Listen

Revelation 3:22 

“Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” New International Version

(NIV)

I recently had my hearing checked. My wife Julie suggested this, and though everything came out fine for someone of my age and experience, it made me think about why she would have thought that there might be a problem in the first place. Our home is seldom a quiet place, and upon reflection I have to admit that with the distractions afforded by kids, dogs, computers, phones, tablets, televisions, and any combination of these at the same time, I may not have always been listening to her. I am now trying to think of listening in a different way, as an active participant looking for the message rather than just a passive receiver in the whirlwind of life that surrounds me.

I hope this conscious effort to listen will help me at St. Mark as well. Those of us who serve on the Communications Committee are faced with an exciting and awesome challenge these days. For the past five years or so the committee has worked to bring St. Mark into the wonderful world of new communication possibilities, and we are now looking at ways to make the next five (and fifty!) even better for the mission that we have and the community that we serve. To do this we have to learn to listen- not only to each other, but each to the Spirit.

Dear God, we ask for the wisdom to seek your direction, the heart to share your love, open ears to hear your voice, and the strength to do your will. Amen