It was a normal Saturday evening at church. We stood and sang and sat and listened and stood to sing again. We turned to greet one another, and then we sat once again for announcements, the offering, and a video testimony. Perfectly normal.
My pastor took the stage, his Bible, softened by years of use, curled in his hand as he began to talk about the passage for the week. I leaned back in the pew, back pressing against the upholstery, legs crossed before me, Bible open on my lap.
My pastor’s voice rose and fell, sped up and slowed down, rippled with laughter here and there. Wait—something was different. What was it I was sensing? An echo? No, a reverberation. A vibration. His voice was moving through the pew as if the pew itself were a speaker. I could hear his voice and at the same time, I could feel his voice.
Surround sound.
I paused to listen intentionally. How was this bizarre occurrence in our sanctuary happening? Right here, in the midst of an ordinary service? Was it the number of other bodies in my row—or lack thereof—allowing the echo? Was it the location where my pastor was standing on the stage or some technical tweak in his over-the-ear microphone?
Mesmerized, I listened with more than my ears. I took in the tempo of voice and vibration through my back and up my spine. I placed my palm down on the cushion next to me to discover the reverberation crawling up my arm to my shoulder and somehow inside to my heart. Allowing the tentacles of my inner being to connect with the message from God, given through the words of my pastor, I realized that this must be what it feels like to listen with my soul.
“We are to be a peaceful presence in our world, living out the love of Jesus to those who need it most. Allow God to use you. Allow Jesus to be experienced by others through you.”
I shifted my body just a bit and the sensation ceased. Fidgeting to recover the moment – without success—I wondered at what had just happened.
In a normal moment, an unexpected experience melded physical and spiritual in such a way that I sensed God’s unique wooing to all of me. His call to be present to all he wants to bring me in his world and to all the ways he wants me to respond.
Was this surround sound always available? Why had I never experienced it before? Would I ever have it again? What was it that allowed me to hear it this time? What keeps it from happening all the time? Am I simply not often in a posture to hear? Could it be available to me outside of the pew, in the everyday flow of my everyday life?
I left church that evening with my ears—and my being—buzzing. What would it mean if I lived full-time in a yielded posture to God’s “surround sound” in my days? Allowing him entrance to my thinking, yes, but also to my being and doing?
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Deuteronomy 6:4
–Written by Elisa Morgan . Used by permission from the author. Originally published on the Really blog at elisamorgan.com, September 27, 2016.
7 Responses
Through the busyness of life, I have often failed to hear God’s voice. I am now learning to be still, to be present, so that I can experience the "surround sound". Thank you, Holy Spirit!!!!
I woke up this morning feeling overwhelmed by the conviction of wanting to bring Jesus and His love through my being — through all of me. And then I open my phone to catch up on reading only to read your experience and encouragement for just that! 😂
“We are to be a peaceful presence in our world, living out the love of Jesus to those who need it most. Allow God to use you. Allow Jesus to be experienced by others through you.” 💚
Amen, A mystery but attainable for us who believe. The Spirit of the Lord comes upon my heart and I let go and let God. I recall that feeling when I believe I received the Holy Ghost and spoke it tongues. An experience only happen once. It overcame my whole being and I let it flow. I Thank God for that what seem like brief moment it changed my life. Thank you for sharing such a Private moment in time.
Thanks for sharing your experiences of "Surround Sound" here! It’s powerful to see how God works in each of our lives to reveal Himself and His love. Have a great day!
Beautiful.
This is an experience that you have when you connect with the word(The Bible)for me it happened the first time when I was studying alone.
Bert
Yes, I have experienced that feeling over and over. You see i am home bound due to my health. i have been ill for 37 years. Lupus -the band kind–organ damage. I was disabled at age 37 and I am a RN—that was so rough!!! Here the care giver became the patient. I felt so useless. But then I did begin to regain strength slowly and returned to work for several years. Until I was 37 and my GI Tract would no longer work. I felt useless. Constant therapies that did not work. finally a neurostimulator that helped so much!!! 20 years later the company change it and for 4 years I have been back to not eating much at all and very ill. I am in the work all the time and lean totally on Jesus and God –often I hear in the word exactly what you described—or I feel a hand on my shoulder. God never leaves you alone–He pushed you onward –even though I can’t do much, I can pray for others, email the sick and lonely. Write notes to the lonely and ill. He still has things for me to do. I am open to His will.