians to deepen my experience of contemplative prayer. The first two Christian groups I tried were miles away from the truth about Jesus. For example, this is the meditation passage I was sent this week from one of the groups:

“Jesus answered: I am the way of love, I am the truth of love, and I am the life of love. No one comes to God except through love.”

Hmmm, that’s not what my Bible says. It would be fairly easy for these folks to persuade others that all religions worship the same God. Because some faiths believe in multiple gods, that’s not really possible. .

Exhibit B: Christian nationalism

Americans aren’t God’s chosen people. Look it up. Self-righteousness, particularly when exhibited with hate and vile name calling, doesn’t reflect God’s character. It makes Jesus look bad when people say they are Christians and hate others, particularly other Christians. These days many people don’t even bother to keep quiet about it.

Exhibit C: Hypocrites

Religious leaders who are hypocrites or abuse their position, hurting others, are poor reflections of Jesus. In fact, the Bible indicates that they are among Jesus’ least favorite people.

I believe, from experience, that a close relationship with Jesus results in love, joy, peace, patience and the other fruits of the spirit. The Lord teaches that you can tell a good tree by its fruit.

How can we reflect the truth about Jesus? Through kindness. Through empathy. Generosity. Listening to understand. Respect. But, most of all, love.

Non-Christians watch Christians. When they see exhibits A, B and C, they think that is who Jesus is. Those of us that want the world to know Christ need to strive for holiness. So when people think “Jesus who?” they can see He’s reflected in your behavior.

a yellow bird in a tree
by Karen Twinem

Play First Bird of My Day

“First Bird of My Day” is a worldwide game that began when an English woman decided to be mindful about which bird she saw first each day.

In the May 2022 issue of The Simple Things magazine, Hannah Bourne-Taylor told her story. It began when she and her husband moved to a remote village in Ghana for his work. She felt depressed and disconnected at first. Then she noticed that the birds around her were unfamiliar and beautiful.

As she began to learn about them, she began a mindfulness practice of looking outside each morning to note what bird she saw first. When the family returned to England, Hannah began sharing her game on Twitter using the hashtag #firstbirdofmyday. (Her Twitter handle is @WriterHannahBT)

Over time, people around the world have started playing the game. On the day I wrote this, one man was sharing a map of everyone’s first birds on the Twitter hashtag. She even gets posts from Antarctica, which the bird mentioned is often a penguin.

Creating mindful routines and rituals like this can build mindfulness and add joy to life. Those of us practicing Christian mindfulness also can pray over the first bird and its winged brethren. Due to the global climate change, many species are experiencing declines. We can thank God for the birds, which Jesus loved to observe, and pray for their future.

boy listening to sea shell
by Karen Twinem

Go Outside and Listen

Listen. One of the pandemic’s benefits has been an increase in the amount of time spent in nature. In fact, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development used the pandemic to study the benefits of time in the fresh air.

The results were even better than expected. Not only did spending time outdoors improve general well-being, but it also altered and improved brain structure. The areas of the brain impacted affect mood, concentration and working memory. Spending time in nature could not be a better idea.

Christian mindfulness practices are all easy to adapt to the outdoors. One of simplest is mindful listening to the quiet around you. Is silence ever really silent? Tuning into the sounds around you is a great way to stay in the present moment. And hearing those sounds offers opportunities for prayers of gratitude and worship for the world God made.

The practice is simple.

  • Go to a place outside where you can feel safe and relaxed.
  • Close your eyes, if you’d like, and listen to the sounds of your own breathing first.
  • Thank God for this opportunity to be in His creation.
  • Listen to the sounds as they occur. Hear them come and go.
  • If you identify a sound of something you love (a robin, for example), praise God for it.
  • Notice how this impacts your mood and your body.
  • Close with a time of worship by thinking about the creation around you.

It’s like your mother said: Go outside and play. It’s good for you.

by Karen Twinem

Pray for Your Pastors

But I do more than thank. I ask – ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory – to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is He is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life He has for Christians. Oh, the utter extravagance of His work in us who trust Him – endless energy, boundless strength!

