Sensing God: Part I

[David Hahn]

One of the staples of a contemplative community is listening. Last evening in our community night we spent time wondering about how we listen, who we listen to, and where God is in all this. How about you? Where do you find the voice of God speaking to you in your life? How can u be sure that it's God's voice and not your own inner voice telling you what you want to hear? What difference does it make to listen with community instead of by and for yourself?

[Steve Talmage]

I find listening within a community allows me to be open to hear the Lord better, as I know how entrenched I am in wanting to hear only what I want to hear. The gift of another's perspective broadens the possibilities.-sst

[Tamie]

I wish that I could have been there last night. I find that listening in community helps compensate for my own blindspots or prejudices. It is often in listening to trusted others that I hear God's voice. I think that your question about *how* we listen is so important. One time I did a listening exercise with my students in which we observed ourselves listening, and discussed our internal barriers to listening (distraction, judgment, etc.). I noticed that when we were all being super intentional about listening, it changed the whole conversation...it seems to me that it is in those sorts of spaces, especially, that we hear the often quiet voice of God.

[Ethan Hulme]

I believe that in listening in community we get a better picture of what God is saying. It is the reflection of individual experience, combined together as one, to give a multi-faceted perspective on Gods voice.

[Jake McQuaid]

Coming from a very fundy background, I always thought that God spoke through the gifts of tongues and since I had never spoke in tongues, I kind of felt left out. But, I soon realized that God spoke to me through visuals, not the Julian of Norwich type, but object lessons that I observed throughout the day. Many times I felt the presence of God as I had the opportunity to be witness to situations that often were physical manifestations of a particular issue I was/am struggling with. We are social creatures and the need to listen, not speak or be waiting to share what WE heard or saw, but to contemplate on God's voice within a community is very valuable. We all have strengths in our learning styles and an awareness communicated to one person may be best shared by that person to the community.

[Kacey Hahn]

listening........................................................................................................................................................................................ happens best in me when any desire to control, manipulate or get the "next word in" diminishes and there is space to deeply attend to the voice of others and God. listening........................................................................................................ ....................................................................................................in community moves me out of my own head and into the corporate "life together" where the spirit enlightens, inspires, binds and communicates the good news of god.
listening.......................................................................................................................................... ..........................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................moves me closer.

[Ryan]

I "hear" the voice of God (love, self-sacrifice, acceptance, forgiveness, compassion, justice, humility, generosity, etc...) from many sources, such as: people who admit they don't have all the answers, personal mistakes, children, my dogs, those who have suffered much pain and grief, nature, and the unchurched.

I find that my ability to listen is limited by what I already want to to hear and see. Change is terribly agonizing, therefore, I often ignore what may dis-confirm my self-assured assumptions and beliefs.

Or to put it another way, "God created man in his own image. And man, being a gentleman, returned the favor." -- Rousseau

It is my experience that listening in a community of varied values, views, and persuasions allows me to best "hear" God.