God is all around us -- in every moment, in every situation, in every place which ever has been or ever will be. There is never even an instant in our lives when we are separated from God. But we do not always remember to notice this reality. We are not always aware of God's presence in us or around us. You see, as finite creatures who exist in linear time, we are simply not equipped to fully or completely comprehend the infinite and all-encompassing reality of God. At least not full-time, all the time, in one continuous flow of experience. It is one of the interesting truths about being human that in a universe which is filled with God, we must encounter God again and again, in particular moments and particular experiences. Sometimes we at least remember, from one experience to the next -- and sometimes we don't. But either way, it seems that one of our primary objectives in our living is to encounter the holy which surrounds us.

Even though we cannot take in the complete fullness of God's presence and activity in our lives, it is still possible, and indeed desirable, to expand our awareness so that we recognize sacramental moments -- moments when the reality of God shines through into our reality -- more often and thus be shaped by them more fully and richly. Towards that end, it might be useful to reflect on some of what we are watching for. Such encounters can take a variety of shapes and forms. They can be big and dramatic or quiet and subtle. They can be prompted by something external or by some internal stirring. There are no right ways or wrong ways, better or worse experiences. They all work towards giving our lives depth and substance.

The two scriptures which we heard this morning both describe situations in which people had encounters with the holy. The one which Isaiah describes for us fits fairly easily into the "big and dramatic" category. A grand vision of God's heavenly throne room, filled with heavenly beings, fire and smoke and an overwhelming sense of God. There are other biblical accounts of this kind of encounter, including both Paul and the writer of Revelation. Others since that time have also had such experiences with God. It is never what could be called a common occurrence and it is certainly not one which everyone has. But it is one of the ways in which we human beings sometimes experience the presence of God.

The story from Luke's gospel is of a slightly different sort. Still big and dramatic, but in another way. The presence of God is brought to their attention through an extraordinary event which takes place in the company of Jesus. Some folks refer to such situations as miracles. Something outside their normal experience and beyond their ability to explain helps draw attention to the fact that there is more to life than meets the eye. As with the grand vision of Isaiah, there are other examples of encounters with the holy which center around miracles. We find them throughout scripture as well as in the lives of folks today. Also like grand visions, miraculous experiences are not usually common, everyday events. But they are certainly a path by which some people encounter God.

More often than either visions or miracles however, the holy in our lives is likely to break through into our awareness in more subtle, quiet, everyday, even mundane ways. Indeed, I expect that if and when the "big and dramatic" encounters occur, one of the results which they accomplish is to make us more sensitive to all of the ways in which God fills our world. I spent this past week at a place called Holden Village, which is located in the mountains above Lake Chelan. I know that some of you are aware of Holden because it was a place which Mike and Barbara Burr went on more than one occasion. It is a retreat center which is run by the Lutheran Church. I went there for what I called a personal spiritual retreat. It was a marvelous experience and I will be glad to tell you more about it if you ask. But for right now, I want to share two particular experiences which illustrate encountering the holy in the midst of the ordinary.

On Thursday afternoon, it began to snow quite heavily, so I grabbed my skis and headed up one of the trails. I soon found myself at the edge of an open field, with trees all around, a mountain stream dancing over rocks in the distance and a mountain peak rising steeply behind it all. And the air was filled with snow. To say that it was beautiful would be only a pale attempt at describing the event. To say that it took my breath away comes a little bit closer. But closer still would be to say that I suddenly became aware of the awesome presence of God -- in the world, in that place, in my life -- in an almost tangible way. That experience added a new dimension to my understanding of prayer. It moved beyond talking or listening or meditating or reflecting. It was prayer as simply being alive and filled with joy in the midst of life in the presence of God.

But perhaps the most powerful example of encountering the holy which I experienced at Holden was witnessing the community which exists in that place. There are between 50 and 60 people who are full-time members of the Holden community during the winter. Some of them are there for three months, some for a year or two, and a few for up to four years. Some are volunteers. Some receive a stipend. None of them are getting rich and all of them are there because they made a conscious, intentional decision to be there. They are old and young and in between. Together they work and play and worship and live together. They share life together in a full and rich way. And as I observed that marvelous community in action, and began even to participate in its life, at least around the edges, I came to understand a very familiar saying of Jesus in a new way. "For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them." (Matthew 18:20) The experience of community, in that place but now also (at least I hope) in all places, became for me a vehicle for experiencing the presence of God in the world, for encountering the holy in our midst. Jesus' words become a promise, not only for those two or three or fifty or sixty who gather, but also for all those who are privileged to come in contact with them as they gather. In the everyday experiences of living, God's presence is revealed.

Of course any list we might make of such sacramental moments -- moments when we become aware of the holy presence of God which surrounds us -- is an incomplete list at best. It is a list which can grow every time we open our eyes, if we will begin to really look. But no matter how large our lists grow, no matter how marvelous our encounters with God are, we are still left finally with the question, "So what?" What do we do with such experiences? How do we respond? What difference do they make in our living? Isaiah and the folks in the boat with Jesus chose to let their encounters with the holy change their lives. Will we? May we be open to encountering the holy in our living. May we be transformed by those encounters.