Audiobook Sample
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- Title: Waiting on God
- Author: Andrew Murray
- Narrator: Christopher Smith
- Length: 03:13:58
- Version: Abridged
- Release Date: 18/01/2015
- Publisher: LibriVox
- Genre: Religion & Spirituality, Christianity
- ISBN13: SABLIB9787206
As I settled into my favorite armchair with a cup of jasmine tea – the same one where I first encountered Murakami’s magical realism in Tokyo – I pressed play on Andrew Murray’s “Waiting on God”, narrated by Christopher Smith. The experience immediately transported me back to my Comparative Literature seminars, where we examined how different mediums shape our reception of sacred texts. This LibriVox production offers a fascinating case study in how devotional literature transforms when moving from printed page to spoken word.
Murray’s 19th-century devotional classic, structured as thirty-one daily meditations, takes on new dimensions through Smith’s narration. The South African minister’s exploration of active spiritual waiting – what he calls ‘the highest form of prayer’ – resonates differently when heard rather than read. Smith’s measured cadence creates space for reflection between Murray’s dense theological points, much like the intentional pauses in Japanese Noh theater allow meaning to settle.
Through my cultural lens as both a literature professor and lifelong student of spiritual texts, I’m particularly fascinated by how Murray’s Dutch Reformed theology intersects with contemporary mindfulness practices. His concept of waiting as ‘the soul’s stillness before God’ predates modern meditation movements by a century, yet anticipates their emphasis on presence. The audiobook format accentuates this contemplative quality – during Chapter 12’s discussion of ‘waiting in silence,’ I found myself instinctively closing my eyes to better absorb the teaching, as I once did during Zen meditation workshops in Kyoto.
Christopher Smith’s narration deserves particular praise for its academic sensitivity to Murray’s layered text. His British accent lends appropriate gravitas without becoming ponderous, and he navigates Murray’s frequent Scripture quotations with the ease of a seasoned layreader. The audio quality, while bearing LibriVox’s characteristic volunteer-produced rawness, adds an appealing authenticity – the occasional page turn and subtle intake of breath create intimacy, as if listening to a wise uncle reading from a well-worn family Bible.
The book’s structure poses both opportunities and challenges for audio adaptation. While the daily reading format works beautifully for habitual listening (I found the 4-5 minute chapters perfect for morning devotionals), some thematic repetition becomes more noticeable when heard consecutively. This reminded me of my Berkeley seminar’s discovery that audiobooks amplify structural patterns that might go unnoticed in print.
Murray’s theology of surrender emerges most powerfully in audio form. When Smith reads passages like ‘The great lack of our religion is that we do not know God,’ the spoken word carries an urgency that underlined text cannot convey. Yet some listeners might find Murray’s emphasis on human passivity challenging – his repeated calls to ‘cease from self-effort’ could benefit from the balancing context of his other works about active service.
Comparatively, this production stands between Brother Lawrence’s “Practice of the Presence of God” (more anecdotal) and Bonhoeffer’s “Meditations on the Cross” (more theologically dense). It shares with Yancey’s modern works an accessibility that makes profound concepts approachable, though without contemporary cultural references.
For potential listeners, I’d recommend approaching this as a contemplative practice rather than passive consumption. Keep a journal handy, as I did – many insights warrant pause and reflection. Those exploring Christian mysticism or seeking alternatives to productivity-driven spirituality will find particular value here.
The audiobook’s free availability through LibriVox makes it an exceptional resource for both personal devotion and academic study. As someone who has analyzed spiritual texts across media formats, I can attest that hearing Murray’s words adds dimensions of meaning that silent reading misses – the spoken ‘amen’ at each chapter’s end becomes a participatory moment rather than typographical convention.
With scholarly blessings for your listening journey,
Prof. Emily Chen
