Slow Down And See The Burning Bush
Reflection on Jonathan Heppner’s message
This week, we had the privilege of hearing from our dear friend Jonathan Heppner, who joined us from Lesvos, Greece. Jonathan and his wife Tracey lead a non-profit called Hope Renews—where they model and teach sustainable growing practices for households and farms and create partnerships that inspire hope on Lesvos & in the Near East. While Jonathan gave updates after the service, his sermon turned our attention to something far deeper: learning to pay attention.
The Burning Bush and the Gift of Attention
Jonathan took us to Exodus 3, where Moses encounters the burning bush. What struck Jonathan—and what he pressed on us—is that the miracle wasn’t simply that the bush was burning, but that it was not consumed. Moses only discovered that by stopping long enough to notice. Only then did God speak.
We live in a world that rarely allows for this kind of attention. Our lives run at high speed, with distractions at every turn—emails, social media feeds, endless to-do lists. But Jonathan reminded us: perhaps God is still speaking through “burning bushes” all around us, waiting for us to slow down, to notice, and to listen.
Everything Is Spiritual
Drawing from both Scripture and Jewish tradition, Jonathan challenged the split we often make between “spiritual” and “ordinary.” In Hebrew, there isn’t even a word for spiritual—because all of life is spiritual. Food, work, relationships, rest—God inhabits it all. The whisper of God is present in the gentle breeze, in the act of breathing, in the rhythm of our everyday lives.
He reminded us that even God’s name revealed to Moses—YHWH—is often understood as the sound of breath itself. Every inhale and exhale becomes a declaration: God is here.
God Dwells Among Us
From Eden’s evening breeze to the tabernacle in the wilderness, from Jesus walking among us to the vision in Revelation of God’s dwelling place with His people—the story of Scripture is not about us escaping earth but about God coming near. He is always moving toward us. Always drawing closer. Always looking for us.
That means salvation isn’t about hiding or fleeing—it’s about becoming aware that God is already here. Already in the pain. Already in the questions. Already in the breath you just took.
A Call to Slow Down
Jonathan’s invitation was simple yet challenging: what if the reason we struggle to hear from God isn’t that He isn’t speaking, but that we’re moving too fast to notice? The very struggles we try to outrun—our pain, our loss, our questions—may actually be the places that train us to slow down and anchor ourselves in God’s presence.
Maybe the burning bush in your life right now is the difficult relationship you’d rather avoid. Or the grief you’d rather push past. Or even the ordinary routines you take for granted. Could it be that God is waiting to speak there, if only you’d slow down and look?
Breathing the Name of God
At the close, Jonathan left us with this powerful image: when a baby takes its first breath, when a dying person exhales their last, when any of us deny or affirm God with our words—it is all carried on breath. And in every breath, we whisper His name.
God is not far off. He is as close as your next inhale.
Reflection Questions:
- Where in your life might there be a “burning bush” God is inviting you to notice?
- How might slowing down—through prayer, stillness, or attention—help you hear His voice?
- What if you began to see every breath as a reminder of God’s nearness?