my experience with god in a sacred place
Each was holy and spirit-filled. Pray and listen for hours. 10 Ways to Experience More of God’s Presence,Whitney Hopler - Read more about spiritual life growth, Christian living, and faith. I’ve encountered him in the novels and essays of Frederick Buechner, in the fantasy fiction of C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien. The ic… Turns out I unknowingly placed my hand on exactly the place where her pain was. For Latter-day Saints, such holy places include venues of historic significance, our homes, sacrament meetings, and temples. Read it intensely and study it. “It was the trip of a lifetime!” the sacrament meeting speaker declared as she described a spur-of-the-moment trip she and her family had taken to the Sacred Grove in Palmyra, New York. “Alma Baptizes in Waters of Mormon” by Minerva Teichert. The writer of Hebrews tells us that “in the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by His Son.”6, The Bible—what Christians believe to be the Word of God—records for us the very words and acts of God the Father and God the Son. My understanding of home as a sacred space came about slowly as I grew up, but one ordinary experience was an important lesson. Though we expect to experience God through spiritual leaders, we must recognize that we can receive his wisdom, care, love, and correction from ordinary folks—people just like you and me. The secret place of the most high is a “sanctuary”, to be “hidden in God”. When I was 19, I visited the Sacred Grove as a student in the now-defunct BYU Nauvoo program. Yet if we seek him in the sacred pace of his sovereign timing, his Spirit will lead us to a sacred place: the heart of God’s … Across differences in culture, political philosophy, education and socioeconomic opportunity, people throughout the world have reached out to God, longing for His love and peace, and received the answers to their prayers. What is heard? My experience of God is the silence. What made it special was that God was revealed to Moses in that place. Even in J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series I have tasted the great struggle between good and evil, and I have celebrated the love of unselfish friendship. We may be confined for a time, but it may make a difference to know we are confined in a sacred place. Seclusion was not an option. I have been blessed to visit the Sacred Grove many times. Sacred space is where we intentionally move towards an encounter with God. — Ryan W. Saltzgiver is a global history specialist in the Church History Department. Although you may never walk in the Sacred Grove, you can, like so many Saints have done, reach out to God and in your own way and places — your bedroom, your closet, or shoulder-to-shoulder in a crowd — feel as He extends His loving hand to you. After noticing where it is that you see and experience God, I chal-lenge you to think about what that place and experience of God is (Continued on page 2) These sacred places can be found in Europe, Australia, Asia, Middle East and Africa. Perhaps the most sacred place on earth for Christians is Jerusalem, where the Son of God was born. During normal, daily life at home in America, I often pray to God and try to think about Jesus. If God were a God who simply once reached out to man, who once spoke to us, we could rely on history alone, finding our assurance in what others claim God has already said and done. This ice stalagmite lingam is formed naturally, which is believed to wax and wane with the moon. It gives me a place to connect with God, and it gives me a place to remind myself of how beautiful the Notre Dame community is.” ... By watching the Sacred Places of Notre Dame brings me into the real spirit of Christmas, beholding the Notre Dame culture and family has added a belonging in my life. Most Latter-day Saints will never have the opportunity to visit Palmyra and walk in the Sacred Grove. A spiritual experience is an encounter with something or someone other than yourself that is not based upon material phenomena. It is located at an altitude of 3,888 m about 141 km from Srinagar. All rights reserved. What is heard? In sacred places a believer experiences religion, participates in significant life cycle rites, and interacts with significant religious others, such as high priests, rabbis and so on, as well as the generalized religious other represented by the community of believers . We can experience God in ordinary circumstances: in a stunning sunrise or a quiet subway ride. In that place where one teenager met the Father and the Son, another found comfort, forgiveness and assurance. For example, in 1960, after years of attending many churches near his home in Recife, Brazil, Milton Soares had become skeptical of religion. We expect to encounter God during worship in a sanctuary, or while studying the Bible in a classroom at the church. We should expect him. The Inner Chapel for those looking to connect with God in the sacred place within each person (also available as an audiobook) Sacred Space: The Prayer Book 2021 or other daily devotionals for those looking for regular encouragement; God Isn’t Finished with Me Yet for older readers; Sharing the Wisdom of Time for hard-to-buy-for adults In miracle: Sacred places. But something must happen in our hearts for us to be open to and aware of his presence. The full verse reads: “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”. Holy places have always been essential to the proper worship of God. It affirms that all of life belongs to God, and God is everywhere in life.”14. A place is sacred, ground is holy because we encounter God there. Nothing. Where there is love, there is God. And because we expect it, we more readily recognize when God is speaking to us, challenging us, or helping us to grow. Finishing the Book