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Ministerially Speaking

By Justine Knight

Can You Hear Me Now? Good!

“Inquiring minds want to know!” These little phrases were made popular by America’s constant companion, television. Do they communicate, or what! Actually, I am a sucker for any catchy little word or phrase.

The ability to hear is a wonderful gift, but one that requires us to listen. Some years ago I walked in on our 4-year old son kneeling at the sofa. Backing out of the room, I continued to listen. He prayed, “Hey, God, are you listening?” Then he went on to ask God for a brother, and added, “If you have three brothers up there, I’ll take all three!” I panicked! Then, I quietly pled, “Oh, God, I was here first . . . one brother at a time, please! God, are you listening?”

John L. Knight, late evangelist and my esteemed father-in-law, before beginning his sermon, often would ask loudly, “Can you hear me back there? You on the back rows?” Receiving affirmative nods, he would roll up his sleeves, kick his foot out, and say, “Glory Hallelujah!”

It is hard for me to remember that effective communication requires both transmission and reception. I love catchy little phrases, but there are new ones every day, and I really can’t tell if my hearers have their receivers on. Today, I have to “connect,” when I have just learned to “resonate;” and to “put my hands together for Jesus,” when I was just perfecting my hand clap! It is difficult to remember to declare, “What I hear you saying, is . . .”, and “That’s cool, Dude.” Oh, my! Come on, self, get relevant!

When my children were teenagers, they enjoyed music at an unbelievable decibel level. I constantly attempted to expose them to different kinds of music (mainly my kind), when one of them remarked, “You’d like our music if you would just listen to the words! After all, Mom, the Psalmist said we should sing a new song!”

Hey, no fair using Scripture to prove a point. “Okay, I’m listening! Just turn down the volume so I can hear it.” Then one commented, “Mom, you need to listen louder!”

Ouch! That hurt! Listen louder? Me? Whoa! “I’m only trying to teach you, and help you build character. Listening is what I’ve been doing all of your life!”

Maybe listening is more important than my speaking, or remembering the newest word or phrase of the day. After all, we don’t change all at once, like caterpillars! We live our lives in episodes, or chapters. We need to learn to listen. Okay, I’m trying, I’m trying!

Jesus said, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear . . .” (Luke 8:8). Hey, God, are you saying that we should listen louder? Okay, I’m listening. St. James, the Apostle, takes it a step further. He admonishes us to “Be doers of the Word and not hearers only . . .” (James 1:22). What I’m hearing him say is, “After you listen, don’t just stand there, do something!” Cool!

Wonder if God ever says, “Hey! You there, can you hear me now? Good!”

Justine Knight has spent many years observing the humor and seriousness of ministerial life. She and her husband, Dr. John A. Knight, general superintendent emeritus, make their home in Bethany, Oklahoma.

(Scripture quotations from the King James Version)