They say that confession is good for the soul. So, I must begin with a confession. I have always wanted to write for a newspaper. I can't put my finger on the exact reason why I have such a desire.

Perhaps it's seeing your name in print or some idealized notion of what the news business is like. Needless to say, when Rabbi Elyse Wechterman asked me to consider being a partner in a rotating religious column, I jumped at the chance. Now I struggle with the questions, 'Why write?', and 'What should I say?'

This is not to say that I have nothing to say. I actually have a lot to say, just ask my sons, Jonathan and Nate, about that. However, it is important to speak on matters from our core, from our belief system.

Often we like to categorize our life away in saying, this is my work life, this is my religious life, and this is my recreational life. No, we are not the sum of our parts. We are an integrated whole. Our recreational life or any other part of us does not exist without the other.

So why write or why speak? We speak so that others may listen and, in turn, we listen while others speak. We have been invited into a holy dialogue of speaking, but perhaps more importantly, listening. The Rev. Margaret G. Payne, Bishop of the New England Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America once preached these words in a report: "People who can no longer listen to one another will soon no longer listen to God either; they will always be talking even in the presence of God." How informed and in touch can we be if we only listen to ourselves?

Holy listening can be a tool for transformation. It helps us to focus on the other instead of simply focusing on ourselves. Holy listening is not formulating your rebuttal while the other person takes their "turn" at the speaking part. Holy listening takes practice. It is truly a skill to be learned. Yet it is so important and changes us. We don't have to necessarily agree with each other, but when we know someone's perspective, it informs us of our perspective, too.

Can you imagine a world where we speak and we actually listen to each other?

I am thrilled and honored to be entering into a holy dialogue with all of the other clergy people who will be rotating through this column. I look forward to hearing what we will all say and how we may grow from it. May we listen with open hearts and be changed people.

The Rev. Julie Haspel-Schoenfeld is the pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Attleboro. She has been ordained for 17 years, and has served congregations in New Jersey, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. She is married to the Rev. Hans Haspel-Schoenfeld and enjoys being a mom to Jonathan and Nate.