I was recently reading an article in Christianity Today and the author wrote something that was profound and simple in the same breath. He said "The problem with spectacle, especially religious spectacle, is that the steady, repeated, raucous noise will eventually make us hard of hearing. And that will make it impossible to hear God's normal tone of voice." Gods normal tone, the whispering in the wind the subtle movement in the Spirit, that still small voice. Perhaps the voice of God is less about being impressed and more about being listened to. I think about Moses and the burning bush, there have been so many times when I wanted the burning bush, the big loud declarative voice of God to speak in my life. And even though the burning bush was a spectacle it was only seen by one person. One not a thousand , not a video screen not even a good soundtrack , one person and a bush in the middle of a dessert. SO where am I going with this, well to be honest I am not really sure but my thoughts turn towards corporate worship.
I mean on Sunday mornings most of us across the country put on good show, the music is done well, the message is well crafted and inspiring but let me ask this question where is the voice of God speaking. Are the people in our pews becoming hard of hearing due to what they experience every single Sunday. As Pastors are we causing our people to become deaf. We talk all the time,a good video clip or the latest song but where are we making a space for the voice of God. Where are we allowing the voice of God to speak in an unassuming quiet sort of way, in a way that moves people to life change. I am not saying we need to spend all of our time in silence and meditation but what are we modeling for our people, what are we showing ourselves? Where are we allowing the "noise " of life deafen us from the voice of God?