“I called a meeting for clearness, including my pastor and several friends I knew to have gifts of discernment and wisdom. I presented my concerns, and then we entered into a time of silent listening. After that, people asked me questions and expressed their sense of what the Spirit was saying.” –Nancy Thomas, Fruit of the Vine

Query: How has God spoken to you through your local congregation?

As I sit in the silence,

the seed deepens, puts down roots.

On the surface, nothing changes.

Not even a hint of the harvest

to come.

–Nancy Thomas, from “What Happens in the Dark” in Close to the Ground