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Can You Hear Me Now?

Saturday, March 25, 2006

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.

3 comments:

tam said...

oh kp (can i call you kp? or does it sound too much like kp duty...as in kitchen patrol?)

My sis, B Brat and I were reading this post today! AND! It was wonderful beautiful, absolutely true in it's simplicity.

How-ev-er!

Tooth Picks!

Hockey Sticks!
(heheheh...we are still giggling)

So it isn't really a sin 'cuz you didn't say it right? Right? At risk of offending a way you may have spelled it that we don't know about! (still giggling...)

kpjara said...

You are a complete and total NUT! You can call me kp...though I will ALWAYS think of Kitchen Patrol...so maybe just K. and I always thought it was HE Double TOOTH STICKS..but you're right it is ALSO HOCKEY STICKS..and they do look more like capital L's. So..sin is wiped clean! Thank God and you!

I hope you and B Brat are enjoying your visit. I got to visit with my "little sister" during our spring break and that is time truly treasured...there is nothing like an ADULT sister. I specify adult because we were such feuding younger sisters...now she's my best friend!

Tell B Brat to get back to writing. I know she has all kinds of stories to share.

Unknown said...

The NOOMA videos are great. I just love them. Our churches shows them during the Sunday morning Worship time and when we showed Noise quite a few people thought it was broken as well.