In this season of Lent, our faith tradition teaches us to slow down enough to listen…to listen for God’s voice, to listen to our inner self, to listen to those around us.  It is in this holy season that we dare to become open to the healing voice of God: to let go of that which distracts, obstructs or diminishes our truest self.

During our guided time of prayer during our Ash Wednesday service, the prayer centered on a statement Teach me, Lord, to listen.  When first heard, this prayer seems a bit silly… “What does it mean to pray to listen?”  Much of life, including our internal voice, is shaped by our conscious talking—whether internal dialog or external conversation.  Much of prayer is thought of as talking to God rather than listening for God.

As we turn our attention to active listening in this season of Lent, I invite you to begin each day with this profound, yet simple prayer—Teach me, Lord, to listen.  Then, throughout the day, repeat the prayer and pause for some silence: listening for the whispers of God, the song of life, and the peace of Christ.  Today, may this prayer of the Psalms guide your listening…

Be still and know that I am God.