Finding a Voice
It will soon be three weeks since I was asked if I would consider writing for St Mark’s “blogspace”. Without much thought I said yes. Like Peter, the disciple, when I open my mouth I need to consider more carefully the consequences.
Never having written a blog, the next task was to consider what is a blog? How do you write a blog. While I have written many sermons and articles and drafted numerous reports for various committees in and outside the church, from the little research I did on blogs, it would appear blogs are different in nature. They range from being “part journal” to “part rant”. It would seem that ‘blogs” provide a “voice” for an organization or a person.
The question then follows, to what do I want to give a “voice”? Where do I begin? In preparing for weekly worship, I have consistently turned to scripture as a starting place to listen for “God’s voice”.
I have always been intrigued that when Jesus invited Simon Peter and Andrew to come with him he asked them to build on what they already knew how to do –fish. Maybe the lesson in this for me is to start with the skills God has given and use them in new ways.
So for me this “blogspace” will be for me an opportunity to see how I can give expression, voice, to the skills and interests God has given to me in a new way.
In the Psalms, we have a book of prayers and hymns that have been used by Jews and Christians for generations to give voice to their feelings toward God, to praise God and to raise their fist in anger toward God. In the gospels, over and over again Jesus uses the Psalms to give expression to his feelings. From the cross he quotes the Psalms as he cries out in agony, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me.” (Mk. 15:34)
The Psalms are an excellent resource, which help give “voice” to the feelings we have within-feelings of joy, loneliness, frustration, anger and rage. A voice of joy: “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Ps. 118:24) A voice of hate: “Let burning coals fall on them! Let them be flung into pits, no more to rise!” (Ps. 140:10). A voice of examination: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Ps. 139:23).
So the journey begins- in finding a voice via a blog space.
Bob Lockhart, St Mark’s and St David’s United Church. Feb. 9th, 2011.