of Mormon for the first time as we arrived at the Sacred Grove, I intended to find a secluded place to pray as Joseph had and Moroni exhorted. Abiding in God, we find shelter, refuge, and fortress. Our large group was confined to a relatively small area. Ibid., Philippians 4:7. But we must be attentive; we must be ready to recognize his presence in our lives. For in almost all cases, people's work is out in the world. But to approach this life, there must be a yielding and a recognition that your attempts to fulfill yourself are fruitless and will not lead to success. Although you may never walk in the Sacred Grove, you can, like so many Saints have done, reach out to God and in your own way and places — your bedroom, your closet, or shoulder-to-shoulder in a crowd — feel as He extends His loving hand to you. I will say to the LORD, 'My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'" Still, on a small bench shoulder-to-shoulder with several classmates, I offered a silent prayer. Nothing. Yet many have, in their own secluded places, reached out to God and learned the same simple truth Joseph did two centuries ago: God answers sincere prayer. “We do not have to live in a monastery to experience God’s embrace,” writes professor and worship leader Robert Webber. But the God of the Bible, the Father of Jesus Christ and the giver of the Holy Spirit, has been speaking to and communicating with men and women since he first created them. This place can be a bedroom, car, the out-of-doors, or even a closet—if that what it takes to find alone time with God! Is it possible to experience God personally in your daily life? Each of these experiences and places elicited in me a hushed reverence and a visceral sense of God’s presence. “The firehouse is a place where I am able to use the gift God has blessed me with, which is to care for others … Whether I am providing an urgent medical intervention or just a calming presence, I hope that God is making a difference in the lives of others through me in those moments. Learn 3 ways to manage loneliness during the COVID Pandemic. Moses could have kept on walking and ignored the bush, just as we so often do today when God … The Bible also promises still more godly communication from the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit: “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. If our God were a deity who always communicated in the same way, or who could only be known and experienced by “professional” God-followers, then we might be excused from trying to experience him ourselves. Deuteronomy 15:20 For this reason, I should be expectantly attentive in every moment of every ordinary day. Normally these are natural shrines, such as sacred groves, or temples and sanctuaries in which gods or spirits live or have manifested themselves or in which their statues, symbols, holy objects, or … Spend months doing this. [His glory] must be veiled or it will blind us.”12. “Where two or three gather in my name,” Jesus said, "there I am with them."13. Try to conform and listen to the Divine. The true meaning of a place with religious significance is revealed in a worshiper’s response. Your family altar becomes a sacred place by first asking a priest to bless your home in general and your family altar in particular. Any beauty I see is but a replica of the intricacies of his divine design, and no matter how stunning, I know it would pale in comparison to the true glory of God. The point is, you need to ‘find space’ where you feel connected to God. How different our experiences with one another might be if we imagined Jesus Christ as a guest at every meal, a trusted colleague in every endeavor, a co-celebrant in every glad gathering. Here is just a sample of my own experiences with God that lead me to believe he exists. A relationship with him grows through time and trust. Muir Woods in California, where I first walked in a redwood forest, overcome with their massive size and stately beauty. How? I’ve wandered those paths in the early morning — with birds chirping — as the day warmed, and in the late evening — with bugs buzzing — as the day faded. By the power of God’s Holy Spirit, we discern, pray for, and do the will of God. People think the sacred life is a monastic life, but this is not the case. When we feel a peace that “transcends all understanding” in the midst of tough circumstances, we are experiencing the presence of God in our lives.10 As we’ll learn, God “shows up even when we’re not ‘on retreat’ or ‘having a quiet time.’ He invades grocery lines and football stadiums, cry rooms and cafeterias. But he is just as real and present in your particular struggles and your specific pain. Throughout my youth years leading into my senior year of high school, I have played the sports of football, basketball, soccer, baseball, and wrestling as well. If we know God through his Son, Jesus Christ, we are already in relationship with him. The religious experience can be visual, auditory, and/or a sense of the presence of something “other.” I’ve walked the wooded paths sharing devotional messages and participated in professional assessments with the forestry manager. Copyright © 2021 Deseret News Publishing Company. In Luke 17:20-21, Jesus responds to a Pharisee who asked when the kingdom of God would come, “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say here it is or there it is because the kingdom of God is within you.” As well as we experience coming of God’s reign over the world in the future, we will experience the Kingdom of God here and now although it is a foretastes of … “You cannot doubt them.”