Presence

Surely, the presence of the Lord is in this place.

As I pondered the very long reading this week, that line from the hymn we sang a few minutes ago, kept ringing through my head. Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place. I could remember singing it… I went searching in the hymnbook… it’s not there…but I could distinctly remember singing it in church! I finally realized that it must have been when I was a member at Cole Harbour United almost 30 years ago. So, I trusted the Holy Spirit that most of you folks would know it… and if you didn’t, that you would forgive me for choosing the wrong opening hymn my first week back! 😉

It’s been 11 weeks since I stood before you to reflect on the words of scripture… Most of you know that my summer included an emergency appendectomy, which led to a much more sedentary summer than usual. Which led to me spending much more time scrolling through social media… doom scrolling… not experiencing much of the presence of God. And I tell you, a person can start to believe that there is NOTHING good in the world if you spend too much time on social media… or even regular media.

Our brains and bodies aren’t equipped to process a constant barrage of information that activates our amygdala, that small structure in the brain that triggers the fight, flight, freeze or fawn response to threats. And yet, I couldn’t stop myself!

Where are you God in the midst of trade wars, gun violence, wildfires, tarrifs, wildfires, world leaders with no moral compass, genocide in Gaza, flooding in Pakistan, homeless encampments, rising anti-immigration… you can probably add a few more things. And just when I was beginning to feel more like myself, and wanting to get out onto the trail behind my house, restrictions came into play and then the wildfire smoke drove me indoors.

I found myself falling into despair… where are you God?I couldn’t pray! Is there even a God? And despite that, one tiny, reasonable part of my brain said go to church and be fed. Go to church and hear the word of God preached and be nourished by it. Go surround yourself with people who believe and perhaps some of their belief will rub off on you. God to church and maybe, just maybe experience the presence of God. You see that’s one of the things that I believe is important about gathering together, we don’t all have to be strong at the same time. We can come when our faith is faltering, or non-existent, or strong and resilient. We can lean on others and have others lean on us. We can BE the presence of God for one another in a very tangible way. So, despite my despair etc. I took myself to church. 😉 And no, there wasn’t a dramatic change, but slowly, slowly, I began to sense God’s presence again as I heard ancient stories that connected to what was happening now.

So, what does this all have to do with that very long reading?

Jacob has willingly, with his mother’s collusion, strayed far from the man God would have him be. Isaac, old and nearly blind, asks his elder son Esau to hunt and prepare food so he can bless him before he dies. Rebekah, overhearing, dresses Jacob, her favourite, in Esau’s clothes and covers his hands and neck with goat skins so he will feel like Esau. Jacob brings the meal to Isaac, claiming to be Esau. Though Isaac is suspicious, he feels Jacob’s disguised hands, believes him, and gives Jacob the blessing meant for Esau. Later, Jacob leaves Beer-sheba and, while sleeping outdoors, dreams of a stairway reaching to heaven with angels ascending and descending. God appears, promising Jacob the land, countless descendants, and blessings for all nations through him. God also pledges to be with Jacob wherever he goes. Awaking, Jacob realizes he has encountered God’s presence, calling the place “the house of God” and “the gate of heaven.”

By the world’s reckoning, Jacob was a thief, a trickster, an outlaw,  but God was not finished with him. I love the stories in the Hebrew Bible, which was Jesus’ Bible, or as we have usually called it, the Old Testament. I love the stories because they are full of people who are as screwed up as we are. And yet God does not give up on them, God keeps showing up. God didn’t give up on Jacob. How many times was God present and Jacob didn’t see him? And God did not give up on me. And God does not give up on any of us. Even though it seems like a tough slog to climb that ladder of faith sometimes. How many of you have climbed Jacob’s Ladder in Victoria Park? It’s not a sprint, at least not for me! And neither is my journey of faith. I have to stop partway up… rest, take a few breaths… receive some encouragement from fellow travellers… Sometimes I don’t have the energy in mind, body or spirit to keep going up, so I go back down. But always, always, I find my way back on the path that leads to the presence of God and while all the crap in the world is still there, I remember that I am not alone. I also remember that it’s not up to me to mend the entire world!

A friend recently sent something back to me that I shared in one of my reflections last February with thanks for the message. I had forgotten what what I wrote last February and the words encouraged me and so perhaps you’ve forgotten them and they will encourage you too. In her book The Lightmaker’s Manifesto: How to Work for Change Without Losing Your Joy, Karen Walrond cites Jane Mosbacher Morris, founder and CEO of TO THE MARKET, an enterprise fostering the economic empowerment of women globally, on how to face overwhelm:

“I think it’s very easy to get into what I call a despair spiral, or analysis paralysis, when trying to figure out how to tackle a problem. So I think my answer is the same, whether the question is about activism or any other challenge: I focus on the three circles that I’m in the middle of, concentric circles that surround me. The first, small circle represents what I can control. The second, larger circle that closes the first circle is what I can influence. Then the third, largest circle is everything else. So for me, focusing first on what I can control and influence is a helpful mindset.”

There is so much we can’t control. But within our first and second circlest there is MUCH we can initiate and influence to bring about God’s presence. What are the circles of influence and control where you and we collectively can both experience the presence of God and make evident the presence of God?

My hope is that the same God who met Jacob on the road will meet us on ours this week, helping us spot that ladder of grace already stretching between heaven and earth, and nudging us to be signs of God’s presence wherever we are.

Thanks be to God for the challenge and the opportunity, amen.

Genesis 27:1-4, 15-23; 28:10-17

September 14, 2025

© Rev. Catherine MacDonald