Saturday, March 26 - Holy Saturday

THEREFORE: EASTER SUNDAY AND BEYOND

As we approach the pivotal, powerful Resurrection event of our faith on Easter Sunday, let us pause, pray, marvel, breathe deeply – and then remember to keep moving. The beautiful music of Easter must become music to the ears of a weary world – music lived out by Jesus’ followers: us.

If we are called to repeatedly work TOWARD the cross and tomb, however worshipfully, we will be retreading the same path with the same burdens of our existence. But if we are called to work FROM the cross and tomb (Thank you, John Rickers), we can embrace our salvation and then turn around and walk past the empty tomb to fulfill our individual ministry. It is not easy, and our own needs and insecurities get in the way. But the desire for servanthood can lead us to our own unique ministry, empowered by overwhelming love and forgiveness.

There is a “ Therefore...” in the Easter story that can transform us and fuel us day by day toward a more intentional ministry and maturity. May God bless us all as we rejoice in the gift of His Son and remain open to His constant presence.

Prayer: Father of Jesus, in gratitude for the miracle of Easter, make me an instrument of healing in a hurting world. Set me free to claim my unique redeemed place in it as one of the Easter people. Alleluia! Amen

The Lord is risen! He is risen indeed!

Roberta Graves 

Friday, March 25 - Good Friday

Hark
Do you hear what I hear?
Just for a day or a part of a day or a part of an hour, step away from the world of technology and
Harken to your God in the Beauty of:
A sunrise...
The rustle of the wind, the song of a bird...
The music of Bach, Beethoven and Brahms...
The sound of one crying in the wilderness...
The Alleluias, Ave Marias and Our Fathers sung down through the ages...
All providing ample Blessed Assurance of God’s love for us...
In “giving us this day our daily bread” (and milk and honey too!)
And for all this, what does the Lord require of us?
“To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)

Acta non verba!

Joe Beckett 

Thursday, March 24 - Maundy Thursday

ONCE UPON A TIME

Where to begin...One day many years ago, when I was in the bowels of despair, and after crying and not knowing which way to turn, I prayed my special way so Heavenly Father would know I was at my wits’ end, praying on my knees. I heard a voice in my head saying, “Open your Edgar Casey* book and read what is written on that page.” So I laughed to myself saying, “Oh yes, cures for hemorrhoids and hang nails, etc.,” but the voice in my head was quite insistent, so upon finding the book in my bookcase, I opened it to a random page and there, much to my surprise, I was reminded... "Be not dismayed. But do with a heart that fainteth not for I am the way, the truth and the light. Be not afraid. Consider the lilies how they grow. They toil not, neither do they spin, yet Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed as one of these.” In other words, I should not take anxious thought but just have faith that all would be well. How often I worry and forget not to just hold tight to God’s hand. God speaks in mysterious ways. Who am I to question where He says to look for guidance and help. 

*Edgar Casey was a Methodist Sunday school teacher, living in the 1900’s and had visions that helped ill persons.



Jane Williams 

Wednesday, March 23

God is the clatter of silverware on plates,
warm voices woven into a hum over a family dinner.

God is the rush of waves onto the seashore,
the whistling wind which moves through one’s ears, 
accentuated only by the cries of gulls.

God is a sob, which swells and exposes itself in a burst, 
broken by quick intakes of breath and sniffles from a reddened nose.

God is the crescendo of a song,
whose melody raises your heart from your chest and
the hairs on your arm,
notes, instruments, and voices blending to form something
truly whole.

God is the silence found when you are alone--
when your ears strain for sound, only to find the faint
murmur of your pulse--
steadily throbbing life beating behind your eardrum.

To hear God is simple, if one simply listens.


Lauren White
Gettysburg College, PA 

Tuesday, March 22

Speak; for Thy servant heareth.” (1 Samuel 3:10)

A few years ago I attended a silent retreat at the Abbey of Gethsemane in Kentucky. Friends had asked me, upon hearing that I would be there for several days with no radio, TV, cell phone etc..., and no talking, if I would not find all that silence difficult? Somewhat smugly, I had reminded them that I have lived alone all my adult life. Also, that now in retirement, my days are often free of conversation or any kind of electronic, web or wireless distractions!

Yet, while at the Abbey, I realized I was far from silent. My time there taught me that being in a still, quiet environment and being truly in silence are two very different things. My mind was excited, restless, crowded with noise. It was full of opinions, judgments, conflicts and doubts; my inner chatter. Leaving the noisy world was easy, quieting my “monkey mind” as the Buddha called it, required more than a Trappist monastery.

For some years now I have read much about the discipline of daily ritual meditation in solitude, a time for recollection and attention to the presence of God. The idea of this has had great appeal but I also know how difficult it would be for me to still my mind and body. But I need to allow for a more open heart, an open portal for a greater receptivity to God. I want to better understand His will for me, His words for me.

So in this Lenten season and beyond, I will strive to develop this new practice. I do so with the expectation and hope that it will become as necessary as the air I breathe.

