ATTENDING TO THE SPIRIT

“During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them." (Acts 16:6-10 NIV)

Attentiveness to God’s Spirit requires deeply receptive, prayerful listening. Practicing the art of attending to the Spirit involves us in contemplative listening. Such listening is quite distinct from the various ways in which we generally listen to another….

It is holy listening, rooted in silence. It seeks emptiness in order to be filled with the Spirit. It is permeated by humility. Such listening assumes the Spirit is active among us. So it makes space for that movement. It is primarily receptive, patient, watchful, and waiting. Yet, it does not fear action when action is called for. Such listening is generously flexible, hospitable, and warm. It embraces the widest possible spectrum of life’s beauty and pain. It acknowledges the creation of all people in the image and likeness of God…. While in one sense a gift, such listening is generally cultivated over the years as we prayerfully attend to the Spirit in our own lives and as others listen to us in the same grace-filled way. 

-- Wendy M. Wright in “Companions in Christ: Participant’s Book,” Part 5

#5626

CONSIDER THE LILIES

“Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing… Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.’”  (Luke 12:22,23,27 NRSV)

As we go through life, each of us is taking a notebook of memories, whether we put our notes on paper, or only on the pages of our mind. As we write, it is important that we note down some little things each day for that time when those notes may be our highest joy. So note the day the lilacs bloomed, the day your little son picked a dandelion for you, the day the bluebirds found the house you made for them. In this age of bigness, the big things will crush us if we forget the words of Christ who said to consider the lilies of the field, and do not worry.

-- Unknown, from a church bulletin

#5038

LISTENING TO ONE ANOTHER

“Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”  (Philippians 2:4 BSB)

Truly listening to someone requires a lot more work than you probably think. Most of the time, we are spending our time thinking of what to say back to the person and inserting our opinion rather than listening to what they’re actually saying. Step back and listen for two things: what the other person is feeling and what the other person needs. Give them a chance to express those feelings and needs, and repeat back what they’ve said so they understand you are hearing them. Give them your full attention and be present in the moment. This will give you the ability to actually understand where they are fully coming from instead of only understanding half of the story. 

-- Adapted from Megan Bailey at beliefnet.com

#4966

PAYING ATTENTION

“Moses said, ‘I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.’ When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’”  (Exodus 3:3-4 NRSV)

[Pay] attention to the many ways in which God acts in our lives and in the world. God leaves metaphorical breadcrumbs that lead us along a path of God's choosing if we're paying attention. Learn to notice the gifts God gave you and watch the way your own life story is developing if you want to know more about God's will for you. God may not put a burning bush in your path, but there will be plenty of other clues about what God may want you to do or be.

-- Debra Farrington in "Alive Now" Magazine, published by The Upper Room, Nashville, TN.   Used with permission.


#4618

PAY ATTENTION

 “Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions.”  (Proverbs 18:2 NLT)

In the movie Michael, John Travolta plays a wayward angel traveling across the country from the Midwest to New York. While this movie couldn’t be endorsed as presenting a godly representation of angels, it does provide an interesting illustration: While standing in the middle of a group of people, Michael predicts what one young woman will do next.

Another woman standing by him asks how he knew that. Expecting him to profess something about his spiritual powers, the audience is surprised to hear him say, “I pay attention.”

What a great line! I pay attention.

Often we don’t pay attention. But the more we do, the more likely we will touch others in significant ways. We need to pay attention. If we don’t, we’re apt to make assumptions that simply aren’t’ true. 

-- Lois Mowday Rabey in “Women of a Generous Spirit: Touching Others with Life-Giving Love”


#4517