The six sessions that comprised the sermon series "Hide and Seek: Experiencing the Absence and Presence of God" are now available in a book of the same name.

Back Cover

"Truly, you are a God who hides himself, O God of Israel, the Savior."

God desires that we live coram deo - in the presence of God. The story of the Bible is that of God's pursuit of wayward sinners. Though we hide from God's presence, God continues to pursue us.

If this is true, what do we make of passages like Isaiah 45:15 - "Truly, you are a God who hides himself." What exactly is the "hiddenness" of God? What reasons could God have in hiding?

In this book, Pastor Rich Vincent traces the centrality of God's presence in sacred scripture, wrestles with why God hides, and suggests how we may bring God out of hiding through the spiritual sight of faith - and even how we might go about spending an entire day with God!

Table of Contents

The Presence of God

• Just Lift a Finger
• Coram Deo

The Hiddenness of God

• Why God Hides (Part 1)
• Why God Hides (Part 2)

Seeking God's Hidden Presence

• Spiritual Sight
• How to Spend a Day with God

Expanded Summary

The Presence of God

• Just Lift a Finger
  God’s greatest desire is that we would live all of life coram deo, that is, before the face of God. God is closer than we think, offering us access into the divine life. God furiously pursues us – in spite of our lethargy – and desires for us to awaken to his presence. “He is never farther than a prayer away. All it takes is the barest effort, the lift of a finger.”



• Coram Deo
  It is important that we not only believe in God, but that we live before God. The former without the latter is irrelevant to our daily lives – it is religion without relationship. Even worse, it is empty of any meaning whatsoever. Simply consider how many people believe in God, and yet, this belief has absolutely no significance in shaping any aspect of their lives.

The Hiddenness of God

• Why God Hides (Part 1)
  “Truly you are a God who hides himself, O God of Israel, the Savior” (Isaiah 45:15). What exactly is the “hiddenness” of God? What reasons could God have in hiding? Could God's hiddenness actually be an expression of divine love? Perhaps in God's hiddenness, God is up to something. Perhaps God has good reasons to hide.



• Why God Hides (Part 2)
  God’s revelation must never be detached from God’s ultimate will for humanity. God is interested in much more than our becoming theists over atheists! God desires to transform our hearts in order that we might freely participate in loving union with God. God achieves this through the means of divine hiddenness.

Seeking God's Hidden Presence

• Spiritual Sight
  Faith is spiritual sight. Faith finds the hidden God in nature, relationships, events, and objects. Since “this is my Father’s world” where Christ is Lord and the Spirit is given, all creation holds the possibility of manifesting the divine presence. Faith does not change the facts about the world we live in, but it changes the way we see these facts, & this makes all the difference.



• How to Spend a Day with God
  All the ordinary places and events of our lives hold the potential to become houses of God, gateways of heaven. Every moment holds the possibility of revealing the hidden God in our midst. The reason knowing God does not consist of an endless stream of ecstatic and extraordinary experiences is because God wants us to learn to see him in the ordinary!

For More Info

An extended preview of Chapter 3 - Why God Hides - is available online and can be viewed by clicking HERE. The book itself can be ordered by clicking HERE.

Online Sermon Series

The mp3s that are the basis for the book can be downloaded and listened to for free.

NOTE: To download mp3's to your computer using Internet Explorer, right-click the file name, and choose "Save Target As." If using Firefox, right-click and choose "Save Link As." In both cases, a box will open up allowing you to save the mp3 to your harddrive.

• Just Lift a Finger
• Coram Deo
• Why God Hides (Part 1)
• Why God Hides (Part 2)
• Spiritual Sight
• How to Spend a Day with God

Other Books

While you're at it, check out my ebook on Ken Wilber's Theory of Everything titled Integral Christianity.

Integral Christianity is fresh look at the all embracing quality of historic Christianity, beyond popular attempts to define a Christian worldview. Using the "all quadrant, all levels" model of Ken Wilber, Vincent offers an open Christian framework for personal growth, church life and cultural influence that moves beyond the conflict of modern and postmodern views. Vincent concludes by examining the role of tradition and dogma as a convention for the open-minded. Integral Christianity will enlarge your faith, enrich your life, and help you open the doors to pursue the common good.