My friend Mollie was sitting in a grocery store parking lot. She was upset. She was mad at the universe. In the midst of her rage, God spoke to her.

According to Mollie, it was undeniable, almost audible. God responded to her questions. God comforted her and cooled her rage. She said that she seemed to just know that the “God-voice” was Jesus.

Here’s the thing; Mollie was not a Christian. She would not align herself with any religion. She believed that the spiritual encompassed all things. And yet “Jesus” spoke to her ... in the most tangible way.

Elusive presence

As I researched for my latest book, I asked hundreds of people about their life with God. Specifically, I wanted them to talk about God’s tangible presence. The vast majority of people are not like Mollie. God’s tangibility, his “felt presence,” seems elusive to them.

For most of the church people I’ve talked to, the whole of their personal and tangible life with God amounts, ...