The Gift of an Ear
 
Listening - truly listening - to the people we work with means more than cocking an ear for the sounds and syllables of speech. It means listening in a deeper way for what a person is feeling and experiencing. This kind of listening with the 'third ear', as someone has called it, can allow us to be sensitive to currents that run under the words that people speak aloud. Cultivating such sensitivity can go a long way in creating a good atmosphere in our places of work.
 
Pray
 
Lord, help me be quick to listen, slow to speak. I want to be sensitive to what people around me need or think. I pray this in the name of Jesus, who showed himself able and willing to listen to people's profoundest longings, joys and heartaches.
 
Remember
 
Many people need to be listened to. Often the best gift we can give is the quiet and space that invites them to open up and enables them to speak honestly from the heart.
 
(Taken from Workday Prayers by Timothy Jones, SPCK, 2001)
 Back to Basics or Business as Usual? Responsible Lending, Responsible Borrowing and the Christian Response to the Great Recession9.30 – 3.30, Saturday 12
 The Faith & Public Policy Forum (King’s College London), St Mellitus College and the Centre for Contextual Theology are jointly hosting a study day to reflect theologically on the current economic crisis and ways the church might respond in practice. Amidst the competing visions for the future, it is vital to develop a theological account of ways forward. It is particularly important for churches in London. For the church in London is uniquely placed to respond given that London is not only the most ethnically and religiously diverse city in the world, a major centre of cultural and artistic production, but also a crucial node in the global financial services industry. In addition, it has the only public authority – the Corporation of London – that is specifically focused on lobbying for and representing the interests of that industry both in the UK and globally. In short, the world is in London and London is in the world. Christians in London
 are immersed in every aspect of this city from the street to the boardroom and have relationships with every level, from the homeless person to the business titan. There is therefore a particular responsibility and opportunity for churches to develop a vision and concrete forms of action and policy proposals for the way ahead, proposals grounded in the realities of the world as it is but also faithful to the revelation of the world as it should be given in Jesus Christ.
 To book your place either call 020 7780 1600 or email: justcommunities@theology‐centre.org. It is important to book beforehand. Cost: A suggested contribution of £5 for the day is requested but not required. This is payable on the door. See http://www.theology-centre.org/ for more details.
th December, St Paul’s Onslow Square London SW7 3NX