{"id":32,"date":"2021-04-13T22:04:13","date_gmt":"2021-04-14T02:04:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/livinginthepresenceofgod.org\/?page_id=32"},"modified":"2023-08-02T00:27:11","modified_gmt":"2023-08-02T04:27:11","slug":"history","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/livinginthepresenceofgod.org\/index.php\/history\/","title":{"rendered":"The History of the Discipline of Living in the Presence of God"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The History of the Discipline of Living in the Presence of God<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The early church (in the tradition of John), the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Celts in Scotland and Ireland, the Desert Fathers (5th Century), Brother Lawrence in the 1600\u2019s and since that time literally millions of Christians worldwide have embraced and practiced the spiritual discipline of living in the presence of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The Practice of the Presence of God with Spiritual Maxims” by Brother Lawrence can be the beginning point for a study of living in the presence of God. I came upon this book recently. Another recently acquired book is “Listening for the Heartbeat of God: a Celtic Spirituality” by J. Philip Newell. From this book, I came to understand the ancient origins of this tradition and the history of why this tradition was quashed during the early years of the church. Dallas Willard’s book “Hearing God” speaks of developing a “Conversational Relationship With God”, a concept that is based upon “Living in the Presence of God.”<\/p>\n\n\n

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For me, Henri Nouwen is the person who, by his writings, led me in the journey to living in the presence of God. His books I would especially recommend (in no special order) are: \u201cThe Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming,\u201d \u201cThe Genesee Diary,\u201d \u201cHere and Now: Living in the Spirit,\u201d \u201cThe Way of the Heart: Desert Spirituality and Contemporary Ministry,\u201d \u201cLife of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World,\u201d \u201cMaking All Things New: An Invitation to the Spiritual Life,” and “Spiritual Direction” by Henri Nouwen with Michael Christensen and Rebecca Laird.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is living in the presence of the LOVE of God and being mindful of God\u2019s love that is
the real blessing to be shared!<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As I was reading Robert Ellsberg\u2019s book \u201cThe Saints\u2019 Guide to Happiness\u201d, I read of St. Theresa of Lisieux (1873-1897). I wrote in the margin of the book these words: \u201cShe has taken Brother Lawrence\u2019s \u2018Living in the presence of God\u2019 to the ultimate\u2014\u2018living in the presence of the LOVE of God.\u2019\u201d I immediately had one of those \u201cah-hah!\u201d moments: a time when, for a moment, everything comes together and for a moment it all makes sense. I realized that even through my mother\u2019s death and increased family responsibilities, I was doing well\u2014very well in fact. When I read the Psalms, I did not relate to those expressing fear and longing for God\u2019s faithful presence\u2014for I knew where God was\u2014right here with me\u2014inside me, surrounding me\u2014and everywhere I turned in my life! Through the eyes of faith, I saw God\u2019s loving presence in the people and the places and all of the times of my life! Even though my mind raced with fears and worries from 3 am to 5 am, during the day when I could see the beauty of God\u2019s world\u2014and experience the love of God\u2019s people\u2014and the wonderful life I have been given and the opportunities I have to respond in faith\u2014my soul was filled with hope\u2014knew joy\u2014and marveled that I was (and am) so very blessed by our loving God. And so, it became clear that I needed to emphasize that it is living in the presence of the LOVE of God and being mindful of God\u2019s love that is the real blessing to be shared!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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Until now, the most important theological development in my life was Brother Lawrence\u2019s concept of living in the presence of God. I have come to know that it is not the discipline of living in the presence of God\u2014but the GIFT of living in the presence of the LOVE of God that I have actually been experiencing\u2014and have the opportunity to reflect, better understand, and share! The small group study project has become this website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through God-colored glasses\u2026 we are invited to view the creation
and prayerfully consider what it reveals about the Creator!<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Introduction to Photographs<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Life can be so very different when we put on \u201cGod-colored glasses.\u201d That is, when we look at life aware that it is God who blesses us with the beauty of the earth and life itself! Through God-colored glasses we are invited to appreciate the beauty of flowers, mountains, waters, and skies. We are invited to consider their details and their complexities. We are invited to view the creation and prayerfully consider what it reveals about the Creator!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My hope and prayer is that through the beauty of these photographs you may experience God and be filled with God\u2019s love for you and all of God\u2019s creation!!!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The History of the Discipline of Living in the Presence of God The early church (in the tradition of John), the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Celts in Scotland and Ireland, the Desert Fathers (5th Century), Brother Lawrence in the 1600\u2019s and since that time literally millions of Christians worldwide have embraced and practiced the spiritual […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/livinginthepresenceofgod.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/32"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/livinginthepresenceofgod.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/livinginthepresenceofgod.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/livinginthepresenceofgod.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/livinginthepresenceofgod.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/livinginthepresenceofgod.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/32\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":340,"href":"https:\/\/livinginthepresenceofgod.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/32\/revisions\/340"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/livinginthepresenceofgod.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}