Divine Anticipation
This angst connects to one of the “Four Acts of Love” we advocate in the book. We call it Divine Anticipation. People are looking for God. But they need help. Here’s where the church can enter in and help people see that the living God is not an aloof concept or merely a historical figure.
Divine Anticipation is a practice that beckons the church to focus on the main thing—a relationship with Jesus. Divine Anticipation equips people with God-colored glasses, so they see God in action—today and every day. Everywhere. God becomes a real and constant companion, not just a remote subject to be studied.
So, how can a church help create Divine Anticipation? A few ideas to get you started:
1. Keep the focus clear. It’s simple: Connect people with God. Faith is a relationship. It is not an academic subject, or a soap box, or a show.
2. Elevate the present tense. Sure, share the historical, biblical accounts of how God acted thousands of years ago. But always balance that with present-day “God sightings.” Share microphone time with real people who bring real stories of God, who is active in their lives.
3. Make God-watchers. Train people to recognize God’s hand. Go beyond the pastor’s personal sermon illustrations, and help people make their own discoveries of God’s presence in circumstances, in relationships, in nature, in “coincidences.”
4. Allow time for God to act. Be lavish with time for silent prayer. Provide experiences for people to encounter God in tangible ways. Refrain from tight scripts that leave no time for the spontaneity of God. Be prepared to let the agenda bend with God’s moves.
5. Validate your progress. Regularly survey people to see if they experience God.
Professional staff often make assumptions about their people’s spiritual state. That leads to answering questions no one is asking. People today long for the tangible presence of the real, living God in their lives.
