An introduction to Friends Couple Enrichment in the QuakerSpeak series under the care of Friends Journal.

Quakers speak often of listening: listening for the still small voice, listening to God, listening to each other. A favorite quote from Douglas Steere is about “listening another into wholeness.” But how often do we stop and think about HOW we listen? Do we recognize listening as a spiritual muscle that can be trained and strengthened? Do we offer experiential support to help us learn to listen as a vital part of peacemaking?

In their 22 years of work with Friends Couple Enrichment, Mike and Marsha Green have come to appreciate how having a structure – or discipline – around listening can transform listening from a passive reception of information into a dynamic, growth-enhancing opportunity. In the past year they have experimented with how to incorporate disciplined listening into the work of Meeting committees, board meetings, emotionally-fraught discussions of racial equity, and other opportunities.

In this talk, they will share their experiences of ways that bringing discipline to our listening can affect those around us, and invite participants to experience this discipline.