You hear it pretty much every Sunday morning.

"WCC exists to help people experience God, engage in community and excel in mission."

And typically, we give a simple explanation of what each of those things means, or we offer a simple way you can pursue them. We talk about it every Sunday because that is our desire - that these three things become a part of every person’s life. That, however, doesn’t mean they are easy. Especially the first one – experiencing God.

What exactly does that mean? 

• And how can a person experience God?
• And isn’t that really more up to Him than it is to us?
• And how can a person experience a God that he cannot see or hear? Or who, we’re told, is incomprehensible?

Those are all good questions.

I remember when my daughter was 4 years old. She appeared down in the family room one night after I had put her to bed, claiming she couldn’t sleep and was bored. So I suggested she talk to God. And I have never forgotten her answer.

“The problem is, Dad, when I talk to God, He never answers back.”

Can you relate?

It's easy to talk about experiencing God. It's harder to know just exactly what that experience is supposed to be like.

For the month of January we have been promoting the "first 5 / final 5" challenge. The idea is to spend the first 5 minutes of the day with God, and then the last 5. The first 5 are for reading; the last 5 are for reflection, and for answering a few questions (taken from the spiritual practice of examen). The first question in that list is... 

• How did I experience God in my day?

Can I be honest?  I’ve struggled with that question.  A little like my daughter.  I have asked myself that question every night, looked back over my day to identify when I’ve experienced God, and not always had great answers.  It’s been a worthwhile exercise, but also a little frustrating.  What I have come to realize, however, is that maybe I haven’t had a clear idea of what I was supposed to be looking for.  But I am making progress - and that has been one of the blessings of this challenge, as it has required me to reframe my thinking a little bit.  And I think I am becoming more aware of the various ways I can experience God in a day.  The following are some of the ways that I have come up with:

 I experience God… 

• When I read my Bible
• When I enjoy the beauty of the world around me
• When I am able to say no to a temptation
• When I see a situation that has me concerned get resolved – sometimes in unexpected ways
• When a verse comes to mind that directs my thinking
• When I sense a nudge to step out of my comfort zone
• When I am talking to someone and don’t know what to say, but then the words come
• When I share Christ and that person makes a decision to follow Him
• When I experience unexpected joy and laughter
• When I receive encouragement from others
• When I get an insight in my study
• When I serve in some way (see Matthew 25:34-40)
• When He answers a prayer ...
• But really when I pray a prayer (because he promises to hear!)
• When I find peace or comfort in a difficult time
• When I am helped in a task
• When I sing a worship song I’ve sung a million times and the words finally hit home
• When I think of someone suddenly and feel compelled to pray for them
• When I face a decision, and look for guidance
• When I unexpectedly come across the path of someone that I can encourage
• When my daily needs are taken care of