El Jefe and I agreed to lead a small group during Lent for new members of our church. It turned out to be a very small group--just 6 people, including the two of us. Since we are meeting on Sundays during the contemporary worship hour, we didn't have many takers out of our new member class of 40 people. Many of them joined other groups that meet at other times, though.
The theme of the study is "Giving Life Together". We use a Devotional Book written by members of the church and church staffers that has a different devotion for each day and each week follows a theme. The senior pastor's sermons each Sunday generally follow each week's theme.
When we gathered today, I asked if any of the devotions we read during the last week were particularly meaningful. There was general agreement on the one titled "Are We Listening?"The text for that day was James 1: 19-20: "My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires."
We had several professionals in the group--lawyers, a doctor and nurse and business executives. Everyone shared different examples of the need to listen from their professional experience.
El Jefe said that he planned to take the Listening Assessment that was included in the devotional back to his law firm and try to persuade his partners to let him use it in training their new lawyers. For many years he has tried to impress on the new hires the importance of listening to the client instead of thinking about what they are going to say next, slow to speak instead of hasty, and slow to anger instead of popping off. He really loved those words from James.
It's so exciting to see scripture becoming relevant and guiding the lives of believers!
The theme of the study is "Giving Life Together". We use a Devotional Book written by members of the church and church staffers that has a different devotion for each day and each week follows a theme. The senior pastor's sermons each Sunday generally follow each week's theme.
When we gathered today, I asked if any of the devotions we read during the last week were particularly meaningful. There was general agreement on the one titled "Are We Listening?"The text for that day was James 1: 19-20: "My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires."
We had several professionals in the group--lawyers, a doctor and nurse and business executives. Everyone shared different examples of the need to listen from their professional experience.
El Jefe said that he planned to take the Listening Assessment that was included in the devotional back to his law firm and try to persuade his partners to let him use it in training their new lawyers. For many years he has tried to impress on the new hires the importance of listening to the client instead of thinking about what they are going to say next, slow to speak instead of hasty, and slow to anger instead of popping off. He really loved those words from James.
It's so exciting to see scripture becoming relevant and guiding the lives of believers!
3 comments:
I love the idea of El Jefe implementing advice from James in his law firm! Putting Bible verses on your desk with sticky notes is one thing, but making it policy is something else. Way to go!
My co-worker admitted the other day that as she listened to a Christian song, she was convicted about her sometimes hasty responses to people. I guess now we need to spend a few moments in the office praying that we will be quick to listen and slow to respond (and keep control of that sarcastic tongue--ooooh, such a troublemaker).
Listening's a dying art, I swear. Along with regard, courtliness and just plain good manners. It's amazing to me how amazed folks are at good manners and listening. Where did commonplace sensibilities go? Cause that's where I wanna move. Good for El Jefe! He, like you, give lawyers a good name.
I love this QG. Sometimes I learn so much more from a person by hearing what they are NOT telling me.
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