Learning to listen is key
By Rev. Dave W. Rhodes Pastor of Grove Hill United Methodist Church

I have been thinking recently about the most important aspect to healthy and happy human

relationships. The one action that can cause growth and well-being in any relationship is listening. There is the old joke

about the

widow and her three sons. The three sons were all very wealthy and competitive, who wanted to serve their mother in her later years of life. The first son bought her a mansion for $500,000, the second son bought her a Mercedes limousine and hired a driver and the third son bought her a parrot from a monastery for a million dollars. This parrot could quote the entire Bible, because his mother's eyesight was very poor. A year later the three sons compared notes to see how they had done. The first son was frustrated that the mother didn't like the big house, saw it as just a lot of cleaning, and only lived in one room. The second son was furstrated that his mother thought the car was too big, the driver too stuffy, and had decided to just take a cab if she really wanted to go somewhere. The third son said he had failed the most, because a week after delivering the parrot, he received a letter from his mother telling him the chicken was a bit hard to clean, but in the end tasted very good.

We chuckle at stories like that one because to a point we can relate to misunderstandings, in our lives, hopefully not so expensive ones! Jesus calls us, in John 13:14, to serve one another and Him. We can't help but wonder what the sons might have gotten their mother if they had taken the time to listen before they chose their gifts. One of the greatest ways we can serve God and one another is by listening. There are many great truths of the Christian faith that excite me. One that thrills me to my marrow is that we serve a God who speaks to His people. I get asked from time to time, "Why is worship on Sundays so important?" One of the reasons is that a worship service is one of the most common times that God speaks to His people. I do not simply mean during the sermon (even though I am pleased when He does). I have heard the voice and the nudging of God many times in the prayers, the songs, and the sacraments during a worship service. If we are to live lives that reflect the glory of Christ we must be attentive to listen to each other and most of all to our Master, Jesus.

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