Dear Friends,

During the pandemic, I picked up a new habit: my morning walk. Pretty much every morning, I do a short walk of maybe 20 or 30 minutes. I tend to have a set route so my mind is free to look at the world around me, to check-in with how I feel that day, and sometimes to pray.

During the early days of being a minister, my morning walk picked up a new habit: birdwatching! I noticed I saw many birds, and started counting each day how many different types. I already knew a few, but quickly learned more. Yes, I knew blue tits, robins, and goldfinches, but then what’s this little bird with a yellow stripe on his head?[1] Or that big bird of prey in the sky?[2] Or what’s making that screech?[3] Or what’s that’s up there with the weird crests on them?[4]

I learned a lot by watching, but also by listening. I started to pick up bird songs. Before, I could identify a blackbird, seagulls, ducks and other highly distinctive things. I soon learned song thrush, sparrows, goldfinches and robins. However, my knowledge really took off once I got the Merlin App, which listens to birdsong and then tells you what bird is singing. Through using this, I can now fairly reliably identify quite a few bird songs without the app. It brings me great joy to hear the birds, and I love looking at birds, and the thrill of seeing something a bit different.

One day, I was talking to someone outside, and then I just stopped and commented on the beautiful birdsong. It was so loud and clear to me. The other person had not noticed there was a bird singing at all! Also, I would frequently spot birds and point them out to others who had not noticed.

It made me think about how I noticed the birds because I was tuned into them. I was practiced in looking and listening, knowing the sorts of places I may see them, the sorts of rustles that might give their place away and who was singing which song. The more I did it, the easier it became.

What about tuning into God? How easy do we find that? God may rarely speak in clear and profound ways, but I do not think that means God is utterly silent. God speaks through scripture, prayer, conversations, books, through the world around us and so many ways. I think that the more we turn to God, to look for where God might be at work and moving, the more we find ourselves able to tune into God. The more tuned into God we are, the more we may notice where God is calling us, or discern opportunities or changes we might make.

We won’t always get it right, but the more we tune in to God, it gets easier, and we hear more and more. Our faith and discipleship can grow more and more, and we are equipped for mission, to be God’s people here.

I wonder what tuning into God might look like for you at the moment?

Blessings

Revd Sarah Butcher

[1] Goldcrest

[2] Buzzard

[3] Maybe a pheasant, peacock or greylag goose

[4] Waxwings!                                                              

Sarah