Listening.
A snail’s pace
Hello friends!
This season’s pace has been slow, and again it’s been awhile since I have posted on Arise Blog. It seems the pace is connected to the rhythm of more listening as well as a continuum for reflective entry into a new year.
A few week’s ago I met a sweet friend for coffee, and her encouraging comment has stayed with me “You keep writing, and save up for a time to post.” I am grateful for this nudge. May these resources be an invitation for listening at a snail’s pace!
Current Readings
The Listening Day (Vol II) by Paul J. Pastor
There seems to be a rhythm, a pattern unfolding from these pages which are also the way the author intended: scripture, title, scripture, poem, and closing prayer.
It has been a pleasant surprise to open a page each morning and find God has already been speaking to the heart, mind, and present places in my life within the words encountered. It is like He is orchestrating and calling me to listen more—become more intimate with His way, through listening.
The poem’s intertwined bring forth a human story from the author’s own life though not direct but clearly heard, felt, and evidenced. Isn’t that what poetry is meant to do? —Touch our ears to hopefully flow into our hearts. As is God’s love from the reading of Scripture. Not of rules per se but of His love, through history, psalm (song), poetry, proverbs, prayers—stories inspired by the Spirit.
May this kind of devotional be something to help us —in listening for God’s voice. To “live this day in God’s presence”
Into the Silent Land was a welcomed recommendation, with a poetic style of writing, and various invitations to listen within the posture of silence. In a time when finding a rhythm of pause is a challenge, and even more so is the invitation for silence —not emptying of every thought but of contemplating God’s thoughts for us and about us, as His beloved child (both as individuals and as collective peoples). What drew me in was also this deepening need of “home.” As I opened the first pages, the Introduction title reads “God Our Homeland” and from there my curiosity carried on.
Laird shares these words from poet R.S. Thomas:
“But the silence in the mind
is when we live best, within
listening distance of the silence we call God…
It is a presence, then,
whose margins are our margins; that calls us out over our own fathoms.”
May this resource be an encouragement into the invitations of being still—with God.
The Gospels
A reflective way of listening from the ancient way of Lectio Divina.
As you can tell the liturgical year is off 2022-23. Sometimes there’s the voice within saying “I should read this book again.” How often have you heard the same voice within? If you have, you’ll find where picking up this book was chosen to read the gospels this way again—a reread has become the path for this new year of 2024-25.
It’s fairly simple to align the daily readings whether in morning or evening or somewhere within the day.
The rhythm here of Ordinary Time begins with an opening prayer, then follows with (Lectio Divina) Reading of the gospel, (Meditation) Listening for a word or words catching your attention, words of comfort or challenge, (Prayer) Listening to the reading again as prayer, bringing praise, petition, or thanksgiving that the Word inspires, and (Contemplation) reflections invited by a question or silence, and concluding with Closing Prayers (from the Psalms).
If you haven’t experienced a rhythm of Lectio Divina reading through prayer and listening this may be a wonderful invitation to try.
“It’s going to be amazing!”
(Keeping this one up in support of my dear friend Cheri who is in the midst of chemo treatments. Please join in prayer for her)
Lastly, a children’s book The Rabbit Listened, a simple and inspiring story given to me from my dear friend and supervisor Cheri at the completion of Selah SD. Learning something new called spiritual direction has been fulfilling and challenging.
Yesterday, I opened the front cover and read again Cheri’s note to me saying “Melanie, This book is for when you need a reminder that listening really matters!” Much love, Cheri [May 2021]
So profound, more so God gifted this handwritten note when I’ve needed such comfort and present peace. I reread the pages of this book realizing it takes courage to listen well, courage when things in life [blocks] are being knocked down, and courage to imagine picking up the blocks, and courage to start building again something more beautiful. The concluding words and image of this story are of the little boy with his rabbit friend saying together “It’s going to be amazing!”
