As a community, the Open Door is seeking to develop simple weekly missional practices, rhythms or postures that we think help orient and center us to live in the way of Jesus. We are creating space in our worship gatherings to experiment with them and dialogue about them. So I thought that each week I would post a sound byte of what we have come up with thus far and encourage further dialogue about each rhythm and practice.Listening: We seek to practice listening by setting aside at least 1 focused time of listening to God's "still, small voice." each week.
In doing this, we will follow Jesus' example of seeking time alone with God: "After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray" (Matthew 14:23). And we will trust God's promise to meet us when we come to Him: "You will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:12-13). The methods can vary: take a walk, journal, pray, meditate; listen to music, or any other way you find to be still with God.
How do we attune our ears to the voice of God? How do we develop a rhythm of listening? Do we expect God to speak and do we expect to hear him? How do you best hear the voice of God? In a frantic, busy, results oriented culture how do we slow down enough to hear? Why is listening an essential to being a missional community?
2 comments:
On the way home yesterday I turned off the radio for awhile and was aware of stuff that I didn't realize was bothering me and tried to hand it over to God. Sometimes I wish he would try to wrench these things from my hands, but I have to be willing. I'm also finding that "listening" to my body is a key--like if I feel like I'm getting a cold, I should lighten up my schedule.
I think it is always helpful to remember that we are not the first to listen for God - many have gone before us and we have much to learn from them.
For me there is no better way to hear God than to study the words which inspired through the Spirit of God. I have found that there is no excuse for intense and careful biblical study.
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