Tag Archive: Listen

To understand — Breathing While Black — Some testimonies

June 6, 2020 0 Comments

This is an artist’s rendition of Joseph, The Carpenter, entrusted with parenting Jesus with Mary. We don’t know a lot about him. But, I find Christians are able to imagine a lot about his life and feelings; they are even able to put themselves in his shoes and wonder what it was like to be him. Unfortunately I don’t find this kind of Christian imagination comes easy among some white people to imagine what it’s like to be black in North America. So, I’ve gathered up some of the articles by black men in North America reflecting on their experiences and the deep feeling of menace that accompanies them everywhere.

Breathing While Black.

Here in their own voice and script.

I invite you to pray with me before you listen:

Ô Maître, que je ne cherche pas tant
à être consolé qu’à consoler,
à être compris qu’à comprendre,
à être aimé qu’à aimer…

Willie Jennings —
My Anger/God’s Righteous Indignation. 2 June 2020. Listen to the podcast or read the transcript.


Shai Linne
George Floyd and Me. Gospel Coalition 8 June 2020.


Timothy Peoples —
Ahmaud, Breonna, Christian, George, and The Talk every black boy receives. Opinion article in Baptist News Global, 29 May 2020


LeAlan M. Jones.
Breathing While Black. 28 May 2020, The Nation


James Ellis III —
A lowdown, dirty shame: Ahmaud Arbery’s murder and the unrenounced racism of white Christians. Opinion article in Baptist News Global, 15 May 2020.


Steve Locke —
I fit the description. Personal blog 4 Dec 2015.


A growing list of events and stories —
Absurd America, collated by Sergio Peçanha. Washington Post, 5 June 2020.




I will continue to add to this post so we can listen.

Note:
The picture above is a small inset of “Joseph The Carpenter” from Annunciation Triptych, by Robert Campin on display at The Cloisters. What do you know about Joseph? Not much right? We don’t have much of his story but we have been able to imagine plenty. Unfortunately many of us have not been able to imagine what’s its like to be black in North America and then be angry about our common situation.

Prayer, Relationships

Wait and Listen

May 14, 2020 0 Comments

What is your smaller world of interaction teaching you?

Some of you may have discovered a neglected discipline as your world has become smaller during the pandemic. Maybe you have cooked more, baked more, practiced an instrument more, gardened more, or perhaps you have rested. But my guess is that the discipline of waiting and listening for Jesus’ voice has not become “easier.” I pray that we would all be given grace to increase our capacity to listen to Jesus. If we don’t, we will miss out on so much joy.

John the Baptist’s life is full of so many discipleship lessons for the followers of Jesus. When his disciples are all stirred up by comparison and jealousy John responds with contentment, jubilation and joy.

His contentment had been nurtured through surrender and faithfulness.

He says, “A person can only receive what is given them from heaven.” Without this surrender and perseverance in relationship to God John would not have had joy.

John’s joy has been nurtured through clarity and conviction.

He is clear about who He is and what is about. His identity flows from His relationship with God and the unique time in which He has been situated in God’s plan. John richly describes his relationship with Jesus, with himself, and his relationships with people and the stuff of earth through the metaphor of the wedding party. John says,

“The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less.” (John 3:29-30)

The Friend of the Groom

When you are part of the wedding part, the groom’s men or the bride’s maids you have certain responsibilities and roles to play. At the wedding the point of focus is not you; it’s the groom and bride. As the friend of the groom you are not trying to upstage him; you want to attend to his needs and to his purposes in loving, celebrating, and building up his bride.

John says he has been attending to Jesus, the Messiah. John has been waiting for Jesus. John has been listening for Jesus. And when Jesus speaks, John has joy. When the bride moves toward Jesus John celebrates and feels a sense of completion in his life.

Are you learning to wait on and listen for Jesus? Our joy is in hearing his voice and responding to Him in obedience.

Waiting and listening are not passive; they require attentive effort.

At at wedding celebration the friend of the groom may be seen sitting, walking, and standing. Sometimes he appears to be alone — but he may actually be on task for the groom. Sometimes he appears to be with the groom: sitting, walking, standing. Sometimes the friend of the groom may be attending to a need of the groom’s bride on the groom’s behalf. There is joy in all of it.

But all the activity has as its point of reference that the friend of the groom has been able to wait and to listen.

Even while active in mundane or once-in-a-lifetime tasks, the friend of the groom is mindful to listen for the groom’s voice.

This is John’s internal posture: attending to the voice of Jesus.

Is it yours?

You can nurture this kind of attention through:

daily surrender to Jesus.

daily openness to His Spirit filling you.

daily feeding on His Words and the stories of Jesus’ life.

daily mindfulness to His nudge drawing your attention to people so you can participate in what He is doing in their lives and yours.

celebrating the union of the Church with Jesus the Lamb of God!

Discipleship, Jesus, Leadership, Work

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Holy Days Tip #2

December 22, 2018 0 Comments

To my UBC family: sit and listen

Whether you are are seated 
amongst the crowds of the mall,
along the banks of a river,
or on the couch at a party,
taking a moment to listen
and sort through the sounds
will tune your heart
to thoughts pulsating
with life and death.

Tuning in is not what 
busy people do.
We tune out.

But tuning in 
is what loving 
people do.

Feet on the ground.
Hands in my lap.
Ears identifying the 
sounds.

My soul quickens.
My mind sorts.
Praise.
Gratitude.
Concern.
Lament.
Repulsion.
A plea for 
God’s wisdom.

We need wisdom from heaven.
So, come Lord Jesus, come.
I am listening.

13Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

17But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

James 3:13-17, NIV

Discipleship, Prayer