Being in the presence of Jesus

A continuation of Sundays sermon, “…these men had been with Jesus.” Acts 4:13

I got to thinking about being with Jesus and in his presence and what that looks like. 

There is an episode of I Love Lucy where Lucy and Ethel are in the kitchen talking about the night Ricky just had. Ricky enters the kitchen in a bad mood. Ethel tries to cheer him up. He snarls at her then tells Lucy, “doesn’t your little playmate ever go home?” Ricky’s sour mood puts Ethel in a sour mood. Fred enters the kitchen and says “here you are Ethel” and Ethel says “oh, shut up.” Her cheerful mood has now gone sour.

Presence changes a room. And being in the presence of people has an impact on us. Sometimes you can be around someone really cheerful and you’re feeling refreshed and other times you’re in the presence of a negative Nancy and you suddenly feel negative and worn. 

Being in the presence of Jesus—it isn’t about stained glass or polished pews, though it can be. It isn’t about knowing all the words to the hymns, or even having your prayers sound right. It’s about Him being near. You know it when it happens. The burden lifts a little. The edge of fear softens. Even silence feels full, as though Someone else has breathed life into the moment.

And people notice. They may not know what it is exactly. They might say, “There’s a peace about her,” or, “He seems steady, even when things are shaking.” It isn’t anything we’ve manufactured; it’s Jesus. His presence lingers like the smell of bread baking—it tells you something good is here, even before you see it.

And maybe that’s what it looks like: the ordinary becoming holy. A kitchen table becomes an altar when grace is said with gratitude. A hard day becomes bearable when you sense you’re not carrying it alone. A hospital waiting room, even there, can be touched with hope because Christ sits down beside you.

Being in His presence—it looks like light in shadow, calm in chaos, and love in the most unlikely places.