. He speaks in ways we expect, and in ways we do not.”11. Discover your next steps toward a relationship with God. 2) This Shankaracharya says that … You shall eat in the presence of the Lord your God, at the place where He chooses to establish His name, the tithe of your grain, your new wine, your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and your flock, so that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always. Author Ken Gire calls such moments “windows of the soul,” and maintains that God is certainly behind them: “He comes to us in ways that our senses can take Him in without injury, which is always less than He is. Similarly, a walk through an art museum can remind me that God is the Creator of all creators. In answer to his prayer, the angel Moroni appeared to him in a dream and read portions of the Book of Mormon in his native language; a language the book had not yet been translated into. My guiding question was formed from my personal experience and passion regarding sports. Understanding which Sacred Pathways best help you to connect with God and experience the presence of Christ is very helpful to your spiritual growth and your ministry to others. Sacred: not to be violated, criticized, or tampered with. There is no right or wrong place to experience God’s presence for God is present in all things and able to be present in all places. If you believe in a benevolent, personal God, you likely want to hear from him and experience his presence in your everyday life. The Global Histories are filled with examples of God, in His infinite wisdom, providing answers adapted to individuals so they might “Hear Him.”. We are peacemakers, reconcilers, and bridge-builders. Right here in our bodies, in our defense of our right to experience joy, in the refusal to abandon the place where we have been most completely invaded & colonized, in our determination to make the bombed & defoliated lands flower again and bear fruit, here where we have been most shamed is one of the most radical & sacred places from which to transform the world. He initially felt nothing when he prayed about the message the missionaries shared with him; however, days later while reading a business leadership book, the Spirit testified to Milton that what the missionaries taught was true. But the God of the Bible, the Father of JesusChrist and the giver of the Holy Spirit, has been speaking to and co… The experience of Rafael Tabango, a Quichua man living near Otavalo, Ecuador, in 1968, was quite different. “You know these things are true,” the Spirit whispered to me that day. Rafael and Teresa Tabango on the cover of the Church News, March 4, 1972. The Amarnath is one of the holiest and ancient shrines of lord Shiva in India. For Olga Kovářová, who was a university student in Brno, Czechoslovakia, in 1983 when she first read the Book of Mormon, it was her own whispered affirmation that “God lives!” which allowed her to feel as His love filled her entire body. How do you prepare yourself for the sacred place to Abba Father? If our God were a deity who always communicated in the same way, or who could only be known and experienced by “professional” God-followers, then we might be excused from trying to experience him ourselves. 29 synonyms of sacred from the Merriam-Webster Thesaurus, plus 60 related words, definitions, and antonyms. Pray in the morning, seeking guidance. Find another word for sacred. Reply. Personal Experience Leads Me to Believe God Exists. The Church News is an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As I reflect on my journey, what’s now more apparent to me than ever is that God has a sacred pace all his own for the decisions of our lives—and it’s almost never the high-speed plan we’re on. Your sacred space should be a place where you can strengthen your relationship with God and find strength for yourself in these uncertain times. You know an author is worth reading if he can make stones interesting. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.”7. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. Copy and paste the code below into your website. Jesus found His sacred place out in the wilderness. Each was sacred. Almost without fail, these stories include a powerful account of the circumstances that led to and the moment when these faithful Saints first experienced an answer to their prayers. experience God best inside the walls of our congregation. Having your own space to meet with God is crucial in the life of a believer. That phrase has stayed with me. Jointly published by the Deseret News and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, its content supports the doctrines, principles and practices of the Church. That day changed the course of my life. In many ways, I’ve taken those opportunities for granted. God is with us in our work, our worship, our celebrations, and our shared sorrows. We want to be assured that we follow a God who is dialed in—that he has our numbers and uses them. The Christian life is an embodied life. The tomb of the human incarnation of God is the most sacred place of worship and can never be treated as the unholy burial ground. If God were a God who simply once reached out to man, who once spoke to us, we could rely on history alone, finding our assurance in what others claim God has already said and done. Strewn with the debris, safety concerns had closed many of the paths. From the insightful words of a friend to even the chastisement or correction of a stranger, God can communicate with us through those around us. Imagine that! When the missionaries asked Rafael to read the Book of Mormon, he worried that his limited Spanish would prevent him from understanding. What is heard? He is, after all, the God who conversed with Moses through a burning bush;1 the God who directed the prophet Balaam’s attention by using the very donkey on which he was riding;2 the God whose voice and glory knocked Saul to the ground;3 the God who called to young Samuel in his sleep;4 and the God who came to dwell among his people as a man.5, From the