Nooma "NOISE"

I was helping a friend out this week by listening to, and giving feedback on some DVD’s for their churches “library” and training materials. She had me review three of the Nooma (www.nooma.com) DVDs, volumes 4-6. I’ve wanted to listen to these ever since reading Rob Bell's book “Velvet Elvis” and this was a wonderful opportunity to hear some of the earlier ones.

I will just say they were all good, from the perspective of outreach and growth. Volume 5, titled “Noise”, was my least favorite, initially, from the “judge a book by its cover” review. I put it in and expected NOTHING because I didn’t see how this could offer me anything. I am well aware of NOISE, after all, I'm a noise creator!

I will also add, initially I was a bit distracted on an art project (pictures coming soon), that I have recently attempted involving sculpture and the human form, something I’ve never attempted but have desired to do for some time. So I’m working away at my kitchen table on the sculpture and I have the DVD in and I’m listening and ‘watching’ Rob Bell talk about the noises in life, to the extent that we NEED and CRAVE noise in our lives. I agree and think…’maybe this won’t be too bad’.

Then the screen goes black…and I’m thinking (and I quote): “Well, what the hell is wrong with this thing!” Yes I know, I know, a good girl wouldn’t use H-E-double tooth sticks…but I did! And I did it in response to a CHRISTIAN DVD, that sin is even worse…

Then, as I go to approach and “fix/slap” the DVD player (refer back to blow-dryer incident), words start to appear on the screen…I return to my perch at the table, now realizing in my aging existence I can either sit at the table and work on the sculpture…and not be able to SEE the stinkin’ TV…or I can GET up and move to the living room where my twisted vision can watch and READ the screen and perhaps learn something. I convince my choleric inner-woman to ‘just give it five minutes’ and we decided to go check this out from a visual perspective.

I don’t want to ruin the lesson for you…so I’ll only share what happened for me. As I sat there listening and reading and “hearing” what the writer was saying, and it had been “quiet” for about 4 or 5 minutes…I heard God softly whisper my name…

He said: “Kim”.

I said: “Yes God?”

He said: “I love you.”

That was it. No great groundbreaking stuff, but truly the discernable voice of God came to me in this place of quiet. Mine was only a few powerful words, a reminder of His love for me. Like water for the soul and JUST what I needed at the end of this week. Imagine what more I would hear, if I could "clear the mechanism” for more then 4 or 5 minutes.

I realize some people may think 'how silly'…just be quiet before God. This takes incredible discipline for me…to sit…be QUIET (mind and mouth) and HEAR God. Even when my mouth is quiet…my mind is on 10,000,000 things.

Bottom line…if you ever have the opportunity to see ANY of the Noomas, check out “NOISE” and listen for God.