Listening In The Silence

At Jericho Road on Sunday's we are currently focusing on values that the Leadership hopes we share as a church body.

Last week Karen Mains talked about HOSPITALITYYesterday Jeff talked about Listening to God.

The Patriarchs listened:

"Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, 'Abraham!' 'Here I am,' he replied."
(Genesis 22:1)

"The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, 'Samuel! Samuel!' Then Samuel said, 'Speak, for your servant is listening.'"
(1 Samuel 3:10)

Jesus listened:

"One of those days Jesus went out to a mountain side to pray, and spent the night praying to God."
(Luke 6:12)

"Jesus answered, 'My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.'"
(John 7:16-17)

The First Church listened:

"Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, 'Go south to the road-the desert road-that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.'"
(Acts 8:26)

"About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. [...] While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, 'Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs . Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.'"
(Acts 10:9,19-20)

I love the Greek word for "said" in this last passage.

                                  λέγω legō

1) to say, to speak

a) affirm over, maintain

b) to teach

c) to exhort, advise, to command, direct

d) to point out with words, intend, mean, mean to say

e) to call by name, to call, name

f) to speak out, speak of, mention

He's calling by name, He's exhorting, advising, commanding and directing.

Are you listening for it?

I stink at this - and I've found I'm even worse in public areas

 (since I've been doing my dates with God at La Spiaza, the local coffee shop). 

But I'm committing to doing it this week.
 I'm committed to hearing what God is saying to me.

Will you join me?

Here's how:

1) Grab your Bible, blank journal/paper, 2 different colored pens (use one color to write your prayers and the other to write/draw what comes to mind.)

2) Start off by Adoring God (praising him simply for who he is)

3) Get right with God. Confess what is on your heart. You can do it free verse or find a liturgical prayer

4) Ask God to open your ears and heart to his voice

5) Listen - seriously, sit back, close your eyes if you need to, and just listen. I find it helpful to pull out a verse to meditate on just to help my mind not wander too far - however, sometimes God speaks through those wanderings. This morning I used Psalm 63:1.

6) Draw/Write down what comes to mind. If a specific scripture comes to mind flip open your Bible and read it. Go with your gut.

7) End your time Thanking/Adoring God. 

This can seem weird to do on your own at times. It is amazing to do together in a group. Currently a group of about 30 people from my church are meeting once a week and following this basic method. After we listen, we take some time to share with each other what we heard. It is truly amazing how all the images/words are along the same lines. If you are nervous about doing this, find a buddy and see how God rewards your faithfulness together.

I'd also love to hear what God is saying to you.

If you'd like to share just leave a comment!

In Pursuit of Community

Or "The Forming of Habits"

Despite what this photo communicates to you. I am NOT a runner. I am a not-so-regular walk/jogger. Therefore I took great pride when I successfully walk/jogged two 5Ks my junior year of college.

(and yes I beat my personal best by 7 min the second time around... but I'm beginning to think that was just luck).

However, ever since those races I've had a small dream in the back of my mind:

to run a WHOLE 5K straight through.

But what would actually help me accomplish this goal - I didn't know - so I just tucked it away in the

"Never Gonna Happen"

box in my mind.

But then it hit my last Sunday -

COMMUNITY.

I went on a "run" with two of my friends and pushed myself to almost breaking point (at least my body thought I was breaking the next day). On that 4 mile trek I told my friend Grace my secret 5K desire. She told me that if I found a 5K she'd train with me for it - not being a runner herself we'd be starting from the same point.

And so the journey began:
We

1) Found a training schedule - Couch 2 5K provides a wonderful app that tells us to switch from warm up to running to walking to cool down

2) Found a race - actually we just happened to find TWO! the Thriller in Schiller and the Schiller Chiller

3) Found community - I think I got frustrated with running in college because I always did it on my own, and I didn't know how to pace, encourage or correctly challenge myself. 

Tuesday Grace and I ran our first work out for the training. It was wonderful! I got back and wasn't out of breath, didn't have stitches in my side and felt accomplished. For the first time I felt like I was on the right path to accomplishing the goal.

This is only one of several habits that I've begun to form for life back in Chicago, and I realized this morning - I'm doing most of these activities (hopefully soon to be habits) because I'm pursuing community.

I enjoyed running on Sunday and Tuesday because of the COMMUNITY

I'm fasting and praying on Wednesdays to support my church  COMMUNITY

I'm going to a local coffee shop every morning during the week because it puts me out in the COMMUNITY of Wheaton and because it gives me solid 45 minutes of community with my Redeemer in his word.

I think I've found my secret to forming a habit -
do so in pursuit of a community.

What habits are you forming?

and Why are you forming those habits?

Expect the Unexpected

Written by Louise Cheek on a women's encouragement thread

Last month I went to a small group women's retreat.  Just an hour away in Norman, OK, it was a time to get away from the busyness of life and have time to think and pray.  On Saturday afternoon we were given about 3 hours of alone time.  It was nice and sunny but not too hot, so I sat outside (with my hat on of course, to shade my face).  I sat for quite awhile, asking the LORD what He wanted me to read, think about, pray about, etc.  I had no "bolt of lightning" answer.  But as I took the time to just sit in His presence, I thought that I would read some scripture in the same way that I work with my therapy students in reading comprehension.  Together we read a sentence, a paragraph, few paragraphs, or a page, depending on their stage of comprehension.  Actually, I will model this technique for them with the first paragraph, then they will do the second paragraph, and so on.  These are the steps we do:  

1) RESTATE the main idea of paragraph in one sentence 

2) choose a vocabulary word to DEFINE

3) ask the other person a QUESTION about the paragraph 

4) PREDICT what will happen next.

I had recently started reading in Acts, so I just picked up where I had left off at chapter 3. The first paragraph was verses 3-5.  Here are my thoughts as I wrote them down that day:

1) RESTATE

When the man crippled from birth requested monetary aid from Peter and John as they approached the entrance to the temple, Peter sought the man's full attention by saying, "Look at us!" 

2) DEFINE

ATTENTION: current thinking, presence of mind, focus of thoughts 

3) QUESTION

Why did Peter seek attention from the man, even as the man was seeking Peter's and John's attention?  (Perhaps the man was mindlessly calling out to each who passed by without paying attention.  Maybe Peter was preparing the man to receive something unexpected, something more than money.)

4) PREDICT

 the unexpected is about to happen, divine intervention!! This was unexpected to the crippled man, but it was not so for Peter.  Peter was prepared, he expected to be used by God that day and was ready for it when the opportunity came along.  Right when the man caught Peter's attention, Peter turned around and caught the man's attention.  Am I expecting God to interact with me and through me today so that I am ready to interact with what circumstances He brings my way?

I was actually amazed at how that familiar passage came alive to me in a different way to such a degree that I continue to think about this passage and am slowly continuing to go through Acts with this comprehension method.  God blessed me with His Word and I pray He blesses you in a special way today.

Louise Cheek is the husband of Earl Cheek, raised three wonderful children who are now all grown up (including myself). She spends her weeks continuing to maintain the Earl Cheek household and working from home as an educational therapist. Above all she is a beautiful woman of God and amazing role model to all who know her.