A U G U S T
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The Messenger
Making Gentle a Bruised World
Fall Sermon Series: Listening
By Rev. Andrea Brown
Lead Pastor
Content
There's a lot of noise out there. Literal and figurative.
Grandview Music
3
Minutes
4
So much so that it can be hard to hear the things we really want and
need to hear:
Searchers Class
4
Important facts, our children's voices, the voice of God.
Youth News
5
Our September worship series will focus on Listening.
Gratitude
6
Calendar
7
As you prepare, think about (and let me know) what strategies you
use to be able to benefit fully from the gift of hearing that God has
given. Are there things you turn off? Things you tune into? Things
you play loudly? Times when you whisper?
Listening is a critical spiritual discipline.
Recently, I spent a full hour listening to a piano recital by Julliard-trained pianist Maria Thompson. I
realized how rarely I take the time to do that sort of thing. And listening to her play, I realized how much
I'm missing out on because I rarely do that.
The music conveyed the wide range of human emotions in a way that words alone cannot. I left feeling
more connected to the Divine than I when I entered. I left feeling prepared for a challenging week ahead.
I have had similar experiences when singing a capella in four-part harmony or singing with our choir,
listening well to the voices around me in order to tune my own voice.
The Internet offers us many opportunities to listen to diverse voices and ideas unlike our own. How can
we each hone the spiritual practice of listening?
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Messenger - August 2016