2. Psalm 34
I will extol the Lord at all times;     his praise will always be on my lips. 2 I will glory in the Lord;     let the afflicted hear and rejoice. 3 Glorify the Lord with me;     let us exalt his name together.
4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me;     he delivered me from all my fears. 5 Those who look to him are radiant;     their faces are never covered with shame. 6 This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;     he saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,     and he delivers them.

3. 8 Taste and see that the Lord is good;     blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. 9 Fear the Lord, you his holy people,     for those who fear him lack nothing. 10 The lions may grow weak and hungry,     but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. 11 Come, my children, listen to me;     I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 12 Whoever of you loves life     and desires to see many good days, 13 keep your tongue from evil     and your lips from telling lies. 14 Turn from evil and do good;     seek peace and pursue it.
All scripture in sermon from NIV

4. 1. Experience the goodness of God
2 of my favorite things
Eating and seeing
Experience God
Tasting is a unique experience
Some love spice
Some love hot
I love sweet
See” might mean see with your eyes, or it might mean “see if you like it.”
Seeing with sight is sometimes communal
I see what you see
Seeing is sometimes individualistic
Ordered new glasses- lenses ground wrong; turned my astigmatism the wrong way
No longer would allow my prescription to be installed in the frames I have chosen
I was seeing, but not clearly-
How clearly are you seeing God?
God’s goodness is apparent in nature
Romans 1
Park yourself this week; take at least 10 minutes and look; really look
Some who refuse to taste new things. Only like hamburgers, only like cereal.
I go to a buffet and see the vast array of foods, international foods,
I am always willing to try
India, yes I got sick; yes most was too spicy for my preference; but the bananas
Many Christians joined the church, went through confirmation, walked the buffet line
Shoved down what they already knew
Never experienced God
Photography is capturing a moment; hawk in back yard, ran for camera w zoom,
Snapped 2 photos, just before flew away; hunt with camera
Taste and See
 8. Taste and see that the Lord is good;     blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

5. 1. Experience the goodness of God
Taste and See
 8. Taste and see that the Lord is good;     blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
Painting is different
When you paint, you park
You examine,
You experience
Couple walking by; talked for an hour “You use this painting as a form of meditation. “
Deborah Sokolove in her book Sanctifying Art quotes Betty Edwards who says
"In drawing, there is always the sense that if you can just look closely enough, see deeply enough, some secret is going to be revealed to you, some insight into the nature of the world. Learning through drawing, therefore, can fill a lifetime, since such secrets lie at the bottom of a bottomless well, and the searcher never wishes the search to end By looking outward and seeing the world around you in the artist’s mode of seeing, you gain insight into yourself.
This summer I had the opportunity to use art as a spiritual discipline to taste and see the goodness of God; Really see
Traveled to 7 National parks
Drove the sea shore
Rose early and photographed alpenglow in Yosemite and sea lions in Morro Bay.

6. 1. Experience the goodness of God
The goal was to immerse myself in beauty. To dwell on “what is lovely” in Phil 4:8
In essence, I used visual beauty "Many Christians are familiar with the concept of spiritual disciplines. Typically, these involve setting aside a certain portion of each day for reading Scripture, for prayer and meditation, and for self-examination in light of the Gospel. Other spiritual practices may include fasting, making retreats, reading devotional literature, journaling, tithing, service, confession, keeping the Sabbath, and many others. What is common to all of these is the sense that one is doing it in order to know and do the will of God, to practice being aware of the presence of God at all times."
"For many artists, the creative process seems remarkably similar to the spiritual journey that the more traditional disciplines are meant to undergird. The initial insight or inspiration for a new artwork is often experienced as something akin to an epiphany, a vision, an experience of the immediate presence of God. This vision, however, is momentary, leaving the artist, like the spiritual pilgrim, to work out the details in fear and trembling.“
When was the last time you just parked yourself next to God; looked at His creation, read His word not to study for a Bible Study, not for a discipline of daily devotionals, (nothing wrong with that) but just to listen to God, experience God, to see if God is good.
Spiritual dryness; happens when you see the same side of God you always see.
Story is told of three blind men who went up to an elephant to experience
One, like a wall made of leather- side
One, like a snake with a bush on the end; - the tail
One, like a firehose that moves too and fro- the Trunk
Are you eating the same old stuff of God; day in and out
Last week, Ben challenged us to listen to different music in the Christian realm
Buffet line; I know what I like I don’t WANT to try something different
Taste and See
 8. Taste and see that the Lord is good;     blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

7. 1. Experience the goodness of God
Sokolove continues; speaking of art in a wide context; painting, dance, playing a musical instrument, song writing,
As Robert Wuthnow puts it, [T] he perfection of art always involves discipline, and the practice of art thus becomes a model for understanding spiritual discipline as well Many artists speak of their work as a form of meditation. For some, the sheer rhythm of the daily routine brings them closer to the essence of their being. Writing all morning or practicing for the next musical performance requires mental and emotional toughness.
For others, art is so much an expression of who they are that its quality depends on introspection, prayer, reading, listening, or finding other ways to reflect about life. Many artists emphasize the importance of staying with a single routine in order to learn it well. For spiritual dabblers, the insight these artists provide is that persistence and hard work may still be the best way to attain spiritual growth.
There is a sound I have a hard time with
Violin when a person is learning to play it
Screech, bow across the strings
With practice, they get better and better
Skilled musician, makes beautiful music on a violin
Many people are still new in their Christian faith
“Spiritual dabblers” not that we become experts; but we mature
Spiritual growth takes time and effort
Loving God takes time;
Loving a spouse takes time; letters written, rushing home to be with one another,
Taste and See
 8. Taste and see that the Lord is good;     blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

8. 2. God is good and deserves our praise
I will extol the Lord at all times;     his praise will always be on my lips. 2 I will glory in the Lord;     let the afflicted hear and rejoice. 3 Glorify the Lord with me;     let us exalt his name together.

9. 3. God is good and delivers us
6 This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.

10. 4. God gives a good life
8 Taste and see that the Lord is good;     blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. 9 Fear the Lord, you his holy people,     for those who fear him lack nothing. 10 The lions may grow weak and hungry,     but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

11. So What? God stands by God blesses you day by day God delivers you
God gives you a good life
God wants you to experience His love fully
Put yourself in park
Turn off the radio, TV, distractions
Look- really look
Listen to God