ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
February 3, 2024
Today at Cypress Creek Christian Church, we are hosting a community dialogue luncheon on the topic of AntiRacism/ProReconciliation. It looks as if we have a great group of people registered, and if it is anything like the smaller (sort of a practice) one we did back in December, it will be awesome. I believe this will be some work that people at Cypress Creek Christian Church twenty years from now will look back on and describe as providing a clear illustration of who CCCC was in 2024 and what the church valued. We find ourselves at a moment in time when the possibilities are extraordinary, yet those possibilities will find fulfillment only if people are willing to enter into some honest conversations where listening is a priority. It was Stephen Covey who wrote, “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” I would say that people who feel threatened, insecure, or morally superior are the ones most likely to listen with very little interest in finding understanding. I have been guilty of this on more than one occasion, and I have a feeling I am not alone. As Proverbs 18:13 reminds us, “Those who answer before they listen are foolish and disgraceful.” Though it does not go on to say it, I believe the wisdom of the Proverbs would suggest the opposite is true as well.
Gracious One, O Source of Light and Inspiration, I pray for the capacity to learn and grow. There is so much I do not understand, and I cannot assume my experiences are the only ones through which people find an entry point into their truth. Help me to listen with the intention of understanding others. Amen.
