Week 1 of A Taste of Listen to My Life
So….how did your first experience with A Taste of Listen to My Life go?
Those I have talked to have used the words “holy,” “deeply connected,” “heard,” and “loved.” I can’t help but think of the David Ausburger quote: “Being listened to is so close to being loved that most people cannot tell the difference.” I spent Sunday night listening and being listened to by a dear friend and left feeling totally loved by her and by God. She didn’t give me advice, try to fix anything, or try to fill the silence. She just listened. Yesterday, as I thought about what happened in living rooms all over our community and in the facilitated gathering at church, I imagined God delighting in our collective practice of community and spiritual listening.
I’m looking forward to diving into the first map — My Life Now — over the next few days. As I prepare to work on it each morning, I’ll be praying through Psalm 25:4-6, as suggested in the Map:
Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Remember, LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old.
If you want a little preparation for next week’s time with your tribe, check out this talk by Brene Brown about the power of vulnerability.
We’d love to hear how it’s going so far and we’re praying that you feel God’s presence as you practice over the next few weeks!
Blessings and peace,
Kellye
The first week went well. Several individuals commented that listening without speaking is very challenging. One person (A) shared that having heard another person’s (B) story many times had caused (A) to often partially disconnect when (B)’s story was being retold. However, this time (A) was required to be fully engaged in listening to the story, and (A) heard (B) share some things that (A) had not heard in the past, giving (A) greater respect for (B) and (B)’s struggles. Using pictures to help individuals tell part of their stories was an excellent tool; everyone found a picture to which they could relate. The count-down timer helped us to keep moving through the material while freeing the time-keeper to more fully engage in the process. The group is looking forward to working through the first map.
Sharon, Joan and Lori did a phenominal job of leading the facilitated gathering at church. There was some great feedback given on what the listening excercise meant to various participants. I sensed there were several “aha moments” amongst the group.
While reviewing the concept of “brief prayer” when praying for someone, Sharon challenged us to consider using minimal words, even mentioning the concept of using “3 word prayers.” Personally having a tendancy for run-on prayers, the 3 word prayer concept was an intriguing idea and challenge.