Week Two

Voiced

SEEDS TO SOW: DO YOU HAVE A ‘PRAYER VOICE’? *

Introduction: Laughing, sighing, singing, sobbing, shouting, mumbling, whispering, humming — our voices are a rolling broadcast of our lives. A lot of our faith is mediated through the voice, whether it’s the voice in our head thinking things through, the heartfelt belting it out on a Sunday, the quiet bedside prayer, or the still small voice at the heart of the universe. Our faith is not just about the words we say, it’s about how we say them, and indeed the things we say without words — the yells, the cries, the weeping, the groaning, the whistling, the chortling, the breathing.

Read Psalm 29

The dynamic range of God... From the thundering voice here to the gentleness of Jesus’s pastoral reassurances in the gospels, to the groans and sighs too deep for words from the Spirit (see questions 3 below) — the Trinity has range! Throughout the Bible we see the power and multifaceted nature of God’s voice in different situations and contexts. We are made in the image of God and our God is expressive.

How can we respond with a range of expression to God? Sharing all of who we are, our experiences and our emotions, from anger to wonder, to grief, to gratitude? And what are the activities that help us express ourselves to God? (In the film Chariots of Fire Eric Liddell, the Scottish runner says: “...when I run I feel his pleasure.”)

Read Acts 10: 34-43

The message spreads...

Before it was written down this message was told voice by voice. Think of all the different types and tones of voice that carried the gospel on their breath. The witnesses — their style, their mannerisms, their convictions. What might they have been like? And then share how you see this legacy continuing today. What are the varied voices today from music to drama to poetry?

Read Matthew Romans 8: 22-27

Wordless worship... We can communicate vocally without communicating verbally. From vocalising through song to sighs and yells, cheers and groans. The Holy Spirit is there with us beat for beat even when there are no words.

Can you identify with aspects of the above statement? Do you ever find yourself lost for words when praying? If so, what do you do?

* SEEDS TO SOW: These are open-ended and optional prompts and are designed for people wanting to develop their own resources in response to the themes. Perhaps if you are using this material as a group you could use these prompts to inspire a time of prayer, or drawing, or creative writing? They are a short and sweet, simply a starting off place for you and your imagination. Tailor and develop as suits your group.