September 2

Beloved families of Good Shepherd,

Peace be with you! I hope all of our families have settled into a good daily rhythm after the start of a new school year. Recently I’ve fallen into a new daily rhythm in my own life—I’ve started reading the Gospel passage for the upcoming Sunday when I arrive to work each morning. Last month Fr. Hendree invited our community to begin a simple spiritual practice of reading the Gospel passage for the upcoming Sunday and then noticing a word or image that stands out for us.

In this Sunday’s Gospel passage, Jesus gives us a step-by-step guide for healthy conflict resolution when we we fall short of loving each other well. Jesus knows our human tendency to hurt one another, whether we do this intentionally or unintentionally, and offers us a clear process for restoring our relationships. As I read this passage, the word “listen” catches my attention because Jesus uses this word four times in his teaching about conflict resolution. Jesus wants the person who has missed the mark of love to assume a receptive posture and to listen to the one who has been hurt. Jesus knows the power of deep listening to heal our relationships with God, others, and ourselves.

Etty Hillesum, a young Jewish writer who died in Auschwitz Concentration Camp in 1943, came to realize that learning to listen deeply to one another is essential for our common good. Etty writes, “Things come and go in a deeper rhythm and people must be taught to listen. It is the most important thing we have to learn in this life.” (from Etty Hillesum’s diary, An Interrupted Life and Letters from Westerbork)

This semester I am taking a continuing education course to learn how to listen more deeply to children. The core teaching of this course comes from the book, Spiritual Conversations with Children, by Lacy Finn Borgo. Borgo says listening is more than just hearing the words of another; listening is about being fully present to God, to ourselves, and to one another with curiosity and compassion. She goes on to say that to listen well, “we set aside our judgmental self and good advice self to listen openheartedly to the child.” Borgo believes that when we are fully present and listening in this way, we strengthen the bonds of love between God, others, and ourselves. Borgo shares the wisdom of listening from Quaker author Douglas Steere:

“To listen another’s soul into a condition of disclosure and discovery may be almost the greatest service that any human being ever performs for another.”

Do you possibly have a relationship with a family member, friend, or co-worker that feels conflictual and distant at the moment? I can think of a few relationships in my life right now that are strained and in need of God’s healing. I’d like to begin a regular practice of listening to these individuals. I want to assume a posture of receptivity and presence as I listen to them and then notice what happens. I can trust that Jesus will be fully present and listening with me as well, working to restore these relationships to wholeness again. Jesus says, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” (Matthew 18:20)

This Sunday we look forward to celebrating the Leslie family as they prepare to welcome their fourth child at the end of this month! Fr. Hendree will offer an Expectant Family Blessing for the Leslie family during the 10 am service. We hope you will join us this Sunday!

And, we wish all of our families a restful and enjoyable Labor Day weekend!

Many Blessings,

Patty