Micah Davis
9 min read ⭑
“For years I was haunted by words. The negative script I learned, spoke and lived crushed me, and eventually I became a shell of myself. But over the last decade, I’ve witnessed God flip the script in my life. Words used to haunt me; now words are my vocation. Words spoken over me brought destruction and pain; now I write words that bring hope and healing. Words lived inside of me that brought immense shame; now I speak words that bring freedom.”
Micah E. Davis is the pastor of teaching and vision at The Sanctuary. He believes the written and spoken word are mediums to elicit heart change and life transformation and has committed his life to using words for good. Micah is also the author of Three Strikes, You’re Forgiven: Encounter a God Who Wants to Redeem Your Past, Restore Your Present, and Transform Your Future and Trailblazers: A Journey to Discover God’s Purpose for Your Life. He lives in Indianapolis, Indiana, with his wife, Rylei, and their Australian Kelpie, Leo.
In this interview, Micah opens about his redemptive and transformative journey with words. He shares about his love for CrossFit and the gift of stewarding the bodies we inhabit. Micah also describes what it’s like to embrace a “slowed-down spirituality” and explains how engaging in Sabbath transformed his life and marriage. Continue reading to learn more about the topics currently circulating through Micah’s mind and how he believes the future of the church is built around a table, not a stage.
QUESTION #1: ACQUAINT
Food is always about more than food; it’s also about home and people and love. So, how does a go-to meal at your favorite hometown restaurant reveal the true you behind your web bio?
I live and write “inside the loop” of Indianapolis. I pastor a church called The Sanctuary right in the heart of the arts district on the north side of the city in a quaint little neighborhood called Broad Ripple. The church actually meets at the Indy Art Center in downtown Broad Ripple, and the neighborhood is known for its rich art and culinary experiences.
Broad Ripple Avenue is where all the action happens. One-of-a-kind restaurants line both sides of the street. It’s truly the food capital of Indianapolis (though, of course, I’m biased). But my favorite restaurant is actually one street north, tucked just between “the strip” (Broad Ripple Ave.) and my church (67th St.). It’s a tiny little bungalow called Fernando’s. It’s a Brazilian and Mexican spot, and the rumor is that the co-founders’ mothers are the head chefs. It can’t get better than home-cooked, gourmet meals from two different countries.
My wife and I love to hit up this spot for special occasions — particularly Valentine’s Day, which has become sort of an annual tradition. My wife’s aunt was a missionary in Brazil for years, so we enjoy hitting up Auntie Brenda every visit and asking for her recommendations as we work our way through the entire menu. Seriously, it’s that good. You can’t go wrong with anything!
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QUESTION #2: REVEAL
What “nonspiritual” activity have you found to be quite spiritual, after all? What quirky proclivity, out-of-the-way interest, or unexpected pursuit refreshes your soul?
There’s a crossfit gym a stone’s throw away from our church. When we planted The Sanctuary, Rylei and I tried to be really intentional about “shrinking” our lives down to frequenting places in the neighborhood (within walking or biking distance). I played basketball in college and, post-graduation, was looking for a competitive outlet. I found that in Crossfit. Over the years, I’ve found this gym to be one of my favorite places. Most of the members are non-Christians, and I find it refreshing interfacing and interacting with people who don’t know Jesus or who aren’t interested in Christianity. It reminds me of how Jesus is passionate about leaving “the 99” and going after “the 1.”
I see people in their wandering and their restlessness and enjoy modeling a Christ-like attitude that piques people’s curiosity and offers opportunities to share my faith. It’s in this smelly, often-sticky gym that I see the Father’s heart for the least, the last, and the lost in my city. Moving my body reminds me of the embodied beings we are and the gift it is to steward the body I inhabit. I believe our apprenticeship to Jesus is holistic, and exercise is one way I sense the presence of God in and around me.
QUESTION #3: CONFESS
Every superhero has a weakness; every human, too. We’re just good at faking it. But who are we kidding? We’re all broken and in this thing together. So, what’s your kryptonite and how do you confront its power?
