Bleeding From The Ears

I wanted to hear as many sounds at one time as I could today in meeting. I counted 7. (I like what Jim Flory says about listening in meeting. See below.)

Counting sounds almost brings that kind of auditory clarity into play for me. However, trying to listen for extended periods of time takes allot of focus.

Vigilant listening. My dog certainly has the power. In fact one of my favorite things is to listen with her when I see that she has a bead on a sound. It is either the mailman or the UPS truck. It is fun to listen with her. My hearing becomes more acute. A bonding moment.

The process that CFM uses called, "after thoughts" has me very concerned. After silent meeting, CFM invites members to say what was unsaid in silence, adding on top of what was already said via "divine leading"...are after thoughts not what early Quakers called "out running our measure of truth?" Yes, for me it sometimes waters down rather than enhances what was said in silent meeting. Especially very true today.

Someone has said that what we are aiming for in meeting for worship is a powerful energetic vigilant total listening. Listening, like that which we experience after being awakened in the night, for a potentially threatening sound to repeat itself so that we can identify it.

High energy may be generated in vigilant listening, especially if we take seriously the possibility of receiving a Divine leading to speak. A good deal of energy can be generated in the process of discernment (is this an insight just for me, an ego prompting, or true leading); the danger of not speaking when we are called (called quenching by early Quakers); and the danger saying more than we are called to say (called out running our measure of truth by earlier Quakers).

Jim Flory
http://www.jflory.org/