beginning, God has spoken to humankind. Connected to God the Father by grace, we can experience him in real, tangible ways. The complete silence of … Nothing. God has been present to me in the words of poets like John Donne, Emily Dickinson, Mary Oliver, and Wendell Berry. It’s a place of “refuge” “the courts of the Lord” or “strong tower” or “safe place” or “temple of the living God” is where we run to. That is where they must learn to live the sacred life. I’ve cried through their grief, exulted in their triumphs and marveled at their dedication. Pray more. Much of what we reverence, and what we teach our children to reverence as holy and sacred, is reflected in these places. The highest degree in miracles comprises those works wherein something is done by God, that nature can never do: for instance, that two bodies occupy the same place, that the sun recede or stand still, that the sea be divided and make way to passers by. Nothing. Both have their place, but my experience is that one is far more recognized and appreciated than the other. In Nigeria, when Esohe Ikponmwen, a magistrate in Edo State, first encountered the restored gospel, she used her legal training to analyze the Church’s teaching. Miracles are often connected with special sacred places. “The spiritual life is not an escape from life but an affirmation of God’s way of life in the struggles we meet in our personal thoughts, in the relationships we have in the family, among our neighbors, at work, and in our leisure. We all do, don’t we? I should expect to experience him. Three questions: 1. It's hard to deny God exists once you've experienced his goodness. — Ryan W. Saltzgiver is a global history specialist in the Church History Department. Think on Moses’ encounter with God at the burning bush. “Human life—all of it—is the precinct of epiphany: of God’s showing, of God’s constant speaking and breathing,” says Father Michael Downey.8 God shows up. But after reading Andrew Wilson’s God of All Things: Rediscovering the Sacred in an Everyday World (Zondervan), you’ll be seeing stones everywhere in the Bible, and you’ll understand their significance in ways you never imagined. In all this, I see glimpses of the goodness and glory of God. When we gather together to worship him or simply to love and encourage one another, he is there. It’s a wonderful blessing in soul friendship to share our experiences with the Lord — how we’re connecting with him or how we’re struggling to make the connection. We can sense his power in creation and his sovereignty in its order. Although I had spent three months living in Nauvoo and studying early Church History, my adolescent doubts still lingered. We can see his uprightness when mercy is shown for the weak and when justice prevails for the wicked. Rafael Tabango, a Quichua man living near Otavalo, Ecuador, Olga Kovářová, who was a university student in Brno, Czechoslovakia, In Nigeria, when Esohe Ikponmwen, a magistrate in Edo State. This bush was not unique, it was probably identical to many other bushes in the area. I now work as a professional historian and archaeologist with the Church History Department. I have read and listened to the stories of thousands of Latter-day Saints. In what one way would you most like to experience inner change? God promises he is present among his people. After the people who listened to Alma’s preaching in the “forest of Mormon” were baptized, the Book of Mormon records that the place was beautiful “to the eyes of them who there came to the knowledge of their Redeemer” (Mosiah 18:30). 2. As a writer, I’ve often experienced God through the written word. This secret place, where we meet with God one-on-one, is where we should find ourselves often. Sanctuary is where God is. We are guided by love, compassion, mercy and justice. God has never stopped sharing himself with his people. That something is relationship. Personal Essay : My Personal Experience, And Passion For Sports 1466 Words | 6 Pages. Psalm 91:1–2 says, "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. Buy the book, “God: An Autobiography”. First we must learn to be expectant by being attentive to our surroundings and anticipating God’s presence. The Bible assures me that the God I love and follow is still speaking, still communicating, still involved in human life—and I can experience him through whatever means he chooses to use. The night before we arrived, however, a massive storm blanketed the region in a thick layer of ice, breaking limbs off many of the still-leafless trees in the grove. The experience leaves a person with a new and profound sense of awareness or understanding regarding God, a truth, or other religious expressions. Lord Shiva is enshrined in the form of an ice-lingam in this cave. The Secret Place of the Most High in God – Psalms 91. It was not until she added prayer to her search, however, that she received confirmation of the truth of what she was studying. For the past four years, I have led a team of missionaries and staff from the Church History Department in writing Global Histories, a series of short histories of Latter-day Saints living devoted lives throughout the world (see globalhistories.ChurchofJesusChrist.org). “My sheep listen to my voice,” Jesus said, “I know them, and they follow me.”9 Belonging to God—and knowing God—makes experiencing him possible. We should not be surprised. We hear what we listen for, after all; I’m sure we’ve all suffered from “selective hearing” at least once or twice in our lives. Even if you can only stop for a few minutes a day, having a space for quiet reflection in your home serves as a reminder that it is important to continue to nurture our faith in the absence of any organised worship. When I was in the Church that commemorates Christ’s suffering and glory, my emotions and thoughts intensified and focused.