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Alice Walker in The Color
Purple says, "Any God I ever felt in church I
brought in with me." Where did we ever get the notion that God
lives at church and we go there to meet Him? If God is omnipresent,
there is no reason at all to suppose there is more of God one place than
another. “Omni"
means everywhere, so God is present everywhere. I love the story about the old cowboy who
was converted in the bunkhouse by the witness of another cowboy. He
wanted to be with other Christians so he rode into a nearby town the
next Sunday. He was dressed roughly and smelled of horses and cattle.
The preacher took him aside and asked him to talk to the Lord about
proper attire for worship. The next Sunday the cowboy came dressed the
same way and the preacher said he had been hop[ing he would check with
the Lord on proper attire. The cowboy said, "I did talk to the Lord
and He said he had no idea how to dress for this church because He has
never been here." A good joke but the truth is that God is in
that church and every church but his presence is only known in the
hearts of people who are aware of his presence. When our hearts feel bare and empty, it is
good to declare, "God is in my heart because he is
omnipresent." Having established that fact, it is easier to develop
an awareness of the presence. I remember going to my first Quaker silent
worship. I had no idea what to expect. They sat in a big circle and no
one spoke a word. I was uncomfortable for at least ten minutes. Then I
thought, "These folks are experiencing something here and maybe I
can feel it, too, if I will just become open, aware and still." It
worked. It was an experience I have never forgotten. If we are aware of the presence in our
hearts, any place and every place is a place of peace and joy -- a place
to experience the omni-presence. Dalton's website is www.daltonroberts.com.
His writings are gathered at www.ipsfeatures.com.
Write him at DownhomeP@aol.com
or DaltonRoberts@comcast.net.
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