Hi First Presbyterian Church,
It’s time for our Mid-Week Meet-Up! It’s hard to believe it’s November. Halloween is behind us, and Thanksgiving is only three weeks away. You might not know this, but early November is also the time of year when whitetail deer are most active (called “the rut,”) making it ideal for hunting. You have probably heard me say that I enjoy hunting. I grew up in Pennsylvania, where schools were always closed on the opening day of hunting season. It seemed like everyone and their cousin was a hunter. I like hunting because of its benefits to wildlife conservation, to public service (Did you know that in the Town of Perinton there have been over 150 car accidents involving deer this year?), to sustainable food procurement, and because I love being outdoors. When I am hunting, I will sit in my tree stand for hours in total silence, simply paying close attention to everything around me. I learn so much about nature just by paying attention to it. I notice the way a full moon has an effect on deer activity. I notice the behavior patterns of squirrels and small birds. I observe red-tailed hawks silently hunting right alongside me. I have even observed a coyote following a scent trail just 10 yards away from me, totally unaware of my presence. While so much of today’s world is experienced on screens and in the digital world, it refreshes my soul and grounds me in my humanity when I just sit still in the woods for a long time.
I think life with God can sometimes be like sitting in the woods for hours at a time. The more we pay attention, the more we will notice! It’s one thing to read about hunting or to talk about hunting, but you will only get the full effect by getting into the woods yourself. Similarly, we can read about God and talk about God, but the most real experience of God comes when we simply open ourselves to God and pay close attention to what God might be doing. This can happen in prayer, in Bible-reading, in conversation with someone, and in a moment of silence. Can you take a moment right now (5-10 minutes) and tune your ears and heart into God’s frequency? Say something to God. Tune out the noise and listen closely. What is God saying to response?
Peace,
Aaron