Today I am in Montreat, NC. I am attending my first meeting of the Presbytery of Western North Carolina. These meetings remind me how much of a blessing it is to be a Presbyterian. As a Presbyterian Church, we are a part of a network of churches that care for, support, and pray for one another.
Have you ever heard the phrase “a thin place”? This phrase originated in Celtic Christianity around the fifth century. The Celts believed that there are places in the world where you can especially feel God’s presence. One Celtic Christian described it this way: “A thin place is a place where the boundary between heaven and earth is especially thin. It’s a place where we can sense the divine more readily.”
It should be noted that God’s presence fills all of the earth, and so God can be experienced anywhere. Still, I’m sure you can think of certain places in your life where it is easier for you to relax, slow down, and open your heart up to the presence of God. I’m sure you can think of a thin place where it seems that heaven almost touches earth.
I’m reminded of what happened to Moses when he saw a bush that was on fire, but was not being consumed by the flames.
When the Lord saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses! Moses!” “Here I am!” Moses replied. “Do not come any closer,” the Lord warned. “Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground.
-Exodus 3:4-5
There are certain places in life that feel holy. Places that remind us that God is near. Montreat is one of those places for me. A thin place. It is a place that reminds me of God’s presence and encourages me to slow down and meet with God.
Wherever you happen to be today, I hope that you can slow your pace enough to commune with God. Perhaps even now, wherever you are reading this, you can take a moment to acknowledge God’s presence and go to God in prayer.
See you on Sunday!
-Pastor David
