GETTING THE WORDS RIGHT (IS JUST THE BEGINNING)

Have you ever done your best to get ready for travel in a foreign country by preparing yourself to speak their language?  Several years ago we were headed off on a Lilly-sponsored Sabbatical.  We would be spending one week with German friends in a small town outside Stuttgart.  Then, we were going to spend a week outside Lucca, Italy with the entire family.

I picked up travel guides and books that covered the basics of speaking  -and understanding-  Italian.  For several weeks I worked on my Italian.

When we visited our friends in Aspach we spent the evenings sitting around the table.  Ingrid’s English was great, Sharon and I struggled with German, and we would all push English-German dictionaries back and forth across the table.  We did our best.  We listened carefully to one another.  Sometimes we resorted to hand gestures or we pointed to things in the house.  It was amazing how my German began to develop!

By the time I got to Italy, the German kept getting in the way of the Italian I wanted to speak.  Then, as I tried to get the hang of Italian, the French I had once spoken as a child began to float to the surface.

This weekend we begin a three-week series on communication.  Understanding one another, using the right words, not missing the signals someone is trying to send our way, can be hard work.  The Bible offers us some basic guidance about clues to HOLY COMMUNION: The Art of Conversation.  This weekend, Aug 19^th, we’ll look at Matthew 7:1-5, as we focus on being self-aware and developing our ability to listen.  The sermon title is Log Rolling.  (You may also want to look at the story of Elijah on the run in 1 Kings 19.)

It is funny how we assume communication should be an easy thing.  How can speaking and listening be complicated?  But there is an art to healthy, loving, direct communication.  It can get tricky.  One word means something to me and another thing to you.  A look means one thing to you and another thing to me.

In fact, if you try and speak to me, you need to know I have a congenital hearing defect in my right ear so I will need to turn your direction if I am not to miss what you are about to say.  (My Mom swore I couldn’t hear her tell me to come inside, but I could hear her whisper to my Dad, “Would you like some ice cream?” two rooms away!)

The Bible spends a lot of time encouraging us to listen!  “Hear, O Israel,” Deuteronomy 6:4 says, “The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”

The Bible says listening is a big deal.  Invite your friends and co-workers to join you this weekend as we begin a three-week look at The Art of Communication.

In Christ and for Christ,

Mark

(Note: on August 26^th we’ll explore the importance of taking the initiative in communication as we look at Matthew 5:21-26.  We’ll also deal with the whole subject of conflict.  On September 2^nd we look at speech as a Body Building opportunity and read Ephesians 4:25-32.)