So what exactly constitutes a "religious experience" ? I don't even like to write those words because there are so many negative connotations associated with them. The minute you use that phrase people envision folks speaking in tongues and handling snakes. And that is not what I am talking about! I have personally never seen either of those things. Nor do I ever care to!
No, what I am talking about is that moment when you feel a sense of deep connection with God. When you close your eyes and feel so filled you could weep. And sometimes you do, even though you are trying to hold back the dam of your emotions and keep them from spilling over. These are what I refer to as sacred moments.
Don't we all want more of these in our every day lives? Do we even take note when they occur? Are we watching for them? I am convinced God provides them over and over again but we are so numbed out, so busy, so distracted, that we miss them. How tragic!
Such moments can occur anywhere. They needn't be in church, though for me recently, such a moment did occur in church. It was a small, simple, almost imperceptible moment, yet there it was. If you weren't fully present, you would have missed it.....
This is what happened. Most of you know I sing with a contemporary praise and worship band. I have been doing so for 7 years. It has been a huge blessing in my life. There is one particular song that we sing that the entire band universally loves and sings/plays with great reverence. It is a Mercy Me song (there we are again- Mercy Me. They are amazing!) called Word of God Speak. This song speaks to how there is no need to find words in the presence of the Lord. How the last thing we need is to be heard, but just to be with Him. And in the quiet, to hear His voice. It is a powerful song about just shutting up and listening to the Holy God of the Universe. What a novel concept!
We have a new minister who has just started with our contemporary service. Though he has heard me talk about this song, he had never heard it before. Last Sunday, he did so for the first time. It was a gift to see him receive this song. Right after Word of God Speak, the order of worship called for our "Joys and Concerns" time of talking and sharing. Now this is a good thing. Generally we all love this time of sharing. But after singing such a sacred song, what I think people most long for is just a little SILENCE. Which is exactly what happened. Joe scrapped our corporate prayer time and said that instead, we would all pray silently. And so we sat, in complete slience. With the words from Word of God Speak echoing in our hearts. It was powerful, holy, and I believe pleasing to God. That moment stayed with me all day. I was able to return to it over and over. Writing about it right now fills me with peace. It was a very small act in the grand scheme of things, but small things can carry great significance when they result from obedience to the Holy Spirit.
May God fill your days with sacred moments. May you take note of them when they occur. May you praise Him when you see one. Shalom.....
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