All tagged listening
How often in ministry do we try to give people what we think they need? Whether that is in a pastoral counseling session or in upcoming class offerings or even from the pulpit, many times we think we know the answer to people’s situations without hearing where they are coming from.
As I waited for God to speak, I became increasingly disillusioned by His silence. As someone in vocational ministry, I felt inferior to those who heard from God often. I feared the silence because I thought I wasn’t disciplined or important enough to hear Him.
Jesus was quick to keep questions on the forefront of the disciples’ minds. He allowed questions to create space for people to discover, collaborate, discern and commit themselves more to His Spirit and Truth so that they could know more about themselves and about God.
Sabbath is some of the healthiest food that I can eat. Sabbath is woven into the inner fabric of my innermost longings. Sabbath demands me, even though it should be the other way around.
In these days, the gospel matters. And it matters when churches listen for the gospel and choose to repent. Churches that declare the truth of the gospel to the world matter. Such work is the work of Christian leaders today. The challenge in our world is not that the world has gone crazy; the challenge in our world is whether leaders will truly embrace the powerful word of gospel news for themselves, for their congregations, and for the world.
Although we say we are practicing obedience to God’s voice, we may be practicing something else altogether.
The intent of these little pocket phrases is simply to equip you with a diplomatic way to open the lines of communication and to acknowledge that everyone has a point of view worth hearing.
While sound can be a blessing, I do wonder if our need for and reliance on sound has hindered us. Sound keeps us moving regardless of whether or not we need to stop.
God deeply desires our presence. God never makes it difficult to experience His presence, but we can make it hard through our “spiritual A.D.D.”
These conversations were gifts because, though strangers, we were able to connect as humans despite the vile history.
If your biggest news is about an interesting insect whose path you crossed on your walk, then you’re onto something.
People are desperate to be understood, and listening is the most validating thing you can do for another human being.
Reflecting on years of teaching young students, I am reminded of exercises captioned “Listen and do.” Might this be a simple, yet awfully mature, set of ancient instructions?
Can anyone else relate to the image of crossing a river, standing on stones you’ve just thrown into the river from the comfort of the riverbank?
Music, poetry, the vulnerable submission of our blind spots to the examination of trusted others, and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to breathe it all in. These are my prayers as we camp in new perspectives and different rhythms for a bit.
While the day was successful in terms of accomplishing my agenda, I realized that my greatest achievement on that day was that I got out of bed – despite the mental odds, self-doubt, and insecurities.
When at a crossroads, not knowing whether to go to the right or to the left, trust the voice of God who says, “Here is my way; walk in it.”
Sometimes, a health crisis hits a church squarely in the face. If the church possesses enough self-awareness, it then faces the choice to either make dramatic changes or else permanently lose health and vitality.
Our ultimate powerlessness levels the human playing field yet serves to unite when we courageously join God’s movement, continually willing to dance the faithful steps of contemplation and action.
Sometimes being faithful is the order of the day. And for those of us who practice leadership in congregations, we may need some different practices.
