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A note from the Church Historian
This week the Historical Preservation committee removed our display of Hope symbols (in the garden level elevator entrance) that our congregation has cherished since Lent. Consequently, hope has been a significant part of our thoughts lately. Although the display is gone, our hope in all its forms remains steadfast.
Have you had a chance to read the Hope prayer flags hanging in the sanctuary? One of my hopes is that we continue to discover ways to listen to each other as we grow as a congregation.
And guess what? This isn’t a novel idea!
I stumbled upon a sermon written by the Rev. Dr. Warren H. Bouton on September 2, 2007 (remember, I’m one of our historians).
In his sermon, he spoke of “listening to the voices that surround us is not always easy, especially when we are focused upon and preoccupied by the voices with in us” .
He drew a parallel between this and Psalm 81, where the Psalmist describes how people failed to listen to God’s voice, leading to Israel’s disobedience. Consequently, God allowed them to be led astray by their stubborn hearts and follow their own paths. He expressed his desire for his people to listen to Him.
At the conclusion of Dr. Bouton’s sermon, he urged us to listen to God’s still-speaking voice. He encouraged us to listen to the voice that calls us to fulfill our potential as individuals and as a church. He emphasized the importance of celebrating and sharing the gifts we’ve been given and “ to bask in the love , joy and forgiveness which God has blessed our lives”. He advised us to turn away from negativity, hostility, exclusions, fear, and trembling, and instead open our hearts, minds, and spirits to the hope-bearing voice of the living God. Even when it’s saying something that makes us uncomfortable or makes us think, see or understand in new ways.
I continue to hope we’ll take the psalmist’s plea to heart. Let’s use our excellent listening skills to truly hear what others are saying. Let’s seek to understand before we seek to be understood, with an empathetic and open mind when we listen to each other. This approach helps us solve problems positively and with care. And let’s aim for a win-win solution, valuing and respecting each other along the way.
As the song reminds us, God has no hands but ours, and God has not feet but ours. So, listening closely to each other is essentially listening to our loving God.
Thanks for listening.
Beth Shehadi
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