Have you ever craved a deeper understanding of your faith, or perhaps a more intimate encounter with the divine? In the latest episode of our podcast, Pastor Sarah Jane opens up about her journey to find a satisfied soul amidst the chaos of everyday life.
As a pastor and clinical therapist, Sarah Jane is no stranger to the complexities of spiritual growth. She’s dedicated to helping believers untangle the knots of messy theology and embrace the healing power of God’s word. But even she found herself seeking a more profound experience of God’s presence.
Her story begins with a conversation among fellow female pastors, which sparked the idea of attending a monastery retreat. Despite the initial surprise—after all, she isn’t Catholic—Sara Jane’s curiosity led her to a three-day sojourn that would transform her spiritual practice.
The monastery, a place of simplicity and tranquility, surrounded by nature’s beauty, became the backdrop for an encounter unlike any she had experienced before. The monks, embodying the fruit of the spirit, welcomed her into a routine of worship that was both ancient and awe-inspiring.
Through the rhythm of the monks’ daily services, Sarah Jane discovered the power of silence and the beauty of chanting psalms in Latin. She describes the ethereal voices of the monks, likening them to angels, and the profound peace that enveloped her—a peace that seemed to say, “You are in the presence of God.”
But the episode isn’t just a recounting of a personal experience. Sarah Jane delves into the various ways one can feel God’s presence, from worship and prayer to fellowship and tithing. She offers practical advice on how to seek God deliberately, even through discomfort, and shares a poignant reminder from Matthew 7:7-8 about the promise of seeking and finding.
If you’ve ever felt like your spiritual life could use a refresh, or if you’re simply fascinated by the diverse ways people encounter the divine, this episode is a must-listen. Sarah Jane’s insights and the serene backdrop of her retreat will inspire you to explore new avenues in your faith journey.
Don’t miss out on this soul-nourishing conversation. Tune in, let the tranquility of the monastery envelop you, and perhaps, find a satisfied soul in your own everyday life.
Remember to leave your thoughts in a review wherever the podcast is found, and connect with Sarah Jane on Instagram to continue the conversation. It’s time to step into a space where it’s less of you and more of Him. Listen now and be transformed.
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If you are more of a reader than a listener, check out the full podcast transcription below.
Welcome. You’re listening to the satisfied soul, where I help believers untangle messy theology.
As a pastor and clinical therapist, I am passionate about helping people discover how God’s word is intended to bring direction, safety through boundaries, mental healing, and help you enjoy your Christian journey.
Join me as we shake off the boring of God’s word, find a love for his truth, and discover a satisfied soul in our everyday life.
About a year ago, I was having a conversation with someone…she was a fellow pastor, female pastor, actually, a group of female pastors I was talking to about being in the presence of God.
I have felt the Holy Spirit’s presence when I am worshiping, or even when my sister Jamie is singing. The girl has such an angelic voice. God gifted her with an amazing talent. And so when I hear her sing, it just makes me feel like I’m in his presence.
I have felt his comforting and directive presence. During tough times, whenever something bad has happened or something that has just broke my heart, I have felt his arms around me, telling me, it’s going to be okay.
Although I know these were moments I experienced his presence, how they were describing it, these female pastors, how they were describing it to me seemed a bit more like an out of body experience that I had not yet had.
One of them suggested that I go to a monastery for a retreat. I told her that was bizarre because I’m not Catholic, but she reassured me that I should just give it a try. And trusted, and I trusted her opinion. I mean, she was one of my friends, and I knew she wasn’t Catholic, and I knew that she very diligently sought after the Lord. And so when she said, you should try it, I thought, okay, I’ll give it a try.
I spent three days and two nights with the monks. It was a form of his presence I had never felt before. It was the coolest thing. These monks were so sweet and kind and generous. I mean, last podcast, I was talking about the fruit of the spirit. I could not have seen it any more clearly displayed than what I saw with these monks.