Ephesians 1: 17-19, The Message translation

Praying the same prayer for nine consecutive days is an old practice called a novena. We all need to do a good old-fashioned novena for our Christian leaders and pastors.

Dealing with all the issues surrounding pastoring in a pandemic has worn them out. Paul’s prayer from Ephesians 1 is a good one. (I’m going to pray it for myself and others working in lay positions at our church as well.)

A novena is not … and never has been … a “magic” formula. But concentrating on the same prayers … slowly and deliberately …. for nine days in a row can reveal the voice of God to us as well as send blessings to our pastors.

by Karen Twinem

Never Forget the Holocaust

I remember watching filmstrips about the liberation of the concentration camps in Europe in elementary school in the early and mid-1960s. I thought that the Holocaust happened very long ago among heathen peoples. Looking back, I know what I saw had happened only a decade or so in the past. The heathens thought they were civilized, even superior, people.

Today is Yom HaShoah, the time to remember the Holocaust. It’s time for me to remember how many people who thought they were good Christians participated … actively or passively … in it. As the eyewitnesses leave this Earth, we must all remember and fight those who want to deny reality.

O God, we are conscious that many centuries of blindness have blinded our eyes so that we no longer see the beauty of your chosen people, nor recognize in their faces the features of our privileged brothers and sisters.

We realize that the mark of Cain stands upon our foreheads.

Across the centuries our brother Abel has lain in blood which we drew or which we caused to be shed by forgetting your love.

Forgive us for the curse we falsely attached to their name as Jews.

Forgive us for crucifying you a second time in their flesh.

God of Abraham and of Moses, we pray for the Jewish people, the first to hear your world.

As you have made them your own, so make them continue to grow in love of your name and in faithfulness to your covenant.

You are our God, living and reigning, for ever and ever. Amen

Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers
by Karen Twinem

Celebrate Pentecost

Jesus told us that we would encounter plenty of false teachers in this world. How to detect them? It’s simple. You will know them by their fruit.

The fruits of the Holy Spirit is an excellent measuring stick to determine if someone (even ourselves) is a true witness of God. They are:

  • Love
  • Joy
  • Peace
  • Patience
  • Kindness
  • Goodness
  • Faithfulness
  • Gentleness
  • Self-control

The American Christian church is going through a lot of tumult and soul searching these days. Measuring the tone and content of these various voices against the fruits of the Holy Spirit provides insight into who is speaking best on God’s behalf.

I am so grateful for the Holy Spirit’s appearance in my life. Indeed, Jesus predicted just how incredibly important the Spirit would be to his disciples.

Prayers for Pentecost

Today, let’s celebrate Pentecost by meditating on these prayers:

Prayer for Pentecost in the Pandemic (from America Magazine)

Come, Holy Spirit. Come, Spirit of God, come with your peace, your power, your light. Come with forgiveness, courage and hope. Come, Spirit of God, unite us with the risen Jesus. Turn us again to the Father of Jesus.
Together they pour You daily into our hearts. Come now to our suffering world, sick with a killing virus
and everywhere threatened with silent death, but most cruelly among your poorest children.

Prayer for Life-Changing Power (from connectusfund.org)

Breath of Life, on this Pentecost Sunday, we ask that You breathe on us once again. Make our consciences tender to Your touch. We hunger for the life-changing power that Your Holy Spirit brings. May our lives exemplify the fruit of Your Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. May we use the gifts of the Spirit that You have distributed to bless the church and build Your Kingdom on earth. Amen.

Prayer to Walk as Children of the Light

Joy of Heaven, we are so blessed that You came to dwell in each of us on Pentecost, when Your church was born. Surely, through Your Spirit, we have died to sin and are alive to holiness. May we serve You faithfully, in praise, prayer, and loving service to others, as we are changed from glory to glory. May we walk as children of the light, in all goodness, righteousness, and truth. Amen.