Practice the Presence

I attended Bible study with 250+ women this week. We sang, we listened to a teaching by Priscilla Shirer on Luke 7:36-50, and we discussed in small groups. 

But one of the first things I noticed when entering the sanctuary was the "Reserved" seats. 

The floor of the worship center was filled with round tables, and every table had one reserved seat. The bleacher seats also had randomly assigned reserved seats.  

When the woman came to the stage to welcome us, she said we might think that the reserved seats are for our table leaders, women who are well acquainted with the Bible and therefore able to encourage deep conversation and answer questions as we go along. But that was not the case.

The seats were reserved for Jesus. A symbolic way to "practice the presence of God". 

We say that God is with us all the time. We say that God is all knowing. We say we can pray any time. But is that what we practice? Is that how we live? What if we literally gave Him a seat at the table? 

One of the questions we were asked to consider was: How would a greater awareness of God's Presence change your actions or attitudes, your use of time, work, relationships, home, etc.? 

One of the ladies at my table said she might take more consideration about what she watched on television. Another said that most of the shows make her sick. I told them that Randy and I had just commented on how many shows portray extramarital relationships, even trying to get you to root for the spouses to have affairs. (I mean, who doesn't want Louise Shepherd to hook up with the reporter on Astronaut Wives Club?!) Someone spoke up and said we've been desensitized to this stuff. Instead of trusting our hearts, that God would never want a person to have an affair, we've instead learned to justify our sins for our right to pursue "happiness". 

Some of our conversations were lighter. We talked about how busy-ness distracts us from God's Presence. We touched on how it is easier to seek God's Presence in hard times -- one woman mentioned a divorce -- than it is on the "easy" days when we think we are in control and doing quite well at managing our lives. But, on the other hand, how we can turn away from God when we've made mistakes. That it is hard to be vulnerable, to own up to our mistakes without justifying or casting blame anywhere else, but simply focusing on our choices. Even though we know God is love we also know we've let Him down. Even though we know He will forgive us we hate the fact that we've done something that needs forgiven. 

This is what I love about Bible study. Getting real with women who wrestle with the same things I wrestle with, who want to have authentic conversations, who want to deepen their relationship with God by giving Him a seat at the table.