The One Who Listens
by Rev. Frederick Boyle

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THE ONE WHO LISTENS

To sit more quietly in God’s presence

To listen more intently to the words God tries to speak into my heart

To allow God to do more for me than I can do for myself

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SEEKING

Seeking the experience of Divine Love more than a revelation of doctrine.

Seeking God’s light to bring freedom from unbelief in the darkness of loneliness and despair.

Seeking to be the burning bush for each person climbing on the mountain searching for God.

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RE-PRESENTING CHRIST

Resting in God’s peace

Restoring the deepest places of the human soul

Remembering the family of God

Recalling God’s
Omnipotence
Omnipresence
Omniscience

Rejoicing in God’s unconditional love

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WORSHIP

Coming to meet my Jesus
Letting go of the world
For just a brief time

To see as God sees
Breathe the wind of the Holy Spirit
Love as Jesus loves

To see a glimpse of heaven
A rainbow in the light of the horizon
Landing on the bridge between human hearts

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READING THE WORD

Looking into the small places that open the Kingdom of God
Slightly seen portals into eternity
Overlooked
Obscure
Pursued by those listening and waiting
For God’s revelation

Finding assurance in the whispers of the heart
Spoken by Ancient of Days
To reveal a glimpse of endless time

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SITTING IN SILENCE

Allowing time for the mystery of God to enter our heart

Guiding us in ways unseen
To places we never would have known
Places so profound as to be unspeakable
Unimaginable
Miraculous

Creating events we are seldom able to see until after the fact
Because the means of God are often invisible
And the results of God are always unmistakable


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BECAUSE OF GOD

A walk of shame can become a journey of light
In the presence of God

The violence of the world can be transformed -
Becoming feathers on the dove of peace

The fear of bearing the cross of persecution
Can vanish when we look into the eyes of Jesus.

And words spoken from a heart devoted to God
Can pierce the clamor of darkness
With the pointed edge of truth


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LET ME SING

Let me sing a song in your heart, O God,
A song to heal the nations,
A song to span the ocean between me and Thee

Let me sing gently with the wind of your Holy Spirit
A song of unity
A promise of oneness
A passion for ailing souls

Let me join in harmony with Jesus;
Our voices entwined as one
Dancing on the way to the Kingdom of God
Sweet tones and turns of divine melody
Resonating, inviting, twirling, dipping, whispering
Your eternal love
In the deafening silence that brings new life.

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PRAYER SONG

Sing gentle praise to lift your heart from the burdens of the world
To bring down the light of heaven

Whisper the quiet desires of your heart
And calm the cacophony of the world in your mind

Let the voice of God resound in the depth of your soul


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A SYMPHONY OF SINGLE VOICES

The birds sing their only song
It is the same song every day
All day
So in love with the unique gift God gave to them

Content in simplicity
Joyous in the choir
Each voice heard in the symphony of the trees
Miles and miles of melody, harmony, and rhythm entwined as one
God given
God inspired
One song so full of faith with nothing else to do
Nowhere else to go

Let us sing like the birds, Holy One,
Through time and space
Our only song with all the voices you have given


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QUIETING THE INQUISITOR

What are you doing?
Just listening.
Why?
Knowing that God will speak.
Where?
In my heart.
When?
In the instant I stop thinking.


Who are you that God would speak to you?
His servant
Hungry, thirsty and listening.
His child
Loved, desired and well fed.


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THE STRUGGLE TO BE STILL

The pressure to do something weighs heavy on the desire to sit quietly at the Master’s feet

Where the refreshing breath of the Holy Spirit can fill my inner being with peace.
Where the light of God’s love can illuminate the deepest darkness
in my soul.

The world screams for attention in the expectations of others,
Silencing the invitation to be content in God's perfect love.

The expectation to achieve set beside the stillness of God
Weight and weightlessness side-by-side.
Which can the wind of Spirit more easily move?


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OUT OF EXCUSES

“Where have you been?
Why have you not come to me?
I have been calling you, but you were not listening.”

I have nothing of value to say except, “Forgive me, Lord.”

“I have longed to see you and to be with you.
My Kingdom is not complete without you.
My joy does not satisfy while you are away.
Love is not whole and unity is not possible
While you wander in darkness.”

Why do I resist this time with you, my Lord?
Why do I run after food that cannot satisfy?
What false dream has replaced the promise of your love?


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OPEN YOUR HEART

Open your heart -
God will whisper into it with the breath of life.
God will help you remove the stones from the wall of fear and doubt.
God will restore the joy of living within you.

