Earlier this week, I was working from home (because—summer break). I had my coffee, my notes spread out, and I was deep into writing this week’s sermon on how we can listen to God’s voice. I was reflecting on how we sense God’s presence, how we hear God’s nudges, how we follow where God leads.
And then—bursting through the quiet—came my kids.
First, they urgently needed help making paper ninja stars. So I paused, pulled up a YouTube tutorial, got them set up with some paper, and returned to writing…about paying attention to God.
Just a few minutes later, I heard it—the faint jingle of the ice cream truck. Suddenly, the house erupted. Doors slammed. Feet pounded. And breathless, wide-eyed kids (some mine, some definitely not mine) came flying into my makeshift office yelling, “THE ICE CREAM TRUCK IS COMING!!! WE NEED MONEY RIGHT NOW!!!”
In the moment, I sighed, pushing back some frustration. After all, I was trying to write a sermon—on how to hear from God. But we found some cash, and everyone got ice cream. Crisis averted.
As I sat back down, it hit me: maybe those interruptions (as frustrating and distracting as they were) were God speaking. Maybe that was the point God was making in my life. Pay attention to the interruptions.
Last Sunday, we talked about how God rarely shows up with lightning bolts or booming voices. More often, God speaks through quiet nudges. A thought you can’t shake. A name that keeps surfacing. And maybe even paper ninja stars and ice cream truck excitement.
These are not so much distractions from the sacred. Maybe they are sacred. Reminders to slow down. To be present. To pay attention.
That’s what our current series, “Is That You, God?” is all about. We’re exploring how God still speaks—through signs, through silence, through Scripture, and through moments that don’t always feel spiritual until we take the time to really see them.
This Sunday, we’ll dig deeper into what it means to pay attention. But in the meantime, here’s a small challenge:
As you go through your weekend, pay attention to anything that interrupts your routine. And instead of brushing it off or getting annoyed, pause and ask: God, is there something you’re trying to show me here?
You might be surprised by what you hear.
I hope to see you Sunday.
Peace,
Matt
P.S. Missed last week’s message? It’s a great one to catch up on. You can watch it below and get ready for what’s next in the series.
