How to Find the Intersection of the Sacred and the Mundane

It’s one of those mornings the sunrise peaks as I walk up the hill from my house, trees and power lines and houses towering between me and the sky. I take pictures of the remnants of color gently grazing the horizon when I reach my typical sunrise viewing spot. It’s lovely, but not stunning. 

I stretch and check my shoelaces, but before I hit the record button on my running app, I turn around. I’m glad I do, because God’s glory hovers over an ordinary parking lot, and I almost missed it.

A Small View of the Sacred

I’d been bent on the angle, trying to situate the sun just so between the trees or over the vanishing point of the white fence. But I’d been too close to see the white streaks and glow of color up a little higher.

From the middle of the parking lot, I catch patched blacktop and a swingset in my camera lens. If I omit the less-aesthetic, I also miss the majesty exploding above it. 

Isn’t it like that a lot in life? We zero in on moments that feel inordinately spiritual and miss the intersection of the sacred and the mundane? 

We expect God in the quietness–the gentle turn of a Bible page, the soft worship music that stills your soul, the undulating chatter of birds scattered amongst trees. But life is often loud. Our quintessential quiet times get interrupted, sirens and road hum overpower the sounds of nature, and the harmony in our hearts dissipates.

Our small view of the sacred suggests that faith doesn’t fit into the irregular and messy parts of life. The times you’re running late and say a hurried hello and see-you-later to a neighbor. The times you’re frumpy or frazzled or fiercely focused. The times you snap at one more ask–and then exercise apology.

We see faith as something seperate from the workplace, spiritual formation as relocated to the visibly religious, as if the everyday and the spiritual can’t intersect.

But, like in my parking lot picture, they can, and they do.

Straddling the Sacred and the Mundane

Take a Tuesday evening stroll through the neighborhood, for instance. You notice the breeze lifting the weight of the heat. Normally, you might dismiss it. But today, you’re looking for reasons to tell God thank you out loud. So you sigh and let your shoulders relax as you say to your walking companion, “That was kind of God! Did you feel the breeze?”

What just happened here? You straddled the sacred and the mundane, as if it’s ordinary to acknowledge God in the middle of what you’re doing. 

Where else might we find this intersection of faith and the familiar?

Perhaps in the honest admissions of where you’re learning to trust God that you tuck into conversations in the cul-de-sac, your foyer, your front yard.

Maybe in 

• the affirmation you offer a neighbor girl struggling with self-criticism
• the I-see-you hug you offer a neighbor friend going through something hard
• the still-warm chocolate chip cookies hand-delivered across the street

Could it be that right in front of us, far too easy to miss, are moments where our reverence for God can start a ripple effect?

What if the ways we fumble forward in our faith can offer a handhold for someone who knows only the struggle, but not the God who never gives up on them?

What if you don’t have to figure it out to go first–

• to step into refreshing authenticity as you learn to walk in step with Christ? 
• to name a few of the innumerable ways God shows off His kind attention and impeccable timing?
• to choose gratitude over grumbling, grace over impatience?

Three Easy Ways to Increase Awareness

Here and all around us is evidence of the presence of God. But our overstuffed lives can dull our senses and keep our faith out of sight.

How, practically, can we heighten our sensitivity so we don’t miss the opportunities to gently nudge our neighbors closer to the God who loves them?

We start small, because if we don’t, we likely won’t begin at all.

Here are three easy ways to help you grow awareness of where God is at work around you.

1. Familiarize yourself with God’s voice.

As you read your Bible, pay attention to the tone, the tenderness, the timeliness, and the trustworthiness of Jesus. Note the nuances of God’s nature, which is consistent throughout history. Grapple with the context as you learn to treasure of the voice of your Father. Converse with Him as you seek to understand His heart. The more familiar you are with God’s voice, the more easily you will see Him throughout the day.

2. Practice praying out loud when no one else is around.

Not only will this impact the depth and vulnerability of your conversations with God, it will prepare you to ease into thanking Him out loud when others can overhear. Eventually, you might find yourself slipping a quick prayer for someone into conversation as if it’s nothing unusual because baby steps gently ready you for what’s next.

3. Take your phone with you on your walk.

If your camera is your phone, take it with you when you walk. When you notice God’s handiwork around you, pause to capture it. You may never know who needs that permission to slow and savor God’s goodness themselves. Also, just imagine what conversations may come from you photographing the beauty God created.

If you’d like more baby steps ideas to help you live into ripple-effect faith, sign up for Neighboring Tip of the Week emails.

Shall we pray?

Lord, make us more aware of where You are. When life feels ordinary, help us to find the intersection of the sacred and the mundane. Teach us to be quick with our thanks, familiar with Your voice, and obedient to Your nudges. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Just a friend over here in your corner,

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