Today as I write this (Thursday), I am in my home office and outside it is rainy and gray. I can hear the steady sound of rain on the roof and windows, and then it stops; and I am conscious of the silence of post rainfall. As a musician, I am all about sound—and the silence that frames it. One of the things I preach about to my musicians in rehearsal is that the silence between the notes and musical phrases in music are critically important—they function like a frame for visual art that sets off a piece—the silence between the musical sounds sets apart those sounds from other musical sounds so that the message of the music may be heard cleanly and clearly.
On this Fourth Sunday of the Easter Season (Good Shepherd Sunday) it is clear to me that the Scripture message is about hearing, listening and following the voice of Christ—hearing God’s call. We often identify a person by their voice; and sometimes we even form impressions of someone we’ve never seen before by their voice. We are consoled by the voices of loved ones in hard times—especially when lonely. The voice of a person may also resonate within us, inspiring and uniting us, recommitting us to what we believe and love. (When Jesus spoke to Mary and said her name at the tomb, only then did she recognize Him—by His voice.)
Do you remember what it was like years ago at dinnertime when your Mom or Dad would call you to come in from playing outside? It didn’t matter that many voices in the neighborhood might call “Dinner!” at about the same time; you knew the voice specifically calling to you. You knew your parents’ voices, and you headed for home and food, comfort and safety. Today in John’s Gospel Jesus tells us: “…and the sheep hear his voice, as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out…the sheep follow him (the shepherd), because they recognize his voice. But they will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.”
This article today is as much about sound as the necessary silence that surrounds it. There is a story by Anthony de Mellow about a man whose marriage was in trouble and sought his advice, and he said to him, “You must listen to your wife.” The man took his advice to heart and returned after a month to say he had listened to every word his wife was saying. Said he with a smile, “Now go home and listen to every word she isn’t saying.”
Most Americans avoid silence at any cost, and many of us fail to realize how important listening and silence are until some conflict or malaise surfaces in any relationship. If we are attentive, we can sense “things just aren't right” and get back to the important discipline of deep listening—not only to what others say, but also to the silence that exists between words.
And what is true in our relationship with others is even truer in our friendship with God. If we do not make time to respond to God's invitation to “be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10), then our relationship with Him will drift—like two ships passing in the night. It is a great thing—the opportunity to be silent; to listen to each other and to God more closely. God works through all things for good!
Today the Shepherd calls us by name to feed in green pastures, and to repose by restful waters. We are protected and sheltered by Him. We follow Him because we know His voice when he calls. We are warned that we must not follow other voices that lead us down other paths. The voice of the Good Shepherd calls us to eternal life that flows from our faith. That faith will come to us by responding to the voice of Jesus, in Word, Eucharist and Community. Your job is to listen in silence for His voice and then, to follow. Listening involves more than our ears. When you are really listening to someone, you are still; your eyes are focused on them. They have your full and undivided attention.
Keep singing!
Elizabeth Dyc
On this Fourth Sunday of the Easter Season (Good Shepherd Sunday) it is clear to me that the Scripture message is about hearing, listening and following the voice of Christ—hearing God’s call. We often identify a person by their voice; and sometimes we even form impressions of someone we’ve never seen before by their voice. We are consoled by the voices of loved ones in hard times—especially when lonely. The voice of a person may also resonate within us, inspiring and uniting us, recommitting us to what we believe and love. (When Jesus spoke to Mary and said her name at the tomb, only then did she recognize Him—by His voice.)
Do you remember what it was like years ago at dinnertime when your Mom or Dad would call you to come in from playing outside? It didn’t matter that many voices in the neighborhood might call “Dinner!” at about the same time; you knew the voice specifically calling to you. You knew your parents’ voices, and you headed for home and food, comfort and safety. Today in John’s Gospel Jesus tells us: “…and the sheep hear his voice, as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out…the sheep follow him (the shepherd), because they recognize his voice. But they will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.”
This article today is as much about sound as the necessary silence that surrounds it. There is a story by Anthony de Mellow about a man whose marriage was in trouble and sought his advice, and he said to him, “You must listen to your wife.” The man took his advice to heart and returned after a month to say he had listened to every word his wife was saying. Said he with a smile, “Now go home and listen to every word she isn’t saying.”
Most Americans avoid silence at any cost, and many of us fail to realize how important listening and silence are until some conflict or malaise surfaces in any relationship. If we are attentive, we can sense “things just aren't right” and get back to the important discipline of deep listening—not only to what others say, but also to the silence that exists between words.
And what is true in our relationship with others is even truer in our friendship with God. If we do not make time to respond to God's invitation to “be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10), then our relationship with Him will drift—like two ships passing in the night. It is a great thing—the opportunity to be silent; to listen to each other and to God more closely. God works through all things for good!
Today the Shepherd calls us by name to feed in green pastures, and to repose by restful waters. We are protected and sheltered by Him. We follow Him because we know His voice when he calls. We are warned that we must not follow other voices that lead us down other paths. The voice of the Good Shepherd calls us to eternal life that flows from our faith. That faith will come to us by responding to the voice of Jesus, in Word, Eucharist and Community. Your job is to listen in silence for His voice and then, to follow. Listening involves more than our ears. When you are really listening to someone, you are still; your eyes are focused on them. They have your full and undivided attention.
Keep singing!
Elizabeth Dyc
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