How do you listen for God? And how do you know when God has spoken? These are frequent questions I get and I'm not trying to avoid answering, but the truth is everyone has a unique wavelength that they tune in on.
For some it is like a kick in the stomach or a slap up side the head. For others it is a still, small voice coming to them in the night. For others it is a visual laying out the next step. Some folks feel an unsettledness, a discomfort, a challenge outside their comfort zone or a nudge to move in a new direction. God comes to some folks in dreams, technicolor and all. And often times God comes to us in other people asking just the right question or making an observation. Whatever the method of God's contact, most of the time we have to slow down, clear the clutter from our head, the busyness from our hands and make room in our hectic lives for God's word to us. I mean look at Paul. He had to be knocked to the ground with a flash of lightning before he stopped long enough for God to get his attention.
And if it is a variety of approaches that work for individuals, then how does this work for churches? How do a group of diverse people listen collectively for the call of God especially when slowing down, stopping the frantic rushing and removing the clutter from the church calendar is not something most mainline churches know how to do let alone want to do?
The Whitewater Mennonite Church in Manoiboa, Canada decided to find out how a church can listen without the clutter of committee work and the business of the church. They took a sabbatical year from all committee work. All nonessential tasks and decisions were set aside. Monthly congregational meetings were held to decide only essential issues. Volunteers were tapped for specific tasks but is someone didn't volunteer then that task went undone and it was assumed that person needed a sabbatical as well. What did they do? They listened for God through prayer, Bible reading, rest and fellowship. Hmmm? I hope they publish their results.
In the meantime what do you think?
Monday, August 2, 2010
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I think that trying some of the actions you've listed would help shake/wake up some in our congregation. There are the staunch "old church" Christians who DO seem a tad tired from the 'same old-same old' routine, so volunteerism goes down. Then there are the ones so caught up in the politics of business that they can't see for the blinders on their face. Taking an attitude adjustment and actually applying it might be just what the doctor ordered. I like your insights !
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