Listening for God: A Ministers Journey Through Silence and Doubt

Bible scholar, ordained Methodist minister and author of Just a Sister Away, Weems found herself several years ago maneuvering through her own ""spiritual breakdown."" This account is an extrapolation of her inner struggle as she attempted to prove that ""just because God is silent doesn't mean that God is absent."" Weems believes it is necessary to refute the misconception that solitude and silence are necessary before one can hear God's voice. She invites God to speak to her ""amidst the clutter of family, the noise of pots and pans, the din of a hungry toddler screaming from the backseat during rush hour traffic, and the hassles of the workplace."" In four chapters, Weems addresses the mystery of silence and prayer, the mystery of ministry, the mystery of marriage and mothering, and the mystery of miracles. Each chapter contains several anecdotes, journal entries and musings about Weems's attempts to recover her spirituality, particularly via rituals and nurturing relationships. While Weems's account of ""the long dry seasons"" of her spiritual journey is deeply moving, the struggle between her faith and scholarly knowledge remains relatively unresolved at the end, which may discomfit insecure readers. But others will appreciate Weems's honest assessment that her love affair with God has never quite returned (""not really, not like before"") and admire her determination to comfort others who feel that God has become more distant. (Dec.)