Why is this important?
God didn’t just create the world and disappear; because God loves us, God is always with us. We can’t physically see God, but sometimes we can sense God in nature, in science, music, books, tv, games, and in other people. While we can never fully understand God (that’s why it’s called ‘faith’), through our own experiences and the stories of other people (and particularly the stories in the Bible), we can learn to recognise God at work in our lives and in the world.
Question
Have you ever had a moment of complete peace, or a time when you’ve sensed a loving presence with you? What did it feel like?
Suggestion
Keep a daily journey of where / how you notice God. It might be a sense of peace, joy or love, or in the actions of another person. If you’re not sure where to start, try going for a daily walk in nature, asking other people about where they notice God, exploring God’s role in justice in the world, or reading the Bible once a day.
Prayer Prompt
‘Centring prayer’ is a way of quieting inner noise and opening ourselves to the presence and activity of God in our life. Before you do your ‘noticing God’ activity each day, go somewhere quiet, close your eyes, and breathe in and out slowly and deeply. As you breathe, think of a simple word that speaks to you about God that day.
It could be a name for God (like friend, father, mother, or simply God or Jesus) or a characteristic of God like love, joy, or peace. Spend a minute or two (longer if you can) sitting quietly and repeating that word. Don’t worry if you get distracted, use your word to return your focus to God. You may find you hear God responding, or you may hear nothing. Either is fine! Then go about your day, taking an awareness of God with you.
Why is this important?
God is incredibly active and present in our world, but it is very easy to miss this if we are not intentional about noticing where he is at work. Developing a habit of noticing God in scripture and in the world opens up more opportunities to respond to what we notice.
Question
When was the last time you recognised God’s presence in something in everyday life?
What are the barriers that stop you, and your young people, from noticing God more naturally?
Suggestion
Ask your group to do a Take Time meditation, which encourages people to actively notice God in the stories of scripture.
With your group, create a list of places and situations where God might already be working, and commit together to being more attentive to his presence in those places.
Prayer Prompt
Ask your group to choose one of their senses (sight, sound, smell, touch or taste). Ask them to notice the presence of God in what they see, or hear, or smell, or feel, or taste.
