If we are to have any hope in this world, we need a Power beyond ourselves. We need God! But how can we connect with the Spirit when we are so embedded in a material world?

The Bible declares that we can encounter God precisely within the stuff and the events of the world around us. A profound illustration of that truth can be found in the sacraments of the church—Baptism and Communion.

Last week, in preparation for the sacrament of Baptism, I met with a young boy named Tyler, to go through what would happen during his Baptism on Sunday morning. He asked a very good question: “Where did the water come from?” He wanted to know if there was something special about it. I answered that the water of Baptism is ordinary water, which shows us something extremely important—that God is present with us in the ordinary places of life. The same could be said about the elements of Communion; we receive ordinary bread and, in our church, grape juice from the neighborhood grocery. It is a sign that Christ meets us within the stuff of everyday life.

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So as we look for the presence and power of God, we need not look far! God is near; and we can encounter God’s grace as we open ourselves in faith to how God is coming to us in the ordinary moments of each day.

Sunday’s Scripture Readings:
I Corinthians 11:23–26
Matthew 28:18–20

About the Author

Dr. David A. Palmer has been the senior pastor at the United Methodist Church of Kent since 1995. He has a B.A. from Wittenberg University, a Master of Divinity from Duke University, and a Doctor of Ministry from Princeton Theological Seminary. A native of Wooster, Ohio, he has served three other churches in east Ohio before coming to Kent. He and his wife, Mavis, have three children.