Abba’s Whisper:
Listening for the Voice of God
Alan & Elizabeth Davey (Wipf & Stock, 2017)
Abba’s Whisper:
Listening for the Voice of God
Alan & Elizabeth Davey (Wipf & Stock, 2017)
There is a longstanding tradition that God whispers in our ears. He does not shout. It is in “the holy whisper” writes the Quaker mystic, that we hear Abba’s voice, not in the noise of clamoring crowds or the incessant barrage of social media. To hear the voice of God is an awesome thing—to know his thoughts, to intuit his love, to participate in his good pleasure. It is both gift to be received and art to be cultivated. It can call to us when we least expect; but we can train ourselves to become receptive listeners.
We need help to separate the cacophony of voices calling to us from the quiet whisper of Abba—barely audible. Since our wordy world masks the quiet, respectful voice of God, we need to recognize the primary ways that Abba communicates with his creation. We must embrace practices that move us out of lives of distraction and exchange old patterns of living with new ways of seeing and hearing. From our deep Christian past we hear the voice of St. Augustine murmur, “Whisper in my heart, I am here to save you. I shall hear your voice and make haste to clasp you to myself.”
“In this beautifully written book, the Daveys gently call us to cultivate our receptivity to the whisper of Abba. They draw on a stunningly rich variety of sources to guide the inner journey: poetry, literature, artistic drawings, scripture, personal story, ancient wisdom, theological truths, spiritual writings, and practical guidance. This volume is nourishment for the soul that both satisfies and leaves you yearning for more.”
⸺ Janet Clark, Senior Vice President Academic, Tyndale Seminary, Toronto
“Written by two people whose lives and vocations have been lived out in the rhythms of a large cosmopolitan and multicultural urban setting, Abba’s Whisper causes you to pause, listen, and to wait. Alan and Elizabeth Davey, however, are not proposing a simple contemplative journey; they want us to learn to be attentive so that the intimate soft whispers of God are felt and in turn elicit response.”
⸺ Gary V. Nelson, President, Tyndale University College & Seminary, Toronto; Author of Leadership in DisOrienting Times