Open your heart -
God will paint a rainbow in the center of your life
And give you a voice of freedom to bring hope
In a world buried beneath hopeless walls,
Hopeless fears, hopeless doubts.

Open your heart –
God will remind you who and whose you truly are.


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GOD LOVES YOU

What are the sweet words you long to hear?

That God loves you?

Look at the sunshine
Feel the gentle rain on your face
Taste the fruit and wheat of the earth
Smell the flowers of spring
See the fresh bloom of leaves
Walk in the dense green of forest trees
Hold a child

What are the sweet words that God longs to hear?

Thank you, Lord.


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ASSURANCES

Body of light
Flame of faith
Smoothly dancing amid the sea of night

Gentle Spirit
Love’s sweet child
Resting in a field in the palm of God’s hand

Whispering heart
Divine desire
Strengthened by unity in prayers of hope
And hymns of praise


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LIFTING HANDS

Lifting hands to bless others
Lifting hands to be blessed
Lifting hands to catch someone falling
Lifting hands to be lifted up

Lifting hands in hunger
Lifting hands in hope
Lifting hands in prayer
Lifting hands in praise

Lifting hands to receive a child
Lifting hands to give a child
Lifting hands as if a child
Bowing down and lifting hands to God


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SPIRIT OF ...

Spirit of power
Given to renew, redeem and restore
Broken lives
Disenchanted dreams
Lost souls

Spirit of comfort
Given to soothe, touch and heal
Wounded hearts
Ailing bodies
Darkened minds

Spirit of love
Given to warm, bring peace and unite
Warring nations
Difficult relationships
Conflicted people

Spirit of God
Given to lift, empower and sustain
New life
New hope
New beginnings


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BASIC EQUATIONS

H(n) = V

Hunger(need) = Violence

and

L(s) = P

Love(sharing) = Peace

In the Kingdom of God

L(s) > H(n)

Love(sharing) > Hunger(need)

ERGO

P > V

Peace > Violence


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BEYOND SELF

I asked the Lord, "How can I find myself?"
The Lord asked me, “What more do you need?"

"I have given you neighbors and work to take your focus off of yourself
so that you can give my love, comfort, peace, and hope to others.”

“What you need,” the Lord said, “is not to find yourself,
but less of yourself
to find more of me in your neighbor.”


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GOD'S STEADFAST LOVE ENDURES FOREVER

Though the light of the world may grow dim
And the power of faith doubted among the people
And the idols of gold and works of human hands sought more than God

Though cynicism and skepticism have a greater place in the human heart than faith
And hatred and violence gain greater support than forgiveness and love
And revenge and retaliation are demanded more than mercy is given

Though the Body of Christ is cast out to make more room for commerce
And God’s Word collects more dust on the shelf than meditation in the heart
And the church has been sent to the sidelines of society
- struggling to have its voice heard
- unable to convince people of the importance of keeping the Sabbath
- not able to speak God's Word in the public square

Though all of this may be true
God will make a way

God’s steadfast love endures forever


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UNCOMFORTABLE

Why is it uncomfortable to sit quietly in the presence of God?

When God hears our ideas about how He ought to make things right
He Sighs
When God hears our judgment of Him
He Laughs
When God hears the pain and suffering of the world
He Cries

And that makes us uncomfortable.


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GOD'S LOVE

Holy Love – Healing Love – Wholeness Love
Holy Light – Love of God
A small glimmer outshines the sun
Its absence colder than the deepest winter

Holy Light – Holy Love
Sharing God’s life-giving power in the world

Holy Light – Holy Love
Seeing greatness in the small and ordinary things of life
In people
In each other
Holy Light – Healing Light – Wholeness Light


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REASONS TO PRAY

for miracles and imagination

for things beyond our reason

for hope beyond our violent world

for the certainty of life after death to give meaning to our struggle

for a belief that there is more to the universe than science can measure

for an alternative reality that does not result in violence, loneliness and despair


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AWAY FROM PRAYER

When I get away from the discipline of prayer
I notice a growing emptiness in the depth of my soul.
I begin to feel the despair and loneliness that comes from a distant relationship with God.
I miss the peace and freedom I have when I maintain an intimate relationship with the Holy One.

A positive side of this wandering from the sweet hours of prayer
is that I remember what sadness and loneliness feels like
to people who have not found their way yet into the loving arms of God.
The gnawing feeling that there must be something more to life.
The unexplainable, undeniable and inescapable sadness that invades even moments of joy.
Joy unfulfilled
because there is not a solid foundation with God
to leap high enough to express the utmost of elation.

