cultivate presence: start on the porch

What if the most powerful thing you can offer the world today is your full attention?

I’ve been writing this year about the word CULTIVATE. About how we can be intentional in our faith, relationships, mindset, even our rhythms of rest. I thought I had wrapped up the series. But this week, I realized I wasn’t quite done. Because you can’t really cultivate anything without also cultivating presence. What does it mean to cultivate presence? Well, let’s digress a minute….

There’s something sacred about a porch. Maybe it’s the liminal space. The way it bridges inside and outside, solitude and connection. Maybe it’s the way time slows down when you sit there, the way conversations settle in without needing a script. Or maybe it’s just that the porch makes room for presence, that quiet, rare gift we forget how much we need.

What is presence?

Presence isn’t productivity. It isn’t multitasking. It isn’t performance. It’s attention. Awareness. A willingness to be with, not just do for. Presence is the spiritual practice of showing up fully, faithfully, and without distraction. It’s what Jesus modeled when he lingered with people, listened to their stories, and noticed what others overlooked. It’s what Mary practiced when she sat at Jesus’ feet, even as Martha bustled around her. And it’s what we’re invited into, over and over again.

Why presence feels so hard

We live in a world that values speed and noise. We scroll, swipe, and skim. Too often, we fill the silence with playlists and podcasts. We celebrate hustle and chase efficiency. But deep connection, whether with God, with others, or within our own hearts, can’t be rushed.

Presence asks us to pause. To stop rehearsing what we’ll say next. Stop refreshing the feed. Stop believing that busyness equals worth. And that’s hard. But it’s also holy.

Start on the porch.

You don’t have to overhaul your whole life to cultivate presence. You can start small. Start on the porch. Maybe not a literal porch (though if you have one, by all means, go sit). Maybe it’s a corner chair, a bench under a tree, or just five minutes with your phone on airplane mode and your hands wrapped around a mug.

The porch is a posture. A slowing. A readiness to be interrupted. It’s the perfect place, metaphorically, to practice presence. Here are a few ideas. Maybe one will speak to you:

• Set aside sacred pauses. A few minutes before a meeting, before dinner, before you pick up your phone, just breathe and check in with God.
• Look people in the eye. Be fully there.
• Create a no-scroll zone. One space in your day where you don’t default to your screen.
• Listen without fixing. Be present for someone’s story without rushing to advise. The listening is the most important part. Really listening.
• Savor something simple. A slice of peach. A cat purring beside you. The beautiful view out a window. Take a minute to appreciate it.

Presence doesn’t require perfection; it requires permission. To be human, to be still, to be open.

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Scripture to cultivate presence

We don’t often think of the Bible as a guide to slowing down, but woven through the text is a deep, recurring call to attentiveness. Here are a few passages that invite us into presence, with some thoughts on what they might mean for us today:

Exodus 3:1–5

Moses was taking care of the flock for his father-in-law Jethro, Midian’s priest. He led his flock out to the edge of the desert, and he came to God’s mountain called Horeb. ² The Lord’s messenger appeared to him in a flame of fire in the middle of a bush. Moses saw that the bush was in flames, but it didn’t burn up. ³ Then Moses said to himself, Let me check out this amazing sight and find out why the bush isn’t burning up. ⁴ When the Lord saw that he was coming to look, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” Moses said, “I’m here.” ⁵ Then the Lord said, “Don’t come any closer! Take off your sandals, because you are standing on holy ground.”

Look at verse four again! God was waiting for Moses to notice. Moses doesn’t hear God until he stops what he’s doing and turns aside. The burning bush had likely been crackling for a while, but it was attention that made it holy. Sometimes, God’s presence is already here. The question is: are we willing to turn aside?

1 Kings 19:11–13

¹¹ The Lord said, “Go out and stand at the mountain before the Lord. The Lord is passing by.” A very strong wind tore through the mountains and broke apart the stones before the Lord. But the Lord wasn’t in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake. But the Lord wasn’t in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake, there was a fire. But the Lord wasn’t in the fire. After the fire, there was a sound. Thin. Quiet. ¹³ When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his coat. He went out and stood at the cave’s entrance. A voice came to him and said, “Why are you here, Elijah?”

Elijah expects to find God in the dramatic and powerful. Instead, God comes in the quiet. Some translations say “a thin whisper” or “the sound of silence.” This passage reminds us that stillness is not empty; it’s a sacred space where God meets us.

Luke 10:38–42

³⁸ While Jesus and his disciples were traveling, Jesus entered a village where a woman named Martha welcomed him as a guest. ³⁹ She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his message. ⁴⁰ By contrast, Martha was preoccupied with getting everything ready for their meal. So Martha came to him and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to prepare the table all by myself? Tell her to help me.” ⁴¹ The Lord answered, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things. ⁴² One thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the better part. It won’t be taken away from her.”

This familiar story isn’t a rebuke of service; it’s a reminder of focus. Jesus doesn’t shame Martha for working; Jesus lovingly names the anxiety and distraction that keep her from being present. Mary chooses to be with Jesus, not just work for him. It’s an invitation to reorder our priorities. (I know, I’ve referred to this passage before. It resonates with me because I tend to do a lot of Martha-ing. Smile.)

Psalm 46:10

“Be still, and know that I am God.”

This verse is often quoted for comfort, but it’s also a quiet call to resistance. In a world that demands constant motion, stillness becomes a form of trust. It reminds us that God is already at work. We don’t have to hold the whole world together ourselves.

Mark 6:31

Many people were coming and going, so there was no time to eat. Jesus said to the apostles, “Come by yourselves to a secluded place and rest for a while.”

Jesus says this to his disciples not as a reward for working hard, but as a necessary rhythm of ministry. Rest isn’t something we earn; it’s something we need. This verse, together with the sourrounding passage, offers us a little something extra, though. It comes right before the dramatic feeding of the five thousand. Jesus and the apostles were in the process of seeking rest, but the crowd anticipated their direction and waited for them. Jesus didn’t react in anger. Rather, he met the need. Afterward, he dismissed the crowd and sought solitude for prayer. Helping others is important, as is taking time for renewal.

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Things to keep in mind

We’re not just looking for rules or formulas. We’re listening for patterns of grace. God doesn’t demand constant productivity. God invites us to be present.

• God shows up in silence.
• God honors rest. It’s important enough to God to be featured in the ten commandments.
• God speaks to those who are paying attention. Not just the powerful, but the listening.
• And presence isn’t passive; it’s participatory. It means choosing to dwell in love, even when the world tells us to move on.

A closing prayer

God of stillness and story, teach us to slow down. Help us resist the noise. Show us how to be present to you, to others, and to our own hearts. Today. May we become people of porch spaces. Where grace lingers and love listens. Where time is not wasted, but received. Amen.

Do you want to cultivate presence?

If you’ve found practices that work for you, please let me know in the comments.

I can’t begin to explain what this whole CULTIVATE series has meant to me. When I started it, I had no idea where it would take me. I introduced it in my word-of-the-year post. Posts about authenticity, hospitality, hope, contentment, connection, and compassion followed. Now we conclude the series (for real this time) with these thoughts on presence. I hope you’ve found meaning somewhere in all of this.

Other posts you may like:

• author Christina Dudley: delightful historical romance
• examen prayer: guidance and growth
• authors Jenny Proctor and Emma St. Clair: romance magic that’s sweet, swoony, and laugh-out-loud
• visio divina: a practice of sacred seeing
• orange ricotta cake with olive oil and cardamom

Fondly,

Crysti