There was an area where we had sleeping quarters, and I had my separate bedroom. It was very minimalist. There was a bed, a dresser, a desk and a chair in this room. And, when you left the room, down the hall was the communal bathroom with showers. And then up the road, up a hill was actually where the monastery were, where the monks lived, and where the kitchen was. And so that’s where we went for, all of us who stayed there went for food, as well as worship.
They had services every, like, 2 hours. And in the past, when I had attended Catholic mass, I just thought it was just boring and ritualistic. I don’t know, maybe the monks do it differently. But when I had attended, I attended probably four of them per day. I didn’t go to all of them. There was an early morning one that was 04:00 a.m. In the morning. Not a fan of 04:00 a.m. In the morning. But I did go to most of them, and they don’t last very long. They’re, like, 20,30 minutes long.
The longest one is the 04:00 a.m.. One. And also the 07:00 PM. One is, uh, a longer one because they also do a blessing during that time. They actually open up the psalms and sing them. Now, some of the services, they sing them in Latin. Some of them, they sing them in English. The early morning one is definitely in Latin. And the 07:00 PM is in Latin. The other ones were in English. And they have books for you, and they ask you to sing along if you’re comfortable with it.
It was amazing. I sat there in awe. They sounded like angels. It just was the most sweetest thing I had ever experienced. And the whole time, you feel like you’re in God’s presence because it’s so quiet and so peaceful. There’s no electronics there. You’re out in the middle of a ravine. There’s mountains on each side of you, and there’s a river down next to you. It‘s just very peaceful.
And you’re actually encouraged to be quiet. You can talk in your room. You can whisper on property. You can talk louder when you’re kind of off property if you go hiking. But in the cafeteria and then in a church, it’s zero talking. So the idea is to be in a space where you’re drawn closer to God. It’s less of you and more of him.
So it was, like I said, a form of his presence that I had just never felt before. The silence was all consuming, reassuring, and comforting all at the same time. It felt like I was sitting at his feet, at God’s feet, while angels and all of heaven were worshipping him.
There are many ways to be in his presence. The five that I think are the most common, or basically what everything can be lumped into, is number one in worship. That’s actually probably the most common one where people have reported feeling being in his presence in prayer. That’s probably the next most common, where people have said that they felt like they were in his presence. In his Word, in fellowship, and actually in tithing.
So there are actually things you can do to help you feel more like you’re in his presence in those five settings.
So the first one is worship. We’re to put ourselves in a position that is uncomfortable.
Sometimes worship needs to be uncomfortable because you’re putting yourself aside, you’re dying to self, so getting uncomfortable. And instead of focusing on the discomfort, focus on finding him within it.
So if I’m uncomfortable and I’m in an uncomfortable position when I’m dying to myself, I have to be very deliberate to look at God.
Um, Matthew 7:7-8 says, keep on asking, you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking and you will find it. Keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, everyone who seeks, finds, and everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
So we are to put ourself in an uncomfortable position, seeking after him. And worship is one of the coolest ways or times to do that, because you are singing his praises, glorifying him, worshipping him. But if you do it in an uncomfortable way, then you’re dying to self.
So some uncomfortable ways most people worship, like sitting down and singing songs, or they stand up, raising their hands. And if you’re one of those, then probably anything outside of that will be uncomfortable. But if you tend to be somebody that’s a little bit more expressive in your worship, maybe you raise your hands, maybe you wave your hands, maybe you pump your hands up, maybe you kneel down. I mean, you could go even more extreme with your worship in that. You could lay face down like prostate, the Bible calls it, and bow yourself towards him in reverence. I’ve seen people run while they worship. I’ve seen people dance while they worship. You could be kneeling with your head down and your legs tucked up underneath you. That’s actually called child’s pose, but it’s a vulnerable state of being in worship.
And so you could be doing all of those things to put yourself in the uncomfortable position so that you’re dying to yourself.
Tune in next time to read/listen to Part Two!
Thank you for being here.