Faith at Home

Here is a new Faith at Home Listening Practice using Psalm 93.

The waves of our life circumstances sometimes seem to rise up higher and higher. Psalm 93 helps us to enter a space of remembering that the Creator can create a strong, sturdy foundation for us even when the waves buffet against us.

Let us know in the comments below what you notice? What stands out to you as an invitation from the Divine straight to you?

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This Listening Practice using Psalm 92 paints a picture of trees, strongly rooted, and bearing fruit even in their old age.

As we listen to the words of this Psalm, we are listening for the voice of the Divine, and for what matters most to us, today.

May we be rooted in a relationship with a God that grows power for the powerless, and a healthy, fresh future.

Do you feel safe and protected? Psalm 91 talks about safety and protection. What does that mean in the world you live in now? Psalm 91 says that God will save us.

What do you notice? What is God calling you to?

When we read the Psalms and listen meditatively we can begin to hear God speaking to us.

Join us as we listen to Psalm 90.

Psalm 89:38-52 wraps up our final Listening Practice from this Psalm of 52 verses. Do you ever feel like crying because you are afraid that God has forgotten you? Over the long haul, the practice of listening to the Psalms, and through Psalms to God, and to ourselves, helps us to become better at hearing what matters most to us. This lament helps us to bring our sadness, anger and frustration into the conversation.There have been times when it felt like God was not listening when we were trying to be in conversation. And there have been times when it felt like we couldn’t hear anything from God even though we felt like we were trying with all our might. All long term, intimate relationships go through times where things are challenging.We can carry our lament straight back into the relationship with God. There’s no extra fee for expressing our feelings, just a loving welcome, and a “thank you for telling me your truth.”

What do you do with the words of they Psalms when they speak to our deepest fear that God is going to be angry with us for ever? When they stir up the trauma of cut off relationships? As we practice listening using the words of Psalm 89:19-37, we notice the fear of broken relationship. We notice the call to be in relationship.Relationship, not transactions, not cut-off brokenness, is what we hear the Life-Giving Spirit calling us toward today.

When we pray using this practice of listening for God's voice through the words of the Psalms and our response to those words, we bump up against the pieces of our history (especially as we practice listening here in Psalm 89:19-34). Our history may have retold the stories of God in ways that don't reflect who God really is. Our experiences may have reinforced the stories of ourselves in ways that aren't true to who we are. We, our true selves, are invited to be in relationship with a God who is loving, initiating, and compassionate.What calls to you from these words? How does God speak to you, today? Share with us in the comments below, or reach out through a message.

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Are the waves in your life so big they are shaking you to your core? Do you feel like the big picture is taking your breath away? As we listen together to the first 18 verses of Psalm 89, we notice the bigness of the world and the specific-ness of God’s love.

Sometimes the rocking of the waves can calm our fears. Sometimes the breadth of a glorious vista causes us to take a deep breath and relax the trauma from our bodies.

In the big picture and the small details, we are invited to be in conversation in safe spaces and to listen to Scripture with skill and belovedness.Tell us, what stands out to you as you listen today? Could you listen to a Psalm with someone in your life and engage in conversation today?

This Psalm 88 Listening Practice takes us into the heart of lament. If we read the Psalms just based on what we like, or what we want to feel, we’d avoid this Psalm nine times out of ten.

And yet, there are days when we feel the deep pain of sorrow. There are days were we wonder if God is listening.

As much as listening practices are about getting better at listening, they are about underlining the truth that God is listening, too! When we practice listening to the Psalms, we can experience hearing the Divine AND being heard. We can feel the full range of our emotions, AND we can affirm the truth that we are in a relationship with give and take.

What do you notice as you practice listening with Psalm 88?

Especially when we are in seasons of lament and grief, having a Spiritual Guide is an important part of healing. If you are looking for a Spiritual Guide, book an Exploration Call with Jennifer. Deep lament calls for dialogue and community.

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As we practice listening using Psalm 87, we hear a lot of names of far-off locations. The Psalmist celebrates being “one of the beautiful people.” Yet, we hear the Divine’s love for us, even though we aren’t part of the named group.

As you listen, what do you hear today?

Share with us in the comments!

Listening in the “in-between” for the voice of the Life-Giving Spirit is a skill to develop. For dialogue that fits your situation, book a one on one Spiritual Guidance session, or join one of our Group Spiritual Formation Experiences.

Today's Listening Practice with Psalm 86 reminds us that God is kind, faithful and forgiving.

Even when we feel like things aren’t going our way, we can trust that there will be evidence of God’s favour. We can ask for relationship, give and take, with God.

This video shares one of our prayer practices. Engaging in Listening Practices, we listen to Psalm 86 and we also listen to God. We repeat the experience regularly so that we can become better listeners. Our crying out becomes the point where we choose to live from a place of faith and relationship. Loneliness and isolation are met as express ourselves to God and to one another.

Join in the conversation. Let us hear what you notice as you listen along!

If you would like to know more about our process for Listening Practices, you can read more here.

The whole video vault of our Listening Practices is available as part of our Patreon page. If there is value for you in listening to the Psalms, we’d love to see you there.