And so I return to prayer asking God, "Will you take my hand, dear Lord?
Please walk with me as I return to you in blissful peace
And learn to live
truly live


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MEDITATION

Breathe peace
Gather strength
Release the struggle of thought
Trust the value of emptiness
Simply BE
Secure in faith
In each moment with its height, depth, length and breadth
Content in fullness and joy without end


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GOD BETWEEN US

Because God exists in the space between us,
If we are not looking toward each other,
we will never see God.
Likewise, if we are not looking for God,
we will never see each other.


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THE ARMOR OF PRAYER

The armor of prayer shields the flesh from the dangers of hate
and the treacherous ground of greed and pride.
God’s reflected light in prayer blinds the enemy
and with a sword of steel
pierces the deepest darkness and defeats the fiercest foe.

The armor of prayer does not weigh on the body,
but lifts the spirit beyond the gravity of earth
to a place where no sin, no pain and no suffering can touch the soul.
The wind of the Holy Spirit enters this gift of God’s grace
this source of mercy and strength
this essential nature of Christ
this deepest desire of the soul
this communion with God.


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RESTING IN GOD'S WORD

Hold the Word of God in your hand
In your mind
And, most importantly, in your heart

Allow the physical experience of God's Word to wash over your inner self
Like a springtime rain
Like the colors of the sunset filling the sky
Gentle – Awesome – Soft
colors of every hue

Hold God's Word as you would Jesus
Every day
tenderly
with a profound love in the deepest places of your heart
And let it fill your soul


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READY

Clearing the debris of thought and emotion,
The clutter of human life,
To allow the refreshing Spirit and sweet voice of God to cleanse our soul

The hushed whispers of the saints envelop the silence with a divine song
Inviting a soft tear of relief to fall from eyes
weary of seeing the pain and suffering of the world

An unrehearsed sigh passes over our lips
Transported and transformed to speak unconditional love
In the sanctuary of God


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INVITATION

Enter the place where the deepest desires of your heart receive the power to become reality
The place where the shadowy figures of fear and doubt vanish in the light of God’s love
The place where God’s hand of peace and restoration will touch your soul
To remove all of the scars of the world
And transform the doubt and fear that battles faith
Into “the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things unseen”

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COMPASSION FOR GOD

Can we imagine what God must feel as we ignore His invitation
to abide in His love and peace
As we seek to satisfy the needs of our body
more than the needs of our soul;
As we rely on the power of human hands
more than the power of His love?

Can we taste God’s tears?
Can we feel God’s broken heart?
Can we experience God’s loneliness?
Can we hear God calling us home?


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NO OTHER PLACE

Being in the familiar place
on our knees with God
Can bring an enormous transformation in our heart.

There is no substitute for the feeling
(bended knee in the presence of God).
It is the comfortable place of being with our very best friend.


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A SIMPLE FACT

GOD is in this hour of prayer just for YOU.


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UNREST

What is the cause of the desolation
that makes us feel so alone?
What is the cause of the uneasiness and unrest
that prevents us from sitting quietly in the presence of God?

Racing minds making plans
ruminating on things past
worrying about things that may never come
Everything for which there is nothing in the present moment to do.

The mind withholding the peaceful presence of God.


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HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS

Set priorities
Quiet the mind
Cleanse the heart
Renew the Spirit
Breathe deeply the love of God
Be at peace
Let the soul go free
Sing from the center of your being


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PERSISTANCE

As often as the world shouts war
whisper peace
As often as the world experiences fear
remember faith
As often the world points out difference
see the unity of the Holy Spirit
As often as the world expresses hatred
re-present Christ’s love


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SILENCE

In silence
There is power
peace
perception

In silence
There is God


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LETTING GO

A place where the thoughts of mind are loosened by the reality of soul
Dancing within the essence of an each that has no other

A vision of love and unity that taunts and teases on the brink of consciousness
Set free from the anchor of fear and the concern of losing self


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LOVE WILL NOT BE SILENT

Love will not be silent in fear.
Love will not be silent in sorrow.
Love will not be silent in the pure light of God.


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SEEING

Trying to see the intangible truth of God
Amid the tangible illusions of the flesh
Is like trying to see pure water in a muddy river.
Only by faith is our vision purified.


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A TIME OF WORSHIP

A moment and space in time
when the veil between here and hereafter becomes transparent
and the distinction between the Divine and human endeavor is obscured
by the unification of one with the other.

