the song goes, but no! not particularly under a tree or in a beautiful garden or upon the high fells. Not, for certain, in a kind act. No! only one place. Now. In this moment. Not then. Not there. Now. If you live sunk in the past, if you live in daydreams you can never know God. Live in the moment, that's your best chance.

Seize the day! with all your heart and soul and mind and strength, not looking over your shoulder. Did you ever see the video "Dead Poets Society" with Robin Williams? Don't be put off by the title - get it! Living today full up to the brim will give you all you require for anything that happens. A story from South Africa about living the moment up to the hilt:- Fran, an international peace monitor arrives in the village after ten houses have been burned and several men shot. Police had watched homes burn and stopped people putting out fires. The women are bravely having an open -air meeting to discuss the funeral plans. When they learn that Fran is bringing concern from the world outside, they stop what they are doing and start to dance and sing. Fran is shocked that they can celebrate at such a time. One woman says "Fran, you must remember that life is a joyful thing. If we forget that, what have we been struggling for?" That for me is meeting God. Another Now story from a woman in Maryport. Her husband died just before their 50th wedding anniversary. When the actual day came round she went to visit the place where they had lived as a young family. She used to wander around an overgrown ruin of a house and gardens, and she went for old time's sake. It had been cleared and right at the centre she came across a stone she had never noticed before with this inscription -Yesterday returneth not Tomorrow perchance cometh not Today is thine Misuse it not. It shook her completely into present time. You or she may call it chance or coincidence. I call it meeting with God .

And this is definitely a not meeting with God story where the doors of the present moment have been closed: - when the wise man came to worship in the temple each evening, the temple cat got in everyone's way. So he had it tied up during worship. When the cat died, they got another cat so that it could be duly tied up during worship.

Later still, disciples of the wise man wrote learned essays about the role of the cat in all properly conducted worship.

Somebody sent me this prayer when I was in a mess once and full of self-pity :-

"I was regretting the past

and fearing the future

Suddenly my Lord was speaking:

"My name is I Am". He paused.

I waited. He continued.

"When you live in the past,

With its mistakes and regrets,

it is hard. I am not there.

My name is not I Was.

When you live in the future,

with its problems and fears,

it is hard. I am not there.

My name is not I Will Be.

When you live in this moment,

it is not hard. I am here.

My name is I Am".