Dana Reardon - Listening to God's voice

Listening for God's Voice

Paul called us stewards of the mysteries of God. We are not good stewards by hoarding the mystery, but by sharing it generously as we live our lives.

I have been praying for this congregation that they will learn to share the deep and abiding faith that I have found here. So I was touched that a member that I asked to speak about stewardship spoke this morning about the blessing of the community of faith for her and her family. She has been a member for 15 years, and for this congregation that is not an old member so I think it reminded all of us what we can be for those who joined today.

But then after church so many of the people who wanted a moment of my time talked about similar things. One woman talked about praying that she might learn to look beyond herself. There is a prayer we all need to learn.

Then someone came to me to tell me about a day when God spoke to her. I myself have been a little reticent in talking about such moments because I worry that people will question my sanity.

But she was very good at talking about God and explaining it. She said that there was no booming voice and no clap of thunder, but that she was certain God had spoken to her and told her that she had enough and that God would take care of her.

But she came to me and told me her story because she wanted me to know she was available if there was anyone in the congregation or with whom I came in contact whose life might have had similar problems so that she might be of help by talking to them.

All of us do not get a message from God as directly as she did that day at her kitchen table. Her certainty about the presence of God in her life compels her share that certainty with others. And she shared that certainty with me so simply that I felt blessed. I'm sure that anyone I know who needs her help will be blessed by it whether or not they share the same afflictions or circumstances of life.

This is how we become better stewards of the mysteries of God. By our willingness to see ourselves as God's people and how we might touch others with our lives and love and faith.

I may have been the one who stood in the pulpit today, but in many ways I was the one who received the Word. Either my prayer is being answered that this congregation learns to share its faith or I am just getting better at hearing it.

Lord, I give thanks for the community of faith that you have given me. May I draw strength from it to share your love both within and beyond to a hurting world. Amen

The Rev. Dana Reardon (Mspastor@aol.com) is pastor at St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church, Warwick, RI. A lifelong Lutheran, she came to ordained ministry after 21 years in nursing, mostly in pediatric intensive care. She graduated from Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia in 1998 and served 4 ½ years in Upstate New York before becoming a New Englander. She is still trying to understand the accent. While in the Upstate New York Synod she chaired the Stewardship Team. That began her fascination with what makes stewards -- and more, what makes for generosity. She has three amazing daughters: Pastor Izzo says much of what she knows of life she learned from them.