“There is no spiritual life without persistent struggle and interior conflict. Every serious Christian is willing to make a few initial sacrifices. It is not hard to make a good start. But it is hard to continue, to carry on the work begun, and to persevere in it through many years until the end...........We are not ‘converted’ only once in our life but many more times, and this endless series of large and small ‘conversions,’ inner revolutions, leads finally to our transformation in Christ.”  Thomas Merton, Life and Holiness

HAIKU

LISTENING IN SOUTHERN SHORES

Majesty calls me

Dull deep thunder echoing

On each grain of sand 

Brooks Sutton 

Monday, March 21

I used to roll my eyes when I heard people say things like “If it’s God’s will for me...,” “God told me...,” “then I heard God say to me...” and so on. I simply didn’t understand these claims of divine contact. I have always believed in God, I just didn’t quite know how best to communicate with him or her so that I could actually “hear” what God was saying. Today, it is my experience that God speaks to me all day long – the challenge for me is to quietly listen to the message.

I was born with a voice inside of me, generally referred to as my conscience. Since a very young age – before any exposure to organized religion, I can remember hearing this voice, consistently urging me to do the “right” thing in every situation – tell the truth, say you’re sorry, you were wrong, that doesn’t belong to you, don’t say that, that’s not nice, be respectful, you should help, give it a try, don’t be afraid, be a good friend, do unto others, be kind, be patient, have tolerance, don’t judge, take a chance – the list goes on ad infinitum. This is the voice of God within me, speaking to me, guiding me in my life. It has become evident to me, throughout my lifetime, that it is my responsibility to hear the message and follow the direction (easier said than done!).

As I have gotten older (and a tad bit wiser), I have learned that God’s messages to me are best heard through quiet prayer and meditation. This practice and discipline physically slow me down, quiet my mind, and allow me to connect with God on a personal level. I ask questions. I ask for guidance. I ask for help. I ask for forgiveness. And then I listen...quietly listen to God’s reply. God is always with me, has always been with me. I’ve learned that I must take the time – by myself – to quietly pray to hear God’s message for me in this noisy world.


John Lenhart 

Sunday, March 20 - Palm Sunday

It seems a lot more secure to think that God listens to us than that we/I listen to God. But it is still something to try to do daily.

Listening to God through what others are saying can sometimes be painful, often inspiring, and even can be life-changing. It is hard, for the most part, to know if it really IS God speaking when we’re being challenged or corrected. Big turnoff time! But sometimes, even if we do not see the person as godly, listening to their challenge may be God urging us to change, or go forward, or give up the rut we seem to be enjoying.

At the same time listening to God through others – friends or not friends – may take some work. Instead of listening only to the actual words that we hear, it may be more important to listen to what is not being said which leads us to a person’s need - hiding itself in a second or third level down from the words we hear. This was pointed out in a sermon I heard years ago in Vermont. This pastor was one renowned for his pastoral skills and who was familiar with all of the tricks his parishioners and all of us use to protect ourselves. When a person is most unlovely may be the very time we are called to listen to the unspoken and to care with the love only God can give us grace to have.

Mother Theresa used to say, “I am only a pencil in God’s hand.” She knew a kind of listening that most of us do not achieve. But every new day is a new chance to try.

Prayer:

God, help us to listen to you in whatever ways we are able, and to trust that you will never call us into any situation where your grace is not enough. If it is important, help us to see what you have called us to do or to hear.  If we are not able to do that, help us to do your will anyway. In Christ’s holy name and for his sake we pray. Amen


The Rev. Fran Peel 

Saturday, March 19

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. (Psalm 139:13)

Can you imagine that! God knew me before I was born. He “fashioned me.” That’s really knowing! All I need to do now is listen to what His plans are for me. What opportunities do Lent and Easter give us to listen to God? This is a time to slow down, quiet down, even for just a few minutes each day, to hear the messages from all of God’s wonderful creation. I must remind myself that listening is an attitude of the heart and soul.

Some of the ways I listen best is when I
--Pay attention to my dreams
--Do my Tai Chi or write Haikus
--Take walks in the woods or by the sea
--Interact with people at the Aquarium Star Center 
--Visit and do games with nursing home residents 
--Read His word Lectio Divina style
--Quietly wait for His message as I journal

As I approach the period of Lent, I hope to use it as a special opportunity to listen more deeply to what He wants me to hear. By listening to God in all circumstances, it helps me feel a closeness with Him as I live the life for which He created me.

I write this as I sit in Mexico in December looking out over palm trees and a white building in the distance - thinking this possibly could be Jerusalem. What was it like when Jesus walked there? Why did He come? To teach love and be sacrificed for me? To help me BELIEVE? When I believe, it is easy to listen.

To create a Holy Space, this prayer helps me listen for that tender voice whispering, “I am with you.”