I have embraced a slowed-down spirituality. I believe Jesus walks at the pace of grace, and that pace is, well, slow. The average human walks only three miles per hour. Jesus didn’t have social media, cars whisking him away (though the occasional boat, he did have), or an incessant amount of emails and texts to constantly respond to. He was busy, but he was unhurried. I have attempted to pattern my life after Jesus in this way. But I’ll be the first to tell you that I’m far away from consistency in this area. I’m prone to workaholism and struggle with irritability when interruptions arise. This last piece is, perhaps, the most embarrassing because Jesus was constantly interrupted and always found ways to be fully present and attentive to — not annoyed with — the disruptive people and places in his life. I have found ways to mitigate this and am ruthless about my digital habits that help me curb unnecessary distraction, but there is a reality that I have a long way to go when it comes to becoming a person who exemplifies the fruit of the Spirit, especially patience, kindness and gentleness.
QUESTION #4: FIRE UP
Tell us about your toil. How are you investing your professional time right now? What’s your current obsession? And why should it be ours?
I am the pastor of teaching and vision at The Sanctuary and the author of “Three Strikes, You’re Forgiven” and “Trailblazers.” I believe that both written and spoken word are mediums to elicit heart change and life transformation, and I’ve committed my life to using words for good. But that hasn’t always been the case. In high school, I spiraled into a depression that was onset by an almost constant stream of negative self-talk.
For years I was haunted by words. The negative script I learned, spoke and lived crushed me, and eventually I became a shell of myself. But over the last decade, I’ve witnessed God flip the script in my life. Words used to haunt me; now words are my vocation. Words spoken over me brought destruction and pain; now I write words that bring hope and healing. Words lived inside of me that brought immense shame; now I speak words that bring freedom. Talk about a plot twist!
Only God could take a young man enslaved by words and use them as the vehicle to bring me and others closer to himself. All glory, all honor and all praise to him, as per usual.
QUESTION #5: BOOST
Whether we’re Cashiers or CEOs, contractors or customer service reps, we all need God’s love flowing into us and back out into the world. How does the Holy Spirit invigorate your work? And how do you know it’s God when it happens?
My story of encountering the living God in a real and meaningful way goes back to college. Actually, to be specific, it was March 16, 2016.
For the first time in months, I felt a tug on my heart to open my Bible. After an awkward conversation with what others might have considered an invisible friend, I moseyed over to my backpack and pulled out the Bible I used for class (health major, but still attending Bible school). Passive-aggressively, I mumbled under my breath, “Speak, God.” To be clear, this was not — and never would be — the best way to hear from God. I lacked an attitude and heart posture of openness and invitation. I had closed myself off to the presence of God. I had simply run out of ideas.
And yet, even in my stubbornness, God wanted to speak to me. Without expecting much, I initiated what I dubbed “the holy drop.” Have you heard of it? It goes like this: open your Bible, drop it on a hard surface and see what passage falls open. (Do not practice this at home!)
Terrible, terrible strategy.
Nonetheless, I did it. And, lo and behold, my Bible opened to Exodus 3 — the story of Moses and the burning bush.
About an hour later, I found myself flat on my face, weeping and pleading with God to send someone else. At that moment, I recognized that God was calling me. He reminded me of who he is, of who I was and of what he had put me on this earth to do.
Since then, I haven’t experienced as many of these dramatic encounters with God, but I have come to recognize his still, small voice and feel most open and attuned to listening for this voice when sitting in the corner chair in my office. Every morning, you can find me here practicing silence and contemplative prayer, praying the same prayer that the prophet Samuel prayed, “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.” This is the posture I seek to carry into the rest of my day — whether writing a sermon, writing a book, conversing with a congregant or leading my staff.
QUESTION #6: inspire
Scripture and tradition beckon us into the rich and varied habits that open our hearts to the presence of God. So, let us in. Which spiritual practice is working best for you in this season?
In July of 2020, I was on the edge of burnout, and Rylei and I weren’t in a great place in our marriage. We knew that our pace of life was unsustainable and that something needed to change. It was in this season of life that we were re-introduced to the practice of Sabbath. We came to see how the creational rhythm of six days of work and one day of rest was embedded and interwoven into virtually all of creation. We made a commitment to begin abiding by this rhythm, and once a week, for 24 hours, we put away all distractions, devices, etc. and enjoy a day full of stopping, resting, delighting and contemplating in the presence of the Lord.
We begin Friday night by lighting a candle and usually partaking in a meal with family or friends, welcoming the presence of God into our rest. We sleep on Saturday morning and make a big breakfast, knowing that the practice of feasting is a foretaste for a great banquet in the new heaven and earth that is to come. The rest of the day is a mixture of activities: long walks, reading, projects with our hands (after a week of working with our minds), being outside or sitting by the fire in the winter. We wind down our day by engaging in another meal and asking God to be with us in the week ahead. Engaging in this creational rhythm has changed our lives (and our marriage) for the better in so many ways!
QUESTION #7: FOCUS
Looking backward, considering the full sweep of your unique faith journey and all you encountered along the way, what top three resources stand out to you? What changed reality and changed your heart?
There’s really a before-and-after moment in my life and it comes — as I shared earlier — in July of 2020. That same month, my mentor had a guy named John Mark Comer on his podcast. My mentor sent me the episode and said, “Listen to this. I think you’ll really enjoy it.” John Mark had just released his groundbreaking book, “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry,” and I was opened up to a whole new paradigm of apprenticing in the way of Jesus. That same month, I also read “Emotionally Healthy Spirituality” by Peter Scazerro and was introduced to the concept of “slow-down spirituality” for the first time. These two luminaries set me on a trajectory that was far different than the one I was currently on. As I dug further into their work, I discovered the rich recent history of sages like John Ortberg, Dallas Willard and Richard Foster. But the biggest gift was being opened up to the many great traditions of the Christian faith and exploring works as far-ranging as Athanasius and Evagrius Ponticus to St. John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila and everyone in between.
Certain things can be godsends, helping us survive, even thrive, in our fast-paced world. Does technology ever help you this way? Has an app ever boosted your spiritual growth? If so, how?
I am pretty tech-averse. I keep my digital interactions to a minimum. But if I’m ever on the go and looking for guided prayer, my go-to app is the Lectio 365 app that 24/7 Prayer has developed. The guided prompts and movements allow me to slow down and posture my heart in the presence of Jesus, regardless of where I am. The app provides morning, midday and evening prayers that allow me to engage in the ancient prayer rhythm that followers of Jesus have been engaging in for centuries. The wide-ranging hosts provide an array of personalities and temperaments to engage with and pray alongside. But there’s also always the option of engaging in this practice in silence and simply reading the prompts provided. The variety makes this app worth downloading and engaging in.
QUESTION #8: dream
God’s continually stirring new things in each of us. So, give us the scoop! What’s beginning to stir in you but not yet fully awakened? What can we expect from you in the future?
I am constantly dreaming about what I want to write about in the future. A few topics have risen to the surface that continue to ruminate within my heart and mind. (Stay tuned to “The Sanctuary Gatherings” podcast, and you might just see these topics appear in my preaching). One of these topics is the curiosity of Jesus. Jesus was the most curious person to ever live. Martin B. Copenhavor wrote a book entitled “Jesus is The Question” that I re-read often. Copenhavor dissects Jesus’s ministry in the Gospels and points out how Jesus’ question-to-answer ratio is 100:1! I have long thought about taking Copenhavor’s thesis and providing a fresh take for this up-and-coming generation.
Other topics include AI and the theology of the body (how our embodied nature can and should intersect with technology and where our God-given limits may extend) as well as the concept of community. In a digital world, loneliness is a literal epidemic in the U.S., but the way of Jesus places the table at its center. Around the table, Jesus welcomes prostitutes, tax collectors, sinners, saints and skeptics alike to learn about and experience the in-breaking of the Kingdom of Heaven. I believe the future church is one built around the table, not the stage, and I’m passionate about envisioning for others what life, together, can entail.
Micah talks about living a life of “slowed-down spirituality.” He reminds us that Jesus was unhurried and a good portion of his ministry took place during those so-called interruptions. Although interruptions are an inevitable part of our lives, how we respond to them is a part of our growth. How do you handle times when you’re interrupted, distracted and thrown off track from the work you think you should be doing? Could there be gold hidden in those moments that God has buried for you if you’re not too busy to stop and see? Ask God to help you slow down enough to see the bushes that are burning in front of you today.
Micah Davis is the pastor of teaching and vision at The Sanctuary. He believes the written and spoken word are mediums to elicit heart change and life transformation and has committed his life to using words for good. Micah is also the author of Three Strikes, You’re Forgiven: Encounter a God Who Wants to Redeem Your Past, Restore Your Present, and Transform Your Future and Trailblazers: A Journey to Discover God’s Purpose for Your Life. He lives and writes inside “the loop” of Indianapolis, Indiana, with his wife, Rylei, and their Australian Kelpie, Leo.
