Lo Cotidiano: God's Presence in the Everyday

In this reflective clip from Episode #4187 of Day1, Rev. Juan Carlos Huertas, Minister of Proclamation and Practice of Justice at First-Plymouth Congregational Church in Lincoln, Nebraska, invites us to notice God's presence not only in grand gestures but in the daily rhythms of life. Joined by Rev. Dr. Katie Givens Kime, host of Day1, Rev. Huertas draws from the work of theologian Ada María Isasi-Díaz, who beautifully described God's presence in Lo Cotidiano — the sacredness of the domestic and everyday.

As Rev. Huertas reflects on the liturgical season of Ordinary Time, he challenges us to embrace the quiet, familiar patterns of life as spaces where transformation happens. Rather than waiting for spectacular divine intervention, we are invited to attend to the slow, steady shaping of our souls through simple daily living.

Watch the Clip

Rev. Juan Carlos Huertas
This season, this ordinary time that we're in the middle of right now — it's ordered time. It's just the most, like, everyday thing ever. I'm reminded of that great theologian Ada María Isasi-Díaz, who reminded us of Lo Cotidiano — that God is found in the domestic, in the quotidian. That's where God is found. And that's what we're facing right now.

We better get used to it. You better get used to this every day — in the way that the deity, the divine life, shows up in the day-to-day of life, in the most quotidian kind of ways, domestic kind of ways. If we do that, though, transformation awaits. Our souls are shaped — are shaped into the way of Jesus in deep ways, human ways, good ways, solid ways, life-giving ways, generative ways, loving ways.

Reflection

Rev. Juan Carlos Huertas offers a simple but profound reminder: God's work often unfolds not in dramatic moments but in the ordinary places we inhabit every day. The dishes, the conversations with loved ones, the walks through the neighborhood—these are the spaces where Lo Cotidiano, the divine in the daily, is revealed.

Ada María Isasi-Díaz’s theology encourages us to recognize that spiritual formation is deeply tied to our regular, often overlooked routines. As preachers, educators, and disciples, we are called to pay attention to how God quietly shapes us through faithful living — not waiting for mountaintop experiences but opening our hearts to God’s presence in each moment.

• Where do you notice God at work in your daily routines?
• How might embracing Lo Cotidiano reshape your understanding of discipleship?
• In what ways is God shaping your soul in the quiet, unglamorous moments?

Explore Rev. Juan Carlos Huertas’s full sermon from episode 4187 >>>