30 April 2007

Hearing the voice...

"My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me."

I've noticed that the older I get, the less tolerant I am of noisy things, people and places. (Hell is probably a Chucky Cheese restaurant with eight birthday parties going on at once. I shudder at the thought.) Sure...part of that is just getting older (I'm slowly and somewhat proudly moving towards curmudgeon status) and the deterioration of my hearing (too much rock-n-roll as a crazy youth). My grandpa and my dad both struggled with the same thing as they got older and their hearing got worse. I'm just next in line.

And yet, it's not just a "guy thing" or a "getting older" thing. The world around us is, indeed, getting noisier all the time. There are so many voices...so many inducements...so many offers and ideas and temptations floated our way every day...all demanding our time, our attention, our investment of self and resources and loyalty.

How does one decide what to listen to? How do we determine those voices that are good and genuine and life-giving? How do we learn to listen?

It's not easy. But it occurs to me that a part of what we do in worship each week and in our own daily prayers is just that...we learn to listen for God. Not just to pile up before God our needs and fears and demands, but to open our hearts and minds and wills to the guidance and direction of the One who has promised to be Good Shepherd for us.

I had the opportunity a couple weeks ago to spend some time practicing and learning more about centering prayer...an ancient practice of holy listening that helps us focus on the speaking of God to us. I think we need to do a workshop or retreat around this idea here at Grace (watch for info on that).

In the meantime, I'd like to encourage you to take time...quiet time...focused time...even just a few minutes a day, if that's all you've got. Think about a favorite Bible verse or hymn text or prayer. And then listen...not to the clamor of the kids or the TV or the iPod or the "Whack-a-Mole" game going on in the next room...but for the voice of the Shepherd. He already knows you. He's already expecting you. And indeed, He has promised to find you as you seek Him...even amidst the noise of life.