Lord, please make this a sacred place for your heart and 
mine to come together. Let me hear and receive the word 
you have for me as I sit here in Your presence. Amen

HAIKU

Listening to God 

Within me and everywhere 

Joy and peace abound

Kaye White 

Friday, March 18

WHAT CHALLENGES ME TO GROW IN FAITH AND LISTEN 

MORE DEEPLY TO WHAT GOD HAS TO SAY?

I can't say I have enough insight to tell you the whole answer, but here's part of it. When I was 10 years old, my brother and I shared a bedroom in the basement of our house. My bed was up against a little half door that led into the furnace room. The furnace room was a dark and scary place, and so you'd think I would have been really afraid of it, and of how close I slept to it, but I wasn't. You see, the furnace would come on at night and fill the room with warmth, and fill my ears with a steady rumbling that helped me sleep. It was reassuring. And so I wasn't afraid, except for that one night.

That night when I awoke with a start, and stared at the little door inches away, because of a knocking sound coming from the other side. It was a steady, insistent thumping, like someone or something trying to get out. I was frozen in fear. I could barely breathe. But I had to get out of there. I could hear my parents in the living room above me, talking and laughing. I had to make it up to them. After what seemed like forever, I willed myself out of bed and backed out of the room, never taking my eyes off of that little door. I was leaving my sleeping brother behind, but too bad for him. Once I made it to the steps I shot up faster than I've ever run. I reached the kitchen, made a sharp left-hand turn and prepared to launch myself, screaming bloody murder, into the living room where mom and dad were still laughing and joking. As I turned I suddenly noticed our dog, Pebble, standing in the middle of the living room, next to a glass coffee table. He was watching my parents excitedly. As he did so, he wagged his tail vigorously. With each wag he thumped the underside of the glass coffee table loudly. It made a sound just like someone trying to get out of a furnace room. I was never so happy to be wrong in my life, but until I saw the source of the sound, I was as convicted in my fear as the truest believer.

Today, as a Christian struggling to connect with God, I fight other fears, just as fiercely held as the ones that made me hear a monster on the other side of that door. I only hope one day I'll again muster the courage to overcome my fears, scale the steps that separate me from the truth, and see at last the source of the sound. And hear at last what He has to say.


Jeff Edwards 

Thursday, March 17

How do I listen to God in a noisy (busy) world?

Not well at all.
I am not disciplined, with a scheduled prayer/meditation time.

We are blessed here on the OBX, with such beautiful quietness all around us. That is a big reason why I so seek and enjoy long solitary walking/jogging. Then I listen better.

But at times I seem too busy for that so I just try my best to be present - in my daily work, and on my drive to and from Chesapeake. In the mornings, I see God around me in the mists burning off the fields or as I watch the corn grow daily, drawn up by the rising sun. When the radio too often brings news of tragedy and terrorism and war, I pray for God to heal the hurts, hearts and souls of all, especially those who perpetrate it through actions and words.

As I listen to my patients, I hear such stories - of pain and suffering, of fear and loss, of abuse and desperation, but also of healing, of love, of perseverance and of such amazing strength. These are stories of the Spirit, of Grace.

Driving home at night I may listen to an audio book, such as currently, Marcus Borg’s Convictions.  My path home is frequently lit by a rising moon in the southeast. I love seeing the moon, and recall a childhood rhyme:
“I see the moon and the moon sees me.
God bless the moon and God Bless me.”

Arriving, I give thanks for my home, for having a home. 
And I give thanks for Tim.

I’d like to share a poem that in Ireland we were taught at a young age. The title is the first line. It has stayed with me. It says it all.

I see His blood upon the rose,
And in the stars the glory of His eyes. 
His body gleams amid eternal snows, 
His tears fall from the skies.

I see His face in every flower.
The thunder and the singing of the birds 
Are but His voice - and carven by His power 
Rocks are His written words.

All pathways by His feet are worn,
His strong heart stirs the ever-beating sea, 
His crown of thorns is twined with every thorn, 
His cross is every tree.

Joseph Mary Plunkett 1887-1916


Roisin McKeithan 

Wednesday, March 16

But He said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it. (Luke 11:28)

Luke reminds us that those who hear the word of God are blessed, but how do we open our hearts and minds to hear these words? Where can we see and hear the word of God in our daily life and work? Do we hear God on the beach or in the workplace? While playing sports or making music? We are quick to talk and quick to act, but perhaps opening ourselves to listening may be more appropriate. A skill that is often pushed aside, listening allows us to build relationships and be present in the lives of those around us. So often in our busyness, we forget to stop and listen to what God is saying to us.

Dear God, In this Lenten season, help us take the time to listen. To listen to and experience the joyful noise of the word of God in our lives. Guide us as we discover where and how we are able to be still and listen to the words you have for us to hear. Be with us as we discern what we hear and begin to understand God’s will in our lives.


Katie and Michael Blanchard 

Tuesday, March 15

A FAITH REFLECTION MOMENT

For it is by Grace you have been saved...it is the gift of God.
(Ephesians 2:8)

I went to church this past Sunday, contemplating our Lenten theme of going deeper into our faith. I read Father Tom’s meditation question: “Who has helped you grow in faith?” OMG, I started listing in my head all of the so many wonderful people who have helped me on that journey. At the top of the list is my mother. I want to share with you a story that happened this past week.

