When my daughter comes for dinner, she often sits in the living room and chats with her Dad as I make supper in the kitchen. Although I should be able to hear what is being said in the living room because it’s so close, I often find myself saying,” What did you say, I didn’t hear that? Can you repeat that please?” My family laughs (in love J ) when I can’t hear what is being said; not because I can’t hear, but because they know that I can’t stand being out of the loop. I work hard to listen intentionally to ensure I don’t’ miss a thing. I think most of us understand the importance of striving to listen to those we love.

I wonder, how well we do at intentionally listen to the voice of God?   There is so much that beckons for our attention, voices coming at us from all sides; our children, our spouse, our employers, our neighbors, our family and friends; the  voices speaking to us from the different screens we look at, the daily COVID updates we receive,  the articles we read, and let’s not forget that loud voice that comes from within our own heads. It’s hard to tune out all the voices and simply listen to God’s voice, yet scripture clearly points to the importance of the discipline of “listening”.

• Jesus spoke of this when having dinner at the home of Mary and Martha.  Martha was frustrated because her sister Mary, “sat at the Lord’s feet LISTENING to what he said.” When Martha complained to Jesus that Mary wasn’t helping her, he said, “Martha, Martha ……. only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better…”  LISTENING was the better option. (Luke 10:38- 41)
• At the Scene of the Transfiguration the voice of God said, “This is my son, whom I have chosen; LISTEN TO HIM.”  (Luke 9: 35)

  Are we taking time to intentionally LISTEN for the voice of God speaking into our circumstances?  Like me standing in the kitchen striving to hear every word, listening to the voice of God requires effort and intentional focus on our part. I can’t help but wonder in the midst of COVID and all the uncertainty of these days, what is the message God is trying to communicate to us? Are we listening?

Most Holy God,

We know that….

Our lives are occupied territory...
occupied by a cacophony of voices,
and the din undoes us.
In the daytime we have no time to listen,
        beset as we are by the anxiety and goals
        and assignments and work,
        and in the night the voices are so confusing
        we can hardly sort out what could possibly     
                be your voice
        from the voice of our mothers and our fathers
        and our best friends and our pet projects,
        because they all sound so much like you.

We are people over whom that word shema has
    been written.
We are listeners, but we do not listen well.
So we bid you, by the time the sun goes down today
        or by the time the sun comes up tomorrow,
        by night or by day,
        that you will speak in ways that we can hear
        out beyond ourselves.

It is your speech to us that carries us                                                                   

where we have never been,
and it is your speech to us that is our only hope.
So give us ears to hear you God.

Amen.

(Walter Brueggemann)