(January - March 2026)

Doctrinal Focus - Omnipresence 

Delighting in the attributes of God - that is the focus of Psalm 139. Here, David finds comfort by reflecting on the majesty of God in all of His splendor. In verses 7-10, David asks rhetorically: Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? The response: If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. 

We serve a God who is omnipresent - He is not bound by time and space as we are. His total sovereign control is extended to all parts of creation, by nature of His all-encompassing divine presence. He is a God who fills both heaven and earth (Jer. 23:23-24). He is all-powerful (omnipotent) and all-knowing (omniscient) - and these attributes are exercised perfectly throughout the entire created order because our God is also - all-present. This reality allows us to live each day Coram Deo (before the face of God) - living our entire lives in the presence of God, under the authority of God, to the glory of God. 

Disciplined Practice - Silence 

Whereas in Nov. and Dec. of ‘25 we practiced the corporate discipline of hospitality, here in Feb. we are focusing on the inward discipline of silence, which positions us to root more deeply in our relationship to our loving creator. Both are needed to balance one another, lest we fall into either ditch of impersonal religiosity or unsanctifying self-determination. Silence helps us to detach from businesses, things, and entertainment, abiding in the waters that leave us never thirsty again (John 4:14). Many words surrounding this discipline are overlapping and used interchangeably in the spiritual formation literature: silent prayer, contemplation, solitude, and meditation are primarily referenced. Scripturally, two Hebrew words for meditation are used some 58 times, and in each case, the stress is upon changed behavior as a result of our encounter with the living God.1 The common idea with these practices is to find a spot that you do not usually frequent (e.g. a closet, the hill behind your house, a church sanctuary, a deer stand) and make a regular habit of praying there in silence. We see Jesus time and again withdrawing to pray alone (some 18x in Luke alone, if memory serves!). As a point of comparison, you could contrast this discipline to an “agendaed” prayer - the type you might pray before a sermon or meal. These prayers often have a specific intention, such as a request for God’s grace and aid. Silent and contemplative prayer takes less the posture of a speaker, and more the stance of a listener. Oswald Chambers says that the point of prayer is to get God’s mind about a thing. Silence with God should lead to change.

How to Engage - Just as in secular meditation where we might pay attention to what we can notice with our five primary senses, in silent prayer we also notice, abide in, and ponder God’s loving omnipresence. You might say that those of us with the Holy Spirit have a sixth sense, that of God’s everpresent affection. This first grounds our attention in the present moment. The all powerful creator of heavens and earth loves us right now. Then, the goal is to think about a thing, to contemplate about it, in God’s presence, and try and listen for His mind on it, whether that be who you are or who He is, that frustrating relationship at work, what you should do about that big decision, or how you’re feeling about that thing that happened. Use your imagination rooted in your understanding of God’s character and biblical word. What would Jesus say about this thing that has come to mind, this thing that has been buzzing around in the back of your head today? 

Potential Pitfalls - Our imagination is obviously not the same as God’s word, and there is room for our own psyches or the forces of evil to corrupt this prayerful experience. Simply put, if the word or image or feeling you received disagrees with Scripture, it isn’t from God. And if a few trustworthy friends in Christ do not see your word from the Lord as wise or true, then it is most likely not from God, either. But just as we can believe that God can take our (fallen) reason and sanctify it and use it for His good purposes, so we believe that He can sanctify the imagination and use it for His good purposes.1 

Directed Affections- Belonging 

The tradition of silent prayer and contemplation in Church history centers around communing with God in prayer and having spiritual eyes to see His love and goodness in everything. As Thomas Merton says, many opportunities to communicate with God are missed if we are not prepared - “Every moment of every event of every man’s life on earth plants something in his soul. For just as the wind carries thousands of winged seeds, so each moment brings with it germs of spiritual vitality that come to rest imperceptibly in the minds and hearts of men. Most of these unnumbered seeds perish and are lost because men are not prepared to receive them.” The prayer-filled life helps us deepen the knowledge of our identity as one who is loved by God and catch glimpses of God’s love for the world around us. Out of God’s love comes right action and a right understanding of ourselves and others; as the scripture says, “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). 

Whereas other practices may primarily produce feelings of hope, resolve, joy, or guilt leading to repentance, contemplation/silent prayer leads primarily to a sense of secure belonging and belovedness. This is the foundation out of which we properly live the rest of our lives. Similar to the way someone feels secure because they have been loved well by others, our identity remains secure in all circumstances that threaten our sense of self because we see ourselves primarily as those who are radically loved by God. Only from that place of secure identity as the beloved are we free to self-sacrificially and confidently love God and love others, which is our greatest calling. 

We feel secure and loved by others when we are considered, respected, and cherished.God is offering us clues that we are loved in this way, beyond any imperfect human lovewe have ever known. We can begin to see these clues if we learn to listen contemplativelyto our lives. When you know you are loved by God, you begin to expect Him in yourday-to-day life. This works conversely as well: as you expect Him and find Him in themundane, you learn more deeply that you are loved. Just as in human relationships, thatsense of security and belovedness stems from constant communication with the Onewho loves you.

1. Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster