I was lectured some years ago by a Dutch Reformed minister who wrote a short book on the subject of listening for God's voice in church meetings. It's a brave idea, don't you think? Meetings are not typically spaces for deep listening to God or even to each other! But Frederick Marais' book invites the church to commit to nurturing a listening culture and he argues that making this a priority will have a profoundly transformative effect on a community.
In a ministers meeting this week, we were reflecting on our Presiding Bishop's call to seek renewal in our church. A recurring theme in our conversations around the subject was the need for us to be better at listening to God, to each other, and to the community around us. No-one is going to argue with that, but where exactly in our busy lives do we intentionally make space for listening? Even a few minutes of silence in a Sunday service can start to feel awkward ... :)
Some of us are better than others at this. If you are a listener, what are you hearing at the moment? What is God saying to us in South Africa? In Westville? As members of this church? What will happen if we learn to pray as little Samuel did: "speak, Lord, for your servant is listening" (1 Sam 3:10)?
In a ministers meeting this week, we were reflecting on our Presiding Bishop's call to seek renewal in our church. A recurring theme in our conversations around the subject was the need for us to be better at listening to God, to each other, and to the community around us. No-one is going to argue with that, but where exactly in our busy lives do we intentionally make space for listening? Even a few minutes of silence in a Sunday service can start to feel awkward ... :)
Some of us are better than others at this. If you are a listener, what are you hearing at the moment? What is God saying to us in South Africa? In Westville? As members of this church? What will happen if we learn to pray as little Samuel did: "speak, Lord, for your servant is listening" (1 Sam 3:10)?