Words matter

Altho our readings and focus has been all about words and speaking, all our speech is learned by listening (as children learn to speak by listening to those around them)

Psalm response:  hear the commandments of life, give ear and learn wisdom

Even children can do that.    Hear.  Listen.  Learn.     Anything in there we don’t understand?

The texts today are pretty self-explanatory, but I know we weren’t all listening, at least not with the ear of our hearts.  So lets see if we can learn any wisdom from a second glance….

The psalm starts out with God speaking, without words…..the sky, night and day, has something to say about God, from God…..close your eyes and imagine the sky, any image you like….what does it say to you from God?    Share…..

Hear.  Listen.  Learn.  

In the middle of the psalm there is this wisdom writing the content of what God has to say, God’s law, commandments, precepts and so on….leading the poet to self-examination and a commitment: let the words of MY mouth be acceptable in God’s sight.    Hmm.      Think a moment about when your words have not been particularly acceptable……can you seek forgiveness for that?

Hear.  Listen.  Learn.      

The reading from the James letter is incredibly, painfully clear:  our mouths can get us in trouble.  And it doesn’t take much.   Appropriately for our world today with all the wildfires out west, James points out it only takes a spark……

Hear.  Listen.  Learn.    

Then Jesus asks us the 64K $ question---who do you say that I am?  What do our tongues have to say about what we believe about Jesus.

  As we begin a new school year, with all its busyness and opportunity, let’s not lose sight of this crucial question.   Who is Jesus to you?  In one sentence or less……think about it, write it down somewhere, play with it this week till you can be clear.   Because Jesus asks us to be able to SAY who he is, what he means to us, what he can mean to the world. 

Peter doesn’t like what Jesus responds to what he says, no wonder, it’s pretty harsh:   Get behind me Satan!

Whoah.  Peter knows who Jesus is all right, but he hasn’t realized what kind of who…..like most of us, Peter wants a major savior, one who’ll come and fix stuff, not one who suffers to transform a death-dealing world into one of life.

And the reason for Peter’s shallowness is  found in our refrain:  Hear.  Listen.  Learn.     Peter hasn’t yet got into listening mode; so he’s still responds out of his own thoughts and mindset.

All our texts call us to let God’s mindset into our heads… Hear.  Listen.  Learn.     Let God’s words rattle around in our souls, resonate in our inner depths, so that when words come out of our mouths they’ve been echoing around with God’s words first, and don’t just spout some surface understanding.

This week in the Rule of Benedict I read:   never offer a hollow greeting of peace, or turn away when someone needs your love.  Bind yourself to no oath lest it prove false, but speak the truth with heart and tongue.  Do not grumble or speak ill of others.  Words, words, words matter.

Any part of that we don’t understand?

Sounds good.  But how?   Here’s the challenging bit.  You need to take time to Hear.  Listen.  Learn.    Those who are parents, tied up with giving your children every opportunity, do this also for yourself, or your children won’t get it either….. Take time.  Make time to Hear.  Listen.  Learn.