Thriv’era | We Are Present | “Be Here Now”
Thriv’era…
challenges us to move with thoughtful purpose toward a deepened sense of identity—that we are spirited, creative, and connected people, called to be present, grateful, generous, and missional with our lives.
Together, we are exploring what it means to live into these rhythms in ways that help us bring some good to each moment, something better to each day, and our best to each other as we encounter the world together.
We are… Present
As image-bearers of the Divine, we are people of Presence—learning to be fully alive to the gift of here and now. We thrive in the Present rhythm by practicing sabbath: creating margin, welcoming silence, listening deeply, honoring thin places when they appear, and immersing ourselves in what this moment has to teach. Presence gathers what distraction scatters, giving us richness in the ordinary, clarity in the complex, and a quiet centeredness that helps life unfold.
| WELCOME | SETTING THE INTENTION |
Pause for a quiet moment to settle in. Notice your breathing. Let yourself arrive.
Then reflect together:
- When this week did you feel most present?
- When this week did you feel most scattered?
- What helps you slow down enough to really arrive?
Centering | present Thriving |
Read this slowly:
“Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery that it is… because in the last analysis all moments are key moments, and life itself is grace.”
—Frederick Buechner
Pause for a moment. Then reflect:
- What word or phrase stands out to you?
- What feels inviting in this quote?
- What helps you notice this moment as grace?
You may also sit quietly for one full minute and simply notice your breathing, the sounds in the room, your body in the chair, and what is happening inside you right now.
No fixing. No judging. Just noticing.
Scripture Connection | Luke 10:38-42 [NRSVue]
“Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing.”
Sit with this verse for a moment.
- What do you notice in this story?
- Do you feel more like Martha or more like Mary?
- What distracts you most easily these days?
- What might “the one thing” mean for you right now?
Story | Hineni
The ancient Hebrew word Hineni means, “Here I am.”
It appears in Scripture when people are being called into something important. When Abraham hears his name, he answers, “Hineni.” When Moses hears his name from the burning bush, he answers, “Hineni.” When Isaiah hears the question, “Whom shall I send?” he answers, “Hineni. Send me.”
Hineni is more than location. It is more than saying, “I’m over here.”
It is presence.
Readiness.
Availability.
It is a way of saying:
Here, in this moment, I am.
I am not somewhere else in my mind.
I am not hiding.
I am not postponing my life.
I am here.
That is part of the Present rhythm.
To live in the Present rhythm is not to pretend life is simple. It is to stop skimming across our days long enough to inhabit them. It is to create margin, welcome silence, listen deeply, and become available to what is actually happening—within us, around us, and before God.
Sometimes Hineni rises in moments of beauty.
Sometimes in grief.
Sometimes in uncertainty.
Sometimes in courage.
And sometimes it is the only honest thing we can say:
Here. Now. Available.
Reflection
- When have you had to say, in one form or another, “Here I am”?
- When has life asked you to be present for something difficult or important?
- What helps you come back to the moment you are actually in?
PRESENT Conversation
- On a scale of 1 to 10, how present do you feel right now? What is helping you be here? What is pulling you away?
- Do you tend to live more in the past, the future, or the present moment? How does that affect your daily life?
- Tell about a time when someone gave you their full attention. What made that moment meaningful?
- What usually scatters you—noise, hurry, worry, devices, responsibilities, regret, anticipation?
- Have you ever experienced a “thin place”—a moment or setting where God felt especially near? What was that like?
- What helps you create margin or quiet in your life, even in small ways?
- What is one simple practice that could help you be more here—now—available this week?
A Present Manifesto
As children of God, we choose to be here.
We refuse the tyranny of elsewhere.
We will not live in pieces.
We practice return—again and again.
Breath. Body. Now.
We stop skimming our days and learn to enter them.
We make room—margin enough to listen.
We welcome silence until it steadies us.
We listen without rehearsing.
We notice what is small and holy.
We keep sabbath as resistance to hurry.
We stay when we want to flee.
We honor thin places when grace feels near.
We receive this moment as a place where God can meet us.
We offer presence as our most honest gift.
Here, in this place, right now—we become whole.
Brief Reflection
- Which line of the manifesto feels most true for you right now?
- Which line feels most challenging?
Refrain
As a child of God, I am here—now—available.
As a group, say the Refrain aloud together once or twice, slowly. Then reflect on these questions:
- What word or phrase in this Refrain stands out to you?
- What might it look like to live this Refrain in one real situation this week?
Prayer Intention
Gracious God, teach us the holiness of right now. Gather what distraction scatters in us. Create margin in our days, silence in our souls, and love in our attention. Help us listen deeply, notice thin places when they appear, and become more available to the life that is actually before us. Form us into people of Presence—here, now, available. In the name of Christ, Amen.
Blessing
May you thrive as a child of God in every present moment.
May sabbath create enough margin in you to breathe, listen, and return.
May silence steady you.
May thin places awaken you.
May you become more available to the people in front of you
and to the life unfolding within you.
And here, in this place, right now,
may you discover again
the gift of being fully alive.