Reflections on 'Letting God Loose'
During Advent Parishioners were offered the opportunity to experience a short prayer course led by Fr Lister.
All who attended the course enjoyed it and came away with something from it. Some participants have been kind enough to share their experiences with the parish.
Bill Hardaker
Having attended the four Advent sessions hosted by Fr Lister, I am left feeling I want more….
The sessions, based on Lectio Divina, have been reflective, meditative, spiritual and above all synodal. The open-hearted sharing with fellow Parishioners following the slow reading of short Scriptural passages, listening to God speaking to each person individually, appears to have touched everyone present.
Subsequently hearing people discussing deeply personal issues and how they felt God speaking to them through careful listening, has hopefully opened up a new phase for the Parish. In this sense, synodality can open our minds to explore how we can improve our listening skills and hence connect with each other in more Spiritual and respectful ways.
This has been a welcome journey through Advent
Ann Marie Dwyer
As someone who always shies away from anything like a reflective session I was very much ‘drawn’ to going each week to (Fr.) Lister’s reflections and indeed looked forward to it!
There is a strong possibility that I am voicing what others there would like to say, as I kept seeing the same faces as well as new ones each week.
I even found myself telling friends about it which is very unusual!
Someone sitting next to me, one week, said that ‘Footprints’ had come into their mind and maybe it helps, in some way, to explain this special experience.
The Lord said,
“When you saw only one set of footprints in the sand,
It was then that I carried you.”
With gratitude, Ann.
Paul Symes
I could only attend two of the sessions, but it was well worth it. Fr Listers relaxed approach set the scene for a calming reflective prayer experience. Focussed on a Bible reading the session gave people the chance to ‘sit with’ the text and see how the passage spoke to them.
Then, if people felt comfortable, they could share as little or as much as they wanted to about how the Bible passage had spoken to them. The good thing about sharing is, it wasn’t for discussion it was just to listen and while it was good to share with others your thoughts and feelings, the real privilege was in listening to others and how the passage had spoke to them. It was a truly enlightening experience.
Having used this prayer form many times before, I would say I learnt more about prayer and myself through sharing within the group. I am hoping there will be more experiences like this going forward.
Noreen McGinnity
Father Lister led a 4-week course ‘Letting God Loose this Advent’. We were invited to learn what God was saying in our heart and in the hearts of others in St. George’s. I was intrigued but also slightly apprehensive. I have never attended a course like this. Was this something for me? Despite my uncertainty I decided to go. I need not have worried.
We received a warm welcome, complete with tea or coffee and a slice of homemade cake. We took our seat around one of 4 large circular tables. Each week followed the same format. After a brief introduction by Fr. Lister we listened to a piece of music, chosen to create a reflective atmosphere allowing us to connect with God through the music. We each received the same piece of scripture or text to reflect on in silence, reading it slowly. Whilst reflecting on the passage we considered what word or phrase stood out and spoke to us. We then shared our experience with the table. The essence of the exercise was to listen to the Holy Spirit speaking to you personally and then listen to what the Holy Spirit was saying to others. There was a strict etiquette to follow. There was a stone on each table, when you picked up the stone you would speak, without the stone you stayed silent and listened. Once everyone had spoken you remained silent, contemplating what the Holy Spirit had said to each person around the table. Fr Lister would then provide further discussion points and the process was repeated.
It was a remarkable experience, not only did I feel the nearness of the Holy Spirit to myself I experienced how the Holy Spirit moved and spoke to my fellow parishioners. It was very uplifting, discovering how much we all had in common and how much we can learn from each other by really listening. Some of the parishioner I knew personally, others by sight and others not at all but by the end of the course we had all shared something wonderful together. The overriding feeling at the end of the sessions from everybody was ‘when can we do this again’. I am sure Fr Lister has something in mind, and when it happens I encourage you to join us.