My mother spent the last 13 years of her life at Heartfields, an assisted living home in Fredericksburg, Virginia. The home director, Tracey, called my sister, Deborah, to say that she had found something belonging to our mother. My sister challenged me to guess what it was.  My first guess was church music as my mother was a pianist/choir director/organist for 80 of her 93 years. As weak as she was, I had helped her onto her organ bench to play for a service the last Sunday of her life. But Deborah said no, so I guessed, a box of old family photos hidden way back in her storage space? Our father was a professional photographer! Answer was again no, so I said: “Game over, tell me.” My sister shared that Tracey, with a tear in her eye, handed to her a small box found in the office safe. It contained our mother’s diamond watch. The 1960 appraisal note gave a value of $550. Our father had given her the watch on their 20th Wedding Anniversary. The story brought tears to my eyes and resulted in a phone conversation sharing wonderful family memories.

How has this deepened my Faith? First, I was so appreciative for the honesty of the Heartfields’ staff. And secondly, my mother’s strong faith carried us all through so many of both life’s joys and tragedies. She truly lived the message of Jesus Christ through sharing her gifts for the benefit of so many others. During this Lenten season, I am focusing on the fact that Christ lived and died so that we all benefit from the blessings of God’s Grace. My mother is still guiding my faith journey as each diamond in that watch represents a precious love moment of giving, worth so much more than the current financial value of each sparkling piece. Who has helped you grow in faith and listen more deeply to what God has to say?

In Loving Memory of T. Jane McIntyre Jennings 

March 15, 1921 - May 29, 2014

Sylvia Wadsworth 

Monday, March 14

ALIGNMENT. After an hour or so working in the garden,
it’s amazing how positive one’s thoughts become!
A benign approach to pressing issues emerges and clarity blooms. 
Walking along the shore or hiking a wild life trail, body and mind align and the spirit soars through.
We sense being on a higher plane, receptive and listening.
Our body, soul, spirit ALIGNMENT engages us with God’s spirit 
Alignment with God positions us to listen, with ears to hear.

THE FAMILIAR. Is ‘God contact’ always significant and ominous? 
Out of the blue?
In our walk with God, being in the presence, in God space,
we have continuing familiar companionship, beyond words,
based on grace before meals, thanks for blessings, our prayers. 
This ongoing sense of familiar presence is the foundation for receiving word from God in challenging times.
Prophets of old, saints and mystics like Elijah and Teresa, heard dramatic utterances from God - but this was in addition to daily, familiar communication.
Our familiar relationship with God prepares us for further Word, 
For more to come, for what may come.
(FAMILIAR does not preclude being led into the UNFAMILIAR to perceive and communicate with Holy Being, a different pilgrimage)

ALERTNESS. The silence of God is not uncommunicative.
We listen to God’s silence, being in stillness, at the heart of it all.
In the ‘chat’ mode of today’s world, we expect immediate response. 
Divine response – our perception of that – may not be immediate. 
Waiting before God, listening, takes us out of our time warp.

BUT here in time, in the everyday, to friends, in worship
to animate and inanimate, our whole being needs to be ALERT to recognize God speaking to us. God is close.

O Lord, May we align with you, one hand reaching to the infinite and the other rooted to the earth and so be open to you.


Lilias Morrison 

Sunday, March 13 - The Fifth Sunday in Lent

THE STILL SMALL VOICE

In today’s culture, the things that seem to be most popular in entertainment, advertising, and probably politics are the loudest most outrageous words and productions. This apparently is the most effective
way to get through the clutter that is modern life.

Lent is a time when we are called to observe these 40 days “by self-examination and repentance, by prayer, fasting, and self-denial: by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word.” This prayer book exhortation is asking us to “go deeper” to listen to other voices in our search for God’s presence in our lives. But where is God found?

The prophet Elijah had a wilderness experience that perhaps can help us in our quest. Let me quote from the book of I Kings 19:11-13.

“The Lord said to Elijah, go out and stand before me on top of the mountain. Then the Lord passed by and sent a furious wind that split the hills and shattered the rocks – but the Lord was not in the wind. The wind stopped blowing and then there was an earthquake – but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was a fire, - but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the soft whisper of a voice. When, Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave and a voice said to him ’Elijah’.”

The Lord spoke to Elijah in a still small voice. Perhaps that is how in the midst of the clutter and bombast of our lives, God will speak to us. May we in our Lenten observance prepare ourselves to hear that still small voice.


The Rev. David A. Feyrer 

Saturday, March 12

Christmas is over,
Christmas is over,
Next comes Easter
But that is not true,
But that is not true.
Because in between comes Lent 
We put our decorations away
To prepare for the season of 
Fasting, penitence and reflection. 
As Jesus is the reason for

The season of Christmas
Lent is the reason for Easter 
Help O help us Savior dear 
Ever content by your side. 
That with you we may appear 
At the eternal Eastertide.

