I finally figured out why prayer is so hard. God doesn’t speak English and I don’t speak God.
—Jeanine, age 14
Where do you go to listen for God, when is it that you feel the sweet breath of God on your face? How do you open yourself to listen? Who taught you how to do this? What in your schedule, your time, your life looks like that of a person who wants to hear God’s voice? Part of hearing God's voice is knowing what to listen for.
God speaks the language of silence, symbol, story and ritual.
- SILENCE -
is rare in our noisy world. We value communication over contemplation, information over reflection. Across generations is has become difficult for us to choose silence when communication is possible. To leave a text message unread is tantamount to social sabotage. Do we extend the peace that comes to us from intentional silences in our interactions with others?
- SYMBOLS -
are words or images from the unconscious that imply something more than their obvious meaning. When an ordinary object becomes a container of the sacred. From wedding rings to birthday cakes, to tattoos we are attracted to the power of symbol. Most of us count among our most valued possessions small objects we’ve kept from childhood are have been passed to us from a previous generation. To the unfamiliar observer these objects on our bookshelves and dresser tops and sock drawers are not remarkable in any way but to you who have touched this object and experienced the flash of feeling alive, an awakening, a ‘goosebump moment,’ a sudden deep awareness and connection — you just know that this symbol contains something of the divine.
- STORIES -
are not just about scripting the past, but also about creating our future. The way we understand our past positions us to create futures that are imaginative and hope-filled, or discouraging and binding. Three things are true about stories: All stories are true — some of them actually happened. All stories are about you. All stories are out to change us & call us to action. Pro tip: If you want to notice where God is, pay attention to the stories of those asking for help.
- RITUALS -
(a.k.a. habits, practices, liturgies). What we love and desire is shaped by our unthought habits and repeated rituals. Ask yourself, What rituals/habits/practices are helping me give and receive love? What habits are hindering the same? How do our habits shape who and what gets our attention and does it line up with what we value most?
In a culture that is making waiting and listening for God more and more difficult, sometimes it helps to know what to listen for:
silences, symbols, stories and rituals.
Rev. Mike Woods, December 2024
—Jeanine, age 14
Where do you go to listen for God, when is it that you feel the sweet breath of God on your face? How do you open yourself to listen? Who taught you how to do this? What in your schedule, your time, your life looks like that of a person who wants to hear God’s voice? Part of hearing God's voice is knowing what to listen for.
God speaks the language of silence, symbol, story and ritual.
- SILENCE -
is rare in our noisy world. We value communication over contemplation, information over reflection. Across generations is has become difficult for us to choose silence when communication is possible. To leave a text message unread is tantamount to social sabotage. Do we extend the peace that comes to us from intentional silences in our interactions with others?
- SYMBOLS -
are words or images from the unconscious that imply something more than their obvious meaning. When an ordinary object becomes a container of the sacred. From wedding rings to birthday cakes, to tattoos we are attracted to the power of symbol. Most of us count among our most valued possessions small objects we’ve kept from childhood are have been passed to us from a previous generation. To the unfamiliar observer these objects on our bookshelves and dresser tops and sock drawers are not remarkable in any way but to you who have touched this object and experienced the flash of feeling alive, an awakening, a ‘goosebump moment,’ a sudden deep awareness and connection — you just know that this symbol contains something of the divine.
- STORIES -
are not just about scripting the past, but also about creating our future. The way we understand our past positions us to create futures that are imaginative and hope-filled, or discouraging and binding. Three things are true about stories: All stories are true — some of them actually happened. All stories are about you. All stories are out to change us & call us to action. Pro tip: If you want to notice where God is, pay attention to the stories of those asking for help.
- RITUALS -
(a.k.a. habits, practices, liturgies). What we love and desire is shaped by our unthought habits and repeated rituals. Ask yourself, What rituals/habits/practices are helping me give and receive love? What habits are hindering the same? How do our habits shape who and what gets our attention and does it line up with what we value most?
In a culture that is making waiting and listening for God more and more difficult, sometimes it helps to know what to listen for:
silences, symbols, stories and rituals.
Rev. Mike Woods, December 2024
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