Countdown T Minus 2

I was all set to write about the lesson I learned today in church. I had every intention to share Fr. Gee Alexander's 10:30 a.m. service perspective of the Transfiguration of Christ. It was really astute — how when God speaks to us, our first reaction is to back up and say, "not so close, God." How God rattles us with something "radical," and we shrink back or get scared. And how we should appreciate, roll with it and be transformed by it. I was about to write about my experience addressing Transfiguration with a nose-pickin', under-the-table-kickin' Sunday School class of fourth- and fifth-grade boys. How it was kind of similar to super heroes stories we know — like dull-as-dishwater Clark Kent becoming Superman or smallish millionaire Bruce Wayne becoming Batman. I intended to share the morning's overall message: that sometimes we just need to shut up, listen and obey when God speaks to us in these outrageous, superhuman ways. Peter, James and John's mountaintop experience with Jesus in Matthew 17:1-9 is so familiar: dolt humans often fail to embrace God's messages even when it's right there in your face.

Instead, I got sidetracked and bored with my reminisces and ramblings. I trolled Facebook. And I hit pay dirt:

Isn't that hysterical? Love myself some Dancin' on the Ceiling — oh, what a feeling!

The "Hello? Is it Me You're Looking For" reference actually assimilates nicely into today's post. After all, isn't that what I'm trying to do in this experiment — look for God? Seek Him and his will for me as it relates to others? Hello?? I AM looking for you and your direction, God! As the season of Lent approaches and the challenge of being deliberate in daily listening and doing for others looms, I keep coming back to one, big, super human question: How do I get better about listening for and hearing God's direction? If doing unto others makes God happy and is an under-used human muscle, how does one beef up in this area? How do I turn my listening ears on?

Fr. Gee addressed this a little in his homily this morning. He said God so often wants us to just shut up and hear him. It's in the silent moments that we hear God. I did a little Googling on subjects like "how to hear God" or "how to listen to God." I came across a sermon by the Rev. Lynn A. Collins on The Episcopal Church website. Below is an excerpt:

"We are busy doing a variety of things! We do ministry, we work in soup kitchens, and we want to be "Doers of the Word" for others. Those acts are important; doing ministry is at the heart of being a Christian. However, we can not effectively be "servants to each other in Christ" (Eph. 5:20), if we ourselves are not nurtured. We can not be messengers of the Gospel if we ourselves do not take the time to read scripture and listen to God's words in our hearts. It is in our silent prayer with and to God, that we regain our strength, and see the revelation of the presence of God.

Martin Smith, in his book The Word is Very Near You, describes prayer as a conversation. "Preachers have a habit of urging us to listen to God's voice, but we seldom get any guidance about what this listening is suppose to consist in." We pray and then, in silence, we listen. But listening is not an easy task. Before we can hear, we must first address the issues and concerns of our hearts. Smith, who is an urban priest and monastic, an ardent student of the Desert Fathers, a person who embraces an ascetic theology and is a distinguished spiritual director, once described his experience in prayer as a process. "In order to clearly hear the Holy Words of God, I must first pray, my clumsy inadequate prayer, and then I must go through my laundry list of listening. My mind goes through the events of the day, what I should be doing instead of praying and what I will be doing after I complete this prayer. Finally, after I have gone through this exercise of mental gymnastics, I hear the silence. It is only in that place of quietness in my soul and in my mind, I can actually have a conversation with God. I am now ready."

It sounds like being quiet and prayerful is where the "workout" begins. I won't pretend this is an easy task for me to consider these days. But perhaps every day's good deed begins in a quiet conversation with God. I'll try it and see!