Ruthie Charlton 

Friday, March 11

Listening. Yes, it is a very hard thing to do. Listen to God? It has taken many years for me to get it, to be able to settle myself enough to listen. This past year I have experienced many different emotions, some good and blessed and some not so very good at all. In order to deal with the “not so good at all” emotions and struggles, I found myself getting on my bicycle. If you are a Facebook friend of mine, you know how crazy I got on my daily bicycle routine this past spring and summer by seeing my “Map Your Ride” posts. It almost became an obsession. I had a goal and I was going to reach it! (I did reach that goal by the way). Looking back, I realize that I found myself on my bike pedaling for all I was worth during the times of inner struggle and times I had to deal with heartache. I would joke that I needed to get on my bike to get rid of the cobwebs in my head. In actuality, the cobwebs did clear out of my head after a bike ride, but if I were to tell the truth, there really wasn’t anything more than emotions and thought there! What I really was doing was getting myself, through exertion, to a mental state of calm which then enabled me to listen, to listen to what God may have been trying to get through my thick head.

There were many times when I started my bike ride very upset and emotional but by the time I was finished, I was better. I had worked out my issue that day by talking to God and listening. Now, I didn’t literally speak out loud and I wasn’t saying, “God, you aren’t going to believe what I am feeling right now,” but I was breathing and I was watching the road and I was looking at flowers and trees and I was looking at the water and boats on the sound all while pedaling. I was freeing my mind to be able to listen. I would end my rides much calmer than I started and I didn’t really know why.

One particular day I was riding and not really thinking about anything particular when all of the sudden a thought came to me that was a pretty good fix to a problem. I knew that the idea wasn’t of my own doing. God had to have a hand in it! I was open enough to listen that day and it felt good! With the fall and winter weather change, I could not ride as often and I missed it. So, when I am not able to bicycle, I am always looking for new ways to be calm, to hear God. Oh, and one really good benefit of physical exertion in order for me to listen to God, it isn’t as hard to lose weight!!

Sandy Briggman 

Thursday, March 10

Listening for God is a way of life to me.

As a disciple called to a life of service, study, worship, prayer and fellowship, I hear God's voice regularly.

When I volunteer at an assisted living facility, I hear God in the laughter of the residents, in the assistance they give one another.

If I study the Bible or other spiritual books by myself or in a group, I read God's voice and hear its application to my life. It may emphasize a change I need to make or confirm action I am already doing.

When I worship God either with my church community on Sunday or in my own personal devotions, I come to know God's majesty. I hear God's voice in the music. The music, both the words and the tune often echo in my head both during personal worship, and as I go about my life, all day long.

As I pray to God whether in a group or in my contemplative prayer of silence, I wait for God's voice to lead me to my role in the world, usually long after the prayers have ended.

When I enjoy fellowship with friends over a shared meal, I hear God's voice in their conversation. As I prepare a meal for others, I hear God in the selection of the menu based on what I think they might enjoy eating.

I find and hear God's voice inside my home as I knit, read, cook, sew, correspond or watch a movie. Outside, I hear God in the squawking of ducks or geese, the chirp of birds, the sound of the ocean, a fog horn in the distance, a cat mewing, a dog barking, traffic sounds, the sirens of emergency vehicles.

God is my life and I am God's. I love and am loved....all originating in GOD! Listen.....


Dottie Mann 

Wednesday, March 9

PRAYER OF LOVE & ACCEPTANCE

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus... (Philippians 2:5)

I love you, Darling.
I’m here for you in whatever way you need me to be.

In your hunger, let me offer you my special soup, full of happy, healthful things.
May you never feel empty in my presence.

I’m here for you, my Darling.
Welcome to my arms. Let me hold you, cradle you tight.
Put your head on my shoulder. Sleep. Rest.
May you never be weary as long as I have arms to carry you.

I’m here. Don’t cry alone any more. I cry with you.
I’ve been lonely too, for I didn’t know that all this time, 
You were right here, waiting for me to love you.

I love you, Darling.

(I wrote this prayer to guide me in loving every Darling in my life, whether stranger or friend.)


Sharon Keene 

Tuesday, March 8

HEARING GOD

Be still
Close your eyes 
Breathe deeply 
Ask

Ask for help
Ask for guidance
Ask for your needs
Ask for your wants 
Above all, ask for His will

Then... listen
Not without, but within 
Listen with your heart 
And feel...
Feel unsettled?
That’s wrong, that’s you 
Feel peace?
That’s God
Follow that

Be still 
Breathe deep 
Give thanks


Tia Edwards  

Monday, March 7

"Good morning Doc. How you doing?"
"I'm well, and how are you?"
"Ok, but I could use some medical advice."

Doc, is a recently retired medical doctor and EVMS professor, who most days, like today, when I am vigorously swimming, is quietly sitting in a lounge chair soaking up the sun. We both have finished and are in the locker room.

