We constantly ask questions. Some for information: "Which way to the market?" Some for enlightenment: "What did you mean when you said ...?" Some simply for sharing: "How was your day?" And some words phrased as questions but not really asking anything: "How do you do?"

In our more reflective moments, or in times of crisis, we ask deeper questions: "Who am I?" "Why am I here?" "What's the point to it all?" In fact, so persistently do we ask questions that some linguists think that the question, not the statement, is the basic stuff of language!

What is less frequently noticed is that in the scriptures God asks questions too. Is God seeking enlightenment? Or information? What's going on here?

To hear God's questions, we turn, as always, to scripture, a place of privileged encounter, the ground of all Christian prayer. Here we find that the God of the Bible is a relational God who takes the initiative to enter into dialogue with men and women. And the dialogue becomes a means by which those men and women, listening to and responding to him, come to know God, and themselves, better; draw closer to God or distance themselves from him; become more attuned to his voice or choose to block it out; achieve clarity; find direction; or simply rest in the delight of God's friendship.

At this conference we'll start with the first question God asks in scripture and then move through some subsequent questions, confident that God still speaks and that his questions are not ancient curiosities but are the living Word spoken into our hearts and lives to initiate a conversation that will lead us into a richer, deeper life of prayer.

The teacher at this year's conference is the Rev. Dr. Ann Paton, a long time friend of the Community. Dr. Paton was Professor of English at Geneva College for 36 years and is an excellent preacher, teacher and retreat leader.