Mtr Taylor Devine

Dear friend,

We all need help learning to listen spiritually, not just to hear but to listen. We seem to have more analogies for sight, we speak in terms of lenses and new ways of seeing. With the ears perhaps we talk about “tuning in,” but it can be difficult to talk about "hearing with the heart." 

Samuel was special, his name means “God heard,” specifically, God heard a prayer. But even he, a special, set apart person, had to learn to listen for the voice of God. In his case it was his predecessor as judge and prophet, Eli, who eventually noticed that a different kind of hearing was required for the moment when God called "Samuel!"

Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place. Now the LORD came and stood there, calling as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."  -1 Samuel 3:9-10

It took two to hear and perceive, and the next day to parse out what was heard. The patterns of the Christian life form us too for this listening with the heart, and we often need someone (or lots of someones) to listen with us for the hum of the Holy Spirit, much less take the next steps into what we call discernment. He was encouraged perhaps, to lift up his heart, to have a stance of receiving, and was blessed with hearing the voice of God. In our Church relationships and family - and dear friend-relationships we can lift up our hearts and listen together for the presence of the living God!

In Christ,
Mtr. Taylor