"What's going on?"
"Today, whenIwasswimmingInoticedapaininmychest". "SLOW DOWN, I can't understand you. Slow down, relax."

My southern voice doesn't seem to me to be fast. But he being of Eastern decent, I presume may have been meditating for the past hours and is now on low speed, he slowly repeats, "Slow ...down, ...tell ..me...what...is...going...on."

"Well, when I was swimming I got a pain in my chest, when I stopped it went away but came back when I started again."

He asked several questions. When? Where? How painful? Then carefully listened to my pulse in two areas simultaneously.

"Jim, slow down and listen to me. Listen very carefully. Listen. Are you listening? You have an irregular heart beat (followed by technical medical terms I don't remember). I recommend you get an EKG right away, today. Are you listening to me, I said today. Listen to what I am telling you. Call your doctor and tell him your story, but exaggerate it a little. Tell him you want a EKG today. But please don't tell him you got the idea from me in the locker room."

"Yes Sir, I'm listening, I will."

He is on point. I'm not a good listener. I was taught how to speak correctly, but not how to listen correctly.

Reflecting later, I vowed to follow his wise advice in 2016. "Slow down and listen."

Lord, help me keep this pledge. Help me to slow down and listen. To listen to you, to listen to my neighbor, to listen to my inner self. To ask more questions, and make fewer pronouncements. To subordinate my ego’s desire of control, to your will for me to listen and love.

I want to become a slowed down listener. Amen.

Jim Bickford 

Sunday, March 6 - The Fourth Sunday in Lent

These days, many of us get so involved with the conversations we have with our family and friends, that we eagerly assume that we can finish each other’s phrases or sentences. Truly LISTENING does not happen.

Putting a positive spin on this unthinking practice, here are some unique examples of filling in the blanks using as a basis, just the first lines from songs in the Hymnal:

All glory, laud and                    honor
All things bright and                 beautiful
Away in the manger                 no crib for his bed 
Come thou font of every           blessing 
Come thou long expected         Jesus 
Eternal Father                          strong to save
Faith of our Fathers                  living still
How lovely is thy                      dwelling place
We gather together to ask         the Lord's Blessing 
I know that my redeemer          liveth

Using only “the expected words” on the right, we might come up with the following:

JESUS, strong to save
JESUS, dwelling place
JESUS, living still
JESUS, no crib for His bed 
JESUS, the Lord’s Blessing 
JESUS, blessing, honor, beautiful 
JESUS, liveth

Of course there are seven lines and of course the common thread was, is now and always will be JESUS.

Joe Beckett 

Saturday, March 5

LISTENING TO GOD IN A NOISY WORLD

My 2015 Lenten meditation focused on the importance of listening for me - in going deeper into myself, deeper into the Creation within and around me. Active listening that allows me to appreciate the Creation in a bird’s song, a sunset (I’m never awake for sunrises), my heartbeat, and other people’s place in Creation.

A Richard Rohr quote from Tom’s 29 Aug ’15 reflection has made a particular impact on me: “We don't think ourselves into a new way of living; we live ourselves into a new way of thinking.”

I’m a scientist (a retired – tired? – one). I was paid to think, analyze, hypothesize. So naturally, I come at most life issues with the attitude of thinking and then doing. Not a bad way to go, really. But, then Rohr/Tom upset that applecart. Act first, think later? That could be dangerous!

For me, the real message is that my acts will influence and control my way of thinking. If I smile, I’ll have happy thoughts. If I am judgmental, I’ll think I am right. If I reach out, I’ll experience the reality of others’ lives and think of them with compassion. If I cloister my actions, I will never be blessed by others experiences.

For me, all of this requires listening:
Listening to Tom’s reflections. Some grab me; some don’t.
But if I don’t listen, I won’t know.
Listening to God within me. This requires getting away from
distractions – quiet time, meditation.
Listening to God around me. That bird song, sunset,
my community.

Often, what I hear takes me outside of my comfort zone. Guess what, that’s not bad. My comfort zone is made up of things I like, not necessarily the things that are best for my place in Creation. So I seek a balance and try to act on what I am hearing – without over-thinking, over-analyzing, over-hypothesizing.

May Creation bless all of us this Lent and beyond as each of us seeks their personal balance within its great magnificence. Take some time today to listen.


Gary Kimmel 

Friday, March 4

LENTEN REFLECTION ON LISTENING

Poet Gunilla Norris wrote:

Silence is something like an endangered species. 
The experience of silence is now so rare
that we must guard it and treasure it.

I find that silence enters my life rarely. My everydays are always accompanied by noise: the radio, shopping mall music, announcements in supermarkets, television, traffic. It simply is what is normal for me. So normal is it that an absence of noise seems to create a heavy void, a black hole that lacks vitality. I then feel uncomfortable until I can quickly return to the normal.

Recently, I became ill for several days. It was not a serious condition - no temperature, normal blood pressure, a slight feeling of nausea, a dull headache and no appetite. I could push the nausea and headache aside for periods when I turned to casual activity. When that activity stopped, the sick feelings returned and I wanted only to sleep. On impulse, I turned off the constantly-on radio.

