Pondering Our Burning Bushes
How does God show up for you?
I’m asking a question here to help me a bit. I’m focusing on the incredible story of Moses’ encounter with the burning bush found in Exodus 3.
I’m wondering how you would say you experience a “burning bush” encounter with God. These are the times you just know you’ve stumbled into Holy Ground. You can only respond by somehow taking your shoes off, walking with naked feet and bare toes because you want to— no, you just need to SLOW DOWN and soak in what is happening.
In some large or small way, you’re never the same after this unique experience.
To prime the pump in your recollection…
In your experience, are these burning bush moments:
Involving other human beings
Involving natural settings like Blue Moons, beaches, forests, trees, birds, church, waterfalls
A particular meal or dish, like a BLT😜
A small group
A sermon that touched you so deeply you know you’ll never be the same; a kind gesture ,
An act of radical hospitality…
A particular text of Scripture, poem or quote?
A person in particular
What?
Please leave a response and I’ll use some of these in my sermon this Sunday! Share a story briefly .
I’ve begun a poem on this and I’ll hope to post it for you this Sunday.
By the way I’ve added, almost finished and edited my post about the sermon. It’s updated now for you. Scroll till you find it. Thanks for your patience in all my limits and imperfection and for your grace with me!
Steve
There was a time some years ago when I was at a very low point in my life. Actually, the lowest. In my distress, a friend invited me to come be with him. When I arrived he had prepared a roaring fire in the fireplace, homemade soup and a cup of tea. We sat together with few words. I ate. I drank. I cried.
I remember vividly experiencing the contrast of pain and comfort at the same time. The beauty of the setting, the taste of the soup, the warm tea coating my throat, and the presence of a friend were elements of a burning bush that showed me God was with me. I was flooded with a sense of compassion. In fact, I looked out the window and gazed at the tree branch outside. A thought came to my mind in a moment that answered a question I had put before God a year prior. This thought felt random and unplaced for the circumstance I was in. I knew it could not have come from anywhere else but God speaking to me.
I can still see that tree branch in my mind like it was yesterday; and today I can see how God’s mysterious voice to me was the direction I needed to navigate my way forward.
There’s only one problem with this Steve. The burning bush moments in my life have been so mysterious and deep that they are hard to describe and put words to. Let me sit with this and try.