In Position to Hear From God

On our last trip to San Francisco, I had a chance to go to Muir Woods with the family.  If you have ever been there, it will remind you of many things including the movie Planet of the Apes (which I recommend) and more importantly, the benefits of silence.  Along the walk, there is a place called cathedral grove where hikers are encouraged to be silent and hear the sounds of an ancient forest.  My first reaction was that this was the advice of tree-huggers going too far but I was tired of the kids talking so I had everyone stay quiet as a game.  Oddly enough, I greatly enjoyed  hearing the sounds of nature.  There was something very calming and beautiful about the blend of water flowing, birds chirping, and trees rustling in the wind.

It's amazing that just a mere thirty minutes away from the noise of the city, there is this serene sanctuary that makes you feel like you are hundreds of miles away.  Here it is possible to hear sounds that are all but drowned out by the hustle and bustle of life.  I imagine that one of the reasons why we so seldom hear from God is because of the background noise in our lives.  Television, phone, work, just general busyness can keep us from being able to discern God's voice.  As the prophet Elijah learned, many times the Spirit of God speaks in a gentle wind.  The onus is on us to position ourselves to hear when this wind blows.
As we move forward with plans for the church plant, I realize that it is imperative that we hear God's voice clearly.   In the first week of July, we will officially be sent off from the Church of Southland to begin this new church that has been a dream for nearly the last two years.  We have so many important decisions to make such as the name, physical location, leadership selection, which ministries to start, and the list goes on.  In all of these matters, we can rely on our own rationale or we can choose to depend on the Lord for His wisdom and guidance.  We all know what is more preferable and so I pray that the entire church planting team will position themselves to hear what the Spirit is saying as we take these next exciting steps of faith.