When the thread on which human life depends is stretched and frayed
the miraculous and powerful hand of God can intervene
to renew faith in visible and knowable ways.

And then the distance between we and Thee is removed
As we bathe together with the Holy Spirit in the water of baptism,
Drinking together from the cup of Christ,
And lavishing together in the unconditional love of Almighty God.


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HELP US, O GOD

We yearn for transformation
With a hunger and thirst for the fullness of joy
that only an experience of God will bring.

Help us follow the Spiritual Masters, O God,
Agreeing that spiritual discipline is the only way to attain wholeness,
peace and love.
Help us to not make excuses, O God,
for a spiritual laziness that leads to apathy,
doubt and despair


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JESUS IS CALLING

Just come.
Sit with me for a while.
Let me whisper in your ear how much I love you.
Let me touch your wounds and place your hand upon my once bleeding side
Now made well by the grace and mercy of Almighty God.

You do not have to be alone nor afraid.
You do not have to be strong and in control.
Just come.
Let the child within you take my hand.
I will show you the way of peace.


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GOD IS CALLING

I love you every moment.
In your times of doubt
I call to you.
In your painful failures
I seek to lift you up again.
In your bliss and joy
I celebrate and dance with you.

Seek me in the ecstatic places of your heart
Beyond reason
In the realm of the profound impossible dream
That is actually more real than this world
More than everything in this world
More, so much more, that I offer you


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DISCIPLESHIP

God has put the heart of another person in your hand.
What will you do with it?
Will you leave it on the church pew?
Will you let it fall onto the floor?

God has put the heart of another person in your hand.
How will you nurture it with the love you have been given
In Christ Jesus


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A MESSIANIC DREAM

A messianic dream of what always is
The flower
The stream that passes and never ends
The birdsong that never changes, yet never remains the same

The dried reeds of summer
Waiting to be flattened by the winter snow
Waiting to be given new life in the spring

A messianic dream of each breath
Counting for something
Fulfilling something
Promising something
Revealing something new
About a messianic dream that always is


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ANOTHER MESSIANIC DREAM

A messianic dream that sees each fiber of life
As a living
Moving
Essential ingredient in the Body of Christ.

A messianic dream that sees
Nothing existing alone in the universe
All things united in the one ultimate purpose of God

A messianic dream that begins with what always is
An explicit contentment
An implicit fulfillment
An essential joy of being
And ends with nothing more or less than an experience
Of the wholeness of God


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AT DAWN

In the morning, the mist begins its journey off of the lake
and into the forest
Escaping the view of the sun rising above the trees.

In the morning, the wispy moisture on top of the lake moves silently
Like one community dancing in the dawn.

In the morning, translucent clouds disappear from the water into the perfect blue sky
While the sun crawls uninterrupted to its lofty throne.


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WATCHING THE TREES (part 1)

Life is easiest watching the trees.
Here I can live peacefully with all
because all is at peace.
Here I can associate with the lowly
because there is nothing here that is not lowly and humble.
Here I will not be threatened by darkness
because here there is only the trees.

In the summer, the trees were all pretty much alike.
They were alike because they were all green.
In the fall, however, they are very different.
They are different colors and showing very distinct shapes and characteristics.
I am beginning to have preferences for one tree over another
that I did not have while they were all green
and all alike.

Life is easiest watching the trees.

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WATCHING THE TREES (part 2)

Life is easiest watching the trees
daydreaming
not engaged in human conflict and unrest.
Alone with God
watching the trees live side-by-side for centuries
never quarreling.
They are content to be undistinguished in a crowd during one season
And then modestly showing their unique colors and character with all of the other trees
before going to sleep for the winter.

Life is easiest watching the trees
swaying in the breeze,
each doing the unique dance for which they were created
nothing more
and nothing less.

The trees do “tree-ness” perfectly.
That is what is mystical about them.
Because perfection is mystical.

It is easy to be perfect when watching the trees
because that is all that is required.
nothing more
and nothing less.


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LESSONS FROM WATCHING THE TREES

Life is easier watching the turmoil of the world
while living in the blessed assurance of God’s love.

Life is easier forgiving those who have harmed us
while living in the blessed assurance of God’s love.

Life is easier suffering the pains of our bodies
while living in the blessed assurance of God’s love.

Life is easier when we overcome evil with good
while living in the blessed assurance of God’s love.

Life is easiest watching the trees
doing perfectly what they were created to do
(nothing more, and nothing less)
while living in the blessed assurance of God’s love.


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FINI

Too many words to say things your heart already knows.

Hush then

. . . and listen . . .


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