[Audio not available.]

Week two of our visioning process is now complete. Most visioning teams have gathered for a second week of listening to one another, seeking to discern the Holy Spirit speaking in their midst.

On September 17, following the 10:30, the Rector will host a parish forum inviting the whole congregation to listen to a report on the visioning team’s progress. The Rector will encourage the congregation to provide additional input to the visioning process. Listening to the input of the congregation will help the teams bring addition focus to their efforts.

In today’s Gospel, people bring to Jesus a deaf man who has an impediment in his speech. He cannot speak clearly because he cannot hear clearly. His life has been one of frustration and hopelessness, simply because he could not hear.

Read this passage too quickly and one may think of it as just another healing story. Deaf man comes to Jesus, gets healed. Next!

But wait. Slow down and think. Isn’t this the way everyone comes to Jesus?

Everyone comes to Jesus, deaf to the Word of the Lord speaking in their midst. Some may hear the word a little more clearly than others. But none hear the Word of the Lord with perfect clarity.

This results in lives of frustration and hopelessness. On the surface everything looks fine. But deep, deep down what is the point? Why does it matter? What is it all about anyway?

Until a human being really hears the Word of the Lord speaking clearly within one’s heart, the numb ache of fruitless striving accompanies every task. What a difference to know one lives at the center of the God’s Covenant purpose.

In the vision process, parish leaders are coming to Jesus to listen. In listening to one another, they begin to hear Jesus speaking in their midst.

The work of listening is not a causal thing. People hear selectively. People hear what they want to hear. People hear what is convenient to hear. People hear what they expect to hear.

This practice of selective hearing leads to all kinds of complications in the lives of families, in marital relationships, in relationships at work. Selective hearing also takes place in the church.

The power of a covenant community grows with its capacity to listen.

On September 17, the congregation will have the opportunity to listen to what the Lord has been saying to over 40 parish leaders who have committed significant time to listening to one another. Please set aside time next Sunday to join your parish in listening for the Word of the Lord.

Pray that Jesus will open the ears of your fellow parishioners. Pray that Jesus will open your ears. Listening together we will hear the Word of the Lord speaking in our midst.