In the candles' glow of Christmas Eve, or the celebration of Easter worship-in the midst of an anthem, or a familiar hymn, or the sermon, or when a person is baptized-then, in one or several of these moments, the Presence of God is felt or seen.

It may spill over into a sunset-a prayer from one's own sickbed, or by the bed of someone you love-a burst of joy from a child, or the beauty of a first snowfall. In these events the Presence of God is often easily experienced.

It is a bit more difficult to see God in the midst of a church or family squabble-to feel God when a plan is defeated-or to find God in the midst of the common, ordinary events of life.

Perhaps one of the reasons a congregation has some difficulty with this is because we pastors are ambivalent in communicating the Presence of God, or even seeing it ourselves.

When the children gather at the bedside of a dying parent, we really cannot burst in and proclaim, "Say, are you aware God is here!?" About the most we can do is demonstrate ...