a new thing

Jun 20, 2018

When I am leading a session I often discourage those in the group from taking notes. Schools probably still teach that it is helpful to write while listening, but I’m not so sure.

At times I have encouraged students, if they have to have a pen in hand, to doodle while actively listening. While some might take up my suggestion for a while they usually return to default setting pretty quickly filling pages with words.

Most often these words do nothing more than duplicate the speaker’s script.

Recently on a weekend retreat one of the participants showed me the notes he had taken as I spoke. The theme of the retreat was “Behold I am doing a new thing, can you not perceive it.” Isaiah 43

His notes were mostly sketches he had drawn with a few key words added. While Robin’s drawings are impressive (the people present are easily recognisable in the drawings), I was most moved by the way he had not simply reproduced my words but related them to his own experience. This is a sure sign of active listening.

Robin is happy for me to share his work with you.

You can see more of Robin Hutton’s work at this Flickr link.

2 Comments

  1. Thanks Fr John, very thought provoking, my current intentional practice is to avoid sinning until I at least exit the church following mass, and beyond if I can, I am constantly amazed at how hard that is without conscious effort! The more of an effort I make though the easier it becomes. Lord forgive me …

    Reply
  2. I find that drawing enables me to see my surroundings and the people I come into contact with in a very clear way. A visual summary of individual events that reminds me of the context of the talk or experience!

    Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Posts

I AM

I AM

I try not to repeat these daily Lenten posts year to year but there are times when the same scriptures pop up annually and I realise that I can’t write it better than I did last year. Today is one such day, not only because of the thought I share but even more in the comments that are added by FFF readers. Today I have left some of last year’s comments helping us to appreciate the power of today’s readings.

my word your home

my word your home

The heart of the home in years past was the hearth.
It was at the hearth that the family gathered for the warmth and light of the flame and the food that was prepared there.
The fire was treated with respect since the same flame which provided energy for the home could just as easily destroy it.

stand up look up

stand up look up

The Israelites in their forty years in the desert were journeying from captivity to freedom, but the struggle of their desert years made them vulnerable to attack from every temptation as today’s first reading continues

confident in God

confident in God

I’m not sure if children today are told the great story of the Emperor’s New Clothes, but if not let’s make sure that the parable is taught at all schools of higher learning.

the teenagers

the teenagers

A few years ago I discovered the wonderful way that God uses my imagination in my prayer.
Such openness to imagination when seeking God does not take us away from reality into fantasy but instead brings me into what is most real and inescapably personal and intimate.