Encounter

en·coun·ter

[en-koun-ter]

–verb

1. 1. to meet, especially unexpectedly or in conflict

Something one of my profs asked in my intro to worship course was “do you anticipate an encounter with God when you go to church on Sunday mornings?” What he was trying to imply was that if we do not anticipate the possibility of encountering God in worship, then the chances of actually doing so are far less likely. So I started wondering when was the last time I actually felt like I encountered God during a Sunday worship service. Now that I’m in my field placement at St. John/St. Andrew and St. David’s Presbyterian churches and am involved in leading worship on a regular basis once again I will admit that I do find it harder to have an “encounter” with God because I’m often a little too busy. That said, it certainly isn’t unheard of for me to encounter God while leading worship. But do I actually anticipate encounters? I would admit that prior to hearing this question encounters of late have definitely fallen under the “unexpectedly” category. And yet, since beginning to ponder this question, I’ve found that every time I consciously make an effort to anticipate an encounter, God shows up. Cool.

Anticipated encounters…. Sort of an oxymoron if you get real technical, but it seems to work. And I plan on trying to make anticipation more of a regular part of my days.