He said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.’ Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.
(1 Kings 19: 11b-12)

Where do you hear God? We often think God speaks in grandiose ways, and God may indeed do that. But God also speaks in the smallest sounds – even in the midst of the sound of silence. In June Seth and I had the opportunity to take a trip to New York City. On Sunday morning we walked the ten blocks from our hotel to the First Moravian Church of Manhattan. As we walked the sounds of the city were palpable – construction, traffic, car horns, sirens, etc. Yet in the midst of the cacophony of noise around us I turned to Seth and said, “Do you hear it, too?” “Hear what?” he responded, “The church bells. I hear the church bells ringing.”

Unfortunately, Seth was unable to hear what I was able to hear.
It was a reminder that God speaks to us all in different ways. It was also a reminder to me that for God to be heard, we have to open to listening. We have to be ready to let go of the many distractions around us and allow ourselves to focus on what can be, “the still small voice” of God speaking to our souls. I smiled when I hear, albeit very faintly, the familiar sounds of the church bells in the midst of the overwhelming noise of the city. It reminded me that no matter where I am, God is there – calling me to be aware of a presence that takes each step of my journey with me.

May you hear God speaking to your soul, and as the summer continues and fades into fall, may you be aware that God is with you no matter where you are and what you are facing.

In Christ’s service,
Pastor Beth