“Then the angel of Adonai appeared to him in a flame of fire from within a bush. So he looked and saw the bush burning with fire, yet it was not consumed. Moses thought, “I will go now, and see this great sight. Why is the bush not burnt?” When Adonai saw that he turned to look, He called to him out of the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” So he answered, “Hineni.” Then He said, “Come no closer. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” Moreover He said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” So Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.”
Exodus 3:2-6 TLV
I still remember my second visit to Shady Grove Church and my first “Encounter.” Years earlier I had visited with a friend to attend a concert and promptly walked out when I saw people laying on the floor. It wasn’t for me.
Fast forward 6 years – I returned a second time with a different friend -broken, abused, and divorced. As the music started, people all around me sang at the top of their lungs in complete abandonment. I’d never seen this in the churches I grew up in. The songs were simple, repeating the same stanzas multiple times, and as the music lingered, I began to sing and suddenly found myself bowed low, face to the ground, sobbing. There was something in this place – Someone present that I did not know yet – that fascinated me, and just like Moses, curiosity and wonder had me turning to behold the flame in the bush, and the encounter marked me and forever changed my destiny.
I grew up in the church. I knew the old hymns and heard plenty of 3 point sermons with great alliteration. But my “experiences” at church didn’t change me. Merriam Webster defines experience as the process of doing and seeing things and of having things happen to you, or a skill or knowledge that you get by doing something. The planned “experiences” at church affected my thoughts but they stopped there. It took an encounter to change my heart.
An encounter is defined as coming upon or meeting someone unexpectedly, to engage in conflict, or to meet as an adversary or enemy. I believe that’s what happened to me on my second visit to Shady Grove – I had an encounter, an unexpected meeting with Him that was so different, it captured my attention.
That’s what happened to Moses. The Lord wanted to get his attention because He had an assignment for Moses – a calling if you will – so He arranged a meeting of chance, something unexpected – a flame in the midst of a bush – and the flame wasn’t destroying it!
A flame that did not consume had to evoke curiosity! The flame of fire was going against what Moses knew to be true – experience that says fires are destructive! But Moses encountered The Flame that purified – The Flame that made the place “Holy Ground”.
Likewise I believe G-d desires to encounter us – to move us beyond what our finite mind understands based on our experiences with the programs and plans of man – to a life changing, life altering encounter that marks us for eternity.
Last year, I was captivated by fires that dotted the landscape as I drove through Flint Hills, Kansas close to midnight. I have no idea how many fires were burning – but as I scanned the horizon, I turned off the music, slowed down, and felt the peace of G-d enter my car. It was a holy moment for me – an encounter with Him. Range Burning is a long standing practice of Kansas ranchers used to enhance and improve their soil, strengthen native grasses, and remove / destroy weeds. In a way – they’re using fire to purify and cleanse their land.
Could an encounter with G-d be like the Kansas Range Burnings, meant to purify and strengthen us, to get our attention so He can remove that which doesn’t need to be there? Perhaps. Perhaps not. But either way- He’s trying to get our attention. May we have eyes to see, ears to hear, and a ready yes on our lips when He comes to encounter us.
Father – thank You for pursuing me. Thank You for never giving up on me. Thank You for waiting until I turned to You. Your leadership is perfect. You are good and You can be trusted. Prepare my heart for all You have for me. Amen.
Daily Reading: Exodus 1-3