Trinity United Methodist Church Daily Scripture Email Devotion for Wednesday, 28 May 2014 "The Beauty of Silent Presence"
When Job's three friends... heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him...The sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him because they saw how great his suffering was. (Job 2: 11 - 13).
When in doubt, GO! If someone you know is in trouble, and you ever wonder if you should go to them, here is a good rule of thumb: Go! How often I have heard these words: "But no one came." How wonderful these words: "And he/she came to me, just to sit with me, to be present with me." You don't have to know what to say; it's your presence that is more important than your words.
For Seven Days, Job's friends sat with him. Prolonged silent presence is a very good thing. It's hard for most of us to keep silent, to refrain from a need (sometimes nervous need) to talk. And we're so busy talking, we don't hear, really hear the person in his/her need, and we aren't able therefore to give them the space to share their heart and heart ache.
Another rule of thumb: Most people can and will talk themselves into a good place - if they have someone who will give them the space and listening ear to share. You don't have to have all the answers; more important to provide the space for the other to discover for himself/herself the answers.
The best things Job's friends did were (1) to come to him, and (2) to sit with him and (3) to be silent, not saying a word. From then on, once they began to talk, it was all down hill, bad news, as we shall see tomorrow.
Remember: One big worship service on June 1 at 10:00 to celebrate our mortgage burning; followed by lunch for everyone.
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Welcome to the new Trinity United Methodist Church's Daily Scripture Email system.
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