In the October 3rd blog, I wrote about the topic discussed at the UCCW September Prayer and Praise Gathering – Who is the God you Pray to? Where is the God you pray to? Reviewing the Three Faces of God chapter from the book Integral Christianity by Paul R. Smith, we discussed the infinite God, the intimate God and the Inner God. Today, I will share how I experience the intimate God. I shared how I experience the infinite God in my October 6th blog.
The intimate God is the God I have a personal relationship with. I think of this God as a parent figure. I come to this God as a little child will come to their parent seeking love, care, affirmation or help. I experience the intimate God in various settings. These settings are individual settings when I am alone or public settings when I am in community with others. Let’s talk about these settings.
I experience the intimate God when I am alone, resting in my home, driving in my car, or walking on the path in my neighborhood. During this time I will speak to God. I will complain to Him. I will vent to Him. I will praise Him. I will ask Him for help. I will tell him I am worried. I will tell Him I am nervous. I will ask for him to share His wisdom. I will ask for guidance and direction. I will ask Him to show me the light at the end of the tunnel. I know my God is a great listener and loves me unconditionally. He wants me to share my burdens and praises with Him. Sometimes I will sit in silence before Him. I will ask Him to place in my mind what it is He wants me to do. Often I need to be patient and keep asking Him and then wait for an answer. Just as there are times when I talk, there must be times when I listen.
I experience the intimate God in church. In community with my church family we together talk to Him and we together listen to Him. We talk to God when we sing. We talk to God when we pass the peace with each other. We talk to God when we speak the responsive reading. We talk to God when we share prayers with each other. We listen to God when we listen to songs. We listen to God when we hear the sermon. We listen to God when we hear each other’s prayers. We listen to God when we receive communion.
Everyone needs to do what feels right for him or her. For me, I enjoy this balance. There are times when I enjoy speaking to God in private and sitting before Him in silence and listening. However, when I am tired, burned out or feeling down, talking to God and listening to God in community will often rekindle my inner spirit. I look forward to continuing to relate to God both alone and in community. I also look forward to letting God share with me other settings where I can relate to Him as my intimate God.
My next blog will share how I experience the inner God.
