Called for More: A Listening Heart, a Generous Spirit 

In a world full of no shortage of advice, listening can be surprisingly difficult. Have you ever found yourself trying to listen while just preparing your response? Or only listening for things you agree with? Sometimes when life gets overwhelming, it can be easy to just stop listening altogether. 

Well in this week’s Scripture, Solomon asks God for one thing: a listening heart. When God invites Solomon to ask for what he needs, the new king could ask for wealth, power, or a long life. Instead, he asks for an understanding heart, one capable of discerning what is right and good for the people he has been called to serve. It is a beautiful prayer that you might find yourself needing, too. 

A listening heart might look like sitting with someone whose experiences differ from our own. It might mean asking a question instead of making an assumption, learning from someone whose perspective challenges us, or having the courage to reconsider a belief when we discover that it has caused harm. 

This week, we celebrate All Saints’ Day, remembering the people whose lives have shaped our faith and helped us recognize God's love. We remember those who have died, those whose names we speak with gratitude, and those whose acts of faithfulness continue to bear fruit in us. 

The lives of the saints remind us that faith isn’t a solo endeavor. We receive so much from those who came before us, often without realizing it at the time. Someone taught us to pray. Someone made room for us. Someone offered a meal, a listening ear, a second chance, or a glimpse of what love can look like in practice. 

And now, in our own time and place, we are invited to carry that love forward. As Christians we are called to have a generous spirit offering our attention, patience, gifts, time, resources, and willingness to make room for someone else. We are called to share what we have so that others have what they need. 

As we remember the saints and look toward the week ahead, we might carry Solomon's prayer with us: Give us listening hearts. And remind us that we do not do this work alone. 

We are called for more. May we keep listening. May we keep learning. And may our wisdom be known not only by what we understand, but by how generously and compassionately we love. 

A prayer for the week 

God of wisdom, give me a listening heart. Help me to hear the stories of my neighbors, especially those whose experiences I do not yet understand. Teach me to seek justice with humility, to offer generosity without judgment, and to make room for every person to be met with dignity and care. I give thanks for the saints who have shaped my life, and I ask for courage to carry their love into the world today. Keep calling me toward deeper faith, wider welcome, and more generous lives. In the name of Jesus, who shows us the way of love. Amen. 

What might it look like for you to practice a listening heart this week? Where might God be inviting you to grow in generosity or compassion? 

Peace, 

Pastor Katie