Rather than feeling the usual uneasiness, I quickly fell into a relaxed sleep. Over the next two days, the radio remained silent. And as I began to feel healthier, the quiet around me remained peaceful, comforting even. There was no intrusion from the world beyond the walls of my personal space.

I want to recapture those moments of peace I felt when my body needed to heal. And what more appropriate time to do that than now? There will be no expectations. I want simply to experience silence and to open my mind to what may or may not come. In silence and simply by being silent, I open myself to His voice. I will let that be...

In the silence of the heart God speaks. If you face God in prayer and silence, God will speak to you. – Mother Teresa


Barbara White 

Thursday, March 3

LISTENING TO GOD IN A NOISY WORLD

On Friday, Jan 8, my wife Kay experienced a sudden brain bleed that was found later to have been caused by a small malignant mass. She was taken by ambulance to OBX Hospital, evaluated and stabilized, then transferred again by ambulance to Sentara Norfolk General ER. In less than 48 hours after the incident and many tests later, she underwent brain surgery on Sunday morning, Jan 10. Tests subsequently confirmed the mass to be a melanoma metastasis. As I write this, Jan 17, she is steadily recovering from the surgery, a treatment plan has been developed to treat the cancer, and we are looking forward to returning home and beginning in-home physical and speech therapy. It has not been "a quiet week in Lake Woebegone"!

We live in a noise-driven society, even on the Outer Banks. Our culture seldom honors silence. We are prone to turn on radios and tv's. Hospitals are notoriously loud - bells, bongs, alarms, countless interruptions. We Facebook and Messenger and text and Snap Chat, whatever that is. And that's all just the external noises; what about the noise our minds generate to control, to manage, to protect us? Even when we sit quietly or alone, our mind takes over. Our ego is our great shining knight protecting us from all assaults, identifying next steps we should take, anticipating every potential risk or danger we might face and attempting to plan successful outcomes. We all experience these thoughts, especially in the dark night of our soul, when fear runs amok, and we get way out in front of the parade!

"Invited or not, God is present," a Michael Podesta calligraphy hanging in our living area, has become a reinforcing reminder of my reality. I now know that the God of heaven, the God of love, is in the here and now, in everything, and especially in the faces of friends and strangers. In the past week, I have simply had to look into eyes seeking, to listen to lips speaking, to hear words caring to know that God is present and loving. The challenge I have, actually all of us have, is to stop talking, both in words spoken and thoughts driven so that we might indeed listen --- not only with our ears, but with our eyes and our heart. When I am able to do only that, the awareness of God's presence is humbling.


Tom O’Brien 

Wednesday, March 2

LISTEN MORE, TALK LESS

This poster is in the choir room at All Saints’. Certainly, it is an appropriate reminder as the choir works to sing the music. It is important for us to listen to one another, in order to blend and truly make a joyful sound. Talking drains our energy and sucks the life out of our practice time. For me, listening IS an art . . . something to be practiced and worked on daily. Margaret Shepard touched on listening in her sermon to us when she was here. She said, ”Listen for the call.” Listen for “the call,” not just in church but out there in the world where we live. If I am always talking, I hear nothing!

At the Martin Luther King celebration in Manteo, the question was posed, “What am I called to do to further justice and equality in our very unjust and racially divided community?” Perhaps, I could listen more. Although, maybe I should actually DO something.

Daily I ask myself, “What am I called to?” Some of what I am called to is to dream. I believe God speaks through our dreams. I believe the world could be a better place if we listened to our dreams... and brought the unconscious to consciousness. Wake up! Turn off the TV and the computer and the “smart” phone and the “dumb” phone and tune into the quantum field or God or your higher power – whatever you call the creator of the universe and listen to what's humming on the spiritual highways and byways. Listen for “the call!”


Pat Wilson 

Tuesday, March 1

PRAYER FOR LENT

Birth, life, death, rebirth.

The earth is alive with the spirit of the Goddess creator. 

She has been known through the ages by many names.

I call her Divine Love, the One who connects everything 

that has ever existed,

With everything that will ever exist.

She birthed Jesus through Mary.

She held Him after He died on the cross.

She gave him back to us through the resurrection. 

When I pray I sit in my chair and imagine that I am in the 

The Divine Mother’s lap.

My feet on the floor,

I feel her energy come up from the earth into my body. 

In the morning I ask Her to bless my coming day.

In the evening I give thanks for her healing guidance during 

the past day.

Then I rest in peace.

Fran MacEachren 

Monday, February 29

“Who is like the LORD our God, who sits enthroned on high, but stoops to behold the heavens and the earth?” (Psalm 113:5)

This Psalm 113 excerpt is a basis for my reflection: God “stoops to behold... the earth.”

I found this on Christmas Eve, in the booklet, “Forward Day by Day” in 2014.

It is rather simple, but for some reason it caught my attention and I find it very helpful in my “spiritual” life. The reflection is included in my morning prayers.

