Community News 4/9/2025
Community-
What Are You Paying Attention To?
Let’s try something together:
Wherever you are, take a quick look around the room and silently note every red item you can find.
Go ahead—I’ll wait.
Got a few in mind?
Now, tell me: how many blue items did you notice?
Chances are… not many.
Why? Because your focus was on red. And what we look for is usually what we find.
It’s a simple exercise, but it carries a profound truth:
What we pay attention to determines what we see.
In a world buzzing with distractions, demands, and negativity, our attention is constantly being pulled in a hundred directions. But Scripture invites us to lift our eyes—to fix our gaze on what is good, true, beautiful, and ultimately on the presence of God in our everyday lives.
Poet Mary Oliver put it this way: “Attention is the beginning of devotion.”
In other words, where we direct our attention is where our hearts will follow. One of the historic practices that helps us tune our attention to the presence of God is the Prayer of Examen—a simple rhythm of reflecting on where we’ve seen God at work and where we may have missed Him.
Think of the disciples on the road to Emmaus. They walked with Jesus, talked with Him, but only recognized Him in hindsight. “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road…?” (Luke 24:31)
The examen helps us cultivate that same hindsight… until it becomes foresight. Slowly, it trains us to recognize God in the moment.
So here’s a simple invitation:
A special kind of examen prayer, focused on our discipleship commitments of Presence, Formation, and Mission.
PRESENCE // To Be with Jesus
Lord, where have I noticed Your nearness lately?
How can I be more intentional about making space to meet with You?
Where has my heart grown cold?
FORMATION // To Become Like Jesus
Lord, how have You been shaping me lately?
Where do I see the fruit of Your Spirit in my life?
Where am I resisting Your transformation?
MISSION // To Do What Jesus Did
Lord, how have I responded to Your invitation to flood this valley with heaven?
What’s holding me back from stepping out in bold faith and radical love?
Who are You calling me to serve—today?
Come, Holy Spirit.
Make me more aware of Your presence in every corner of my life.
Help me hear, see, and follow You more closely.
Draw me deeper into the way of Jesus—
More of Him, and more like Him, in all I do.
With Joy –
Pastor Brett