There are many issues which affect me. One is straightforward: God is here - He comes to us, all the time, in every way - He shares our life if we let him - He even has made the supreme Sacrifice by dying for us.

Then, three days later, Jesus comes back as a human to remain with us, sharing the Good News - the Gospel messages that God Loves us. 

Thus, this reflection is simply a reminder that no matter what happens, Jesus is here right alongside of me, sharing the good things in my life, and helping me over the bumps in my spiritual and physical lives.

The complete reflection from “Forward Day by Day” December 24, 2014:
God is infinitely beyond us but even so comes to us. 
God comes to us in ways we think we can understand. 
Jesus can laugh and can cry; He can and does speak;
He is able to embrace - and is also able to die on a cross. 
One who loves accepts equality with the beloved.
God’s love has no looking down on us.
God comes to us on “our” terms and in ways we can see and
understand.
God rejoices with us and suffers with us.
God doesn’t withhold from us, even when love requires sacrifice. 
Love is meant to be shared. Love offers freely, abundantly, and
never on condition.
Love speaks in ways the other can understand. Love is attentive to
the other and gives in ways the other most needs.
Love forgives the other’s shortcomings, without recalling old
mistakes.
Love raises the other up when fallen and delights in recovery. 
Love invites wonder and suggests new paths to explore.
God comes to us in love and moves us to love God’s many friends.


Charles A. Strauss of Nelson County, Virginia
Catholic Church of the Incarnation, Charlottesville, Virginia
  

Sunday, February 28 - The Third Sunday in Lent

SIGHS OF MERCY

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:26-28)

Paul’s letter to the Romans has many words of grace to bring us strength and peace. Within the wisdom of Romans we read how the Spirit helps us in our weakness: “for we do not know how to pray as we ought.”

It’s comforting to know that God knows our hearts and helps us through those times when we are too troubled, confused, or distracted to find the “right” words. Prayers come easily at times when we believe we know exactly what we want. When we worry about a health concern or other troubling matter, prayer can even help us sort things out - especially when we aren’t sure what the best answer should be.

But there are times we might feel so troubled or undeserving that we stand speechless before God. Paul’s good news to us proclaims that God loves us enough to help us through those times. When we can’t seem to find the words, our Advocate, the Spirit, intercedes for us, “with sighs too deep for words.” Just being there is enough. And that’s helpful when we stand beside others in their time of need. We don’t need to have the right words for every situation, because it is our presence with those we love that truly matters.

Merciful God, you sent your Spirit to be among us so that we would never be alone, especially during those times we feel helpless. Thank you for standing beside us, for your sighs of love and mercy, and for your guidance along life’s way. Amen.


The Rev. Keith Dey 
Pastor, Emanuel Lutheran Church 
Southern Shores, NC 

Saturday, February 27

I’M A STEAMROLLER FOR YOU, BABY

An image that has been useful to me in various situations is that of having my figurative brain/heart/soul rolled out as flat and wide as possible. Were I much of a cook, the image might include a rolling pin and cookie dough; instead, I picture a heavy, mechanical roller such as is driven over fresh asphalt in creating a new roadway or parking lot - or, in my vision, a huge playground.

One reason for spreading it far and wide is to squeeze out old assumptions, allowing room for fresh ways of seeing. That large surface area is meant to catch as many new ideas as can fall onto it. The process needs time and should happen without my interference. The desired result is that I am freed from thoughts that limit me - those arising from self-focused ruminations as well as our noisy, often skewed world - and become receptive to New Perspectives that I hope will better reflect the Love of God.

I don’t want to stay locked into the same ideas my whole life. While I believe every stage we go though is valid, I want to continually grow into a greater understanding of God’s Way. To the extent we can live IN the world, but not OF the world, perhaps we ironically will CHANGE the world to be more in accord with God’s will. Isn’t that what Jesus taught, what we’re supposed to be doing here?


Leckie Conners 

Friday, February 26

A WINTER WONDER

Gliding through the woods on a snowy winter’s day, 

A friend by my side but who I cannot say.

Deep in my own thoughts I almost missed the beauty, 

When suddenly I realized we had ceased our ascent to

marvel at the scenery.

Coming to a glen the skies opened with trees fading, 

Snow was falling silently, the hush I felt I was invading. 

Looking up I felt the snowflakes falling on my face, 

Looking down I saw myself upon the earth

knowing this is a special place.

The silence was like a blanket wrapping me inside, 

So heavy yet a feather weight I did not want to hide. 

The quiet so engulfing I heard the snowflakes alight, 

I knew in my heart I was with God at that moment

and He is always in my sight.

Jennifer Adams 

Thursday, February 25

A long time ago, in the 1930’s, I was born and raised in a small town in Northern Minnesota where my parents were both school teachers. I was taught by them values that they both lived and shared through example. These basic beliefs have helped me in my life journey. Many are expressed to me in Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans, Chapter 5, when he writes: “Therefore, since we are justified (made right) by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.”


Paul Hanson