Silence and Solitude
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“In a noise-polluted world, it is even difficult to hear ourselves think let alone try to be still and know God. Yet it seems essential for our spiritual life to seek some silence, no matter how busy we may be. Silence is not to be shunned as empty space, but to be befriended as fertile ground for intimacy with God.” –Susan Muto
“We are so afraid of silence that we chase ourselves from one event to the next in order not to have to spend a moment alone with ourselves, in order to have to look at ourselves in the mirror.” –Dietrich Bonhoffer
“12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.” -1 Kings 19:12
“1When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.” –Revelation 8:1
Excerpt from “Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices that Transform Us” by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun:
“It is difficult to find silence in an age of technology and information. Silence challenges our cultural addiction to amusement, words, music, advertising, noise, alarms and voices. Silence asks for patience and waiting. And both silence and waiting make us uncomfortable. They seem so unproductive. We can’t tell if we are doing anything in them. So when we come upon silence, we fill it. We cram it with something else we can learn or do or achieve. (page 108) Solitude is a formative place because it gives God’s Spirit time and space to do deep work. When no one is there to watch, judge and interpret what we say, the Spirit often brings us face to face with hidden motives and compulsions. The world of recognition, achievement and applause disappears, and we stand squarely before God without props. (page 112) The habit of glancing at words and people extends to our relationship with God. We want pithy, memorable sermons. We want more religious words to chew on. The trouble is there are so many other things we are trying to remember that the sermon evaporates by the time we reach the parking lot. Could it be that what we need is time alone with God and a lot fewer words? (page 108) The Song of Songs is a mysteriously wonderful book of the Bible. It gives a glimpse of lovers who want to be alone so they can express the full range of their love for one another. The church regards this book as descriptive of human love as well as divine love. God longs to commune with his children. He beckons, “Arise, come, my darling; / my beautiful one, come with me” (Song of Songs 2:13). In solitude the heart waits for God, and God alone. Here the soul opens wide to listen and receive. (page 112)
“It is difficult to find silence in an age of technology and information. Silence challenges our cultural addiction to amusement, words, music, advertising, noise, alarms and voices. Silence asks for patience and waiting. And both silence and waiting make us uncomfortable. They seem so unproductive. We can’t tell if we are doing anything in them. So when we come upon silence, we fill it. We cram it with something else we can learn or do or achieve. (page 108) Solitude is a formative place because it gives God’s Spirit time and space to do deep work. When no one is there to watch, judge and interpret what we say, the Spirit often brings us face to face with hidden motives and compulsions. The world of recognition, achievement and applause disappears, and we stand squarely before God without props. (page 112) The habit of glancing at words and people extends to our relationship with God. We want pithy, memorable sermons. We want more religious words to chew on. The trouble is there are so many other things we are trying to remember that the sermon evaporates by the time we reach the parking lot. Could it be that what we need is time alone with God and a lot fewer words? (page 108) The Song of Songs is a mysteriously wonderful book of the Bible. It gives a glimpse of lovers who want to be alone so they can express the full range of their love for one another. The church regards this book as descriptive of human love as well as divine love. God longs to commune with his children. He beckons, “Arise, come, my darling; / my beautiful one, come with me” (Song of Songs 2:13). In solitude the heart waits for God, and God alone. Here the soul opens wide to listen and receive. (page 112)
Goal for this week: to be free oneself from the addiction and distraction of noise while leaving people and things behind and enter into alone time with God
Other Resources to consider:
The Way of the Heart by Henry Nouwen
Invitation to Solitude and Silence by Ruth Haley Barton
The Way of the Heart by Henry Nouwen
Invitation to Solitude and Silence by Ruth Haley Barton
Begin the week with reflection by answering these questions
_how and when do you resist or avoid being alone?
_what tends to pop into your mind when you are alone
_what do you resort to doing when alone?
_how do you like to fill silence?
_where do you have silence with God in your life?
Take 5 minutes and pray to God. Don’t worry if you don’t have words for the prayer, just sit before God for 5 minutes.
TUESDAY
Take your alarm clock or phone alarm and set it for 10 minutes. Set it aside, possibly in the next room where you can still hear it go off, but not in visible sight. The timer lets you forget the time and settle into the quiet. Don’t worry about the time. Don’t open a book. Simply sit in silence. Take notice of where your thoughts go and how comfortable/ uncomfortable you are.
WEDNESDAY
Choose a gentle activity that you can do alone. A walk, jog, drive, folding laundry, etc. Dedicate that time of the activity to you and God. You are alone from other people, but not from God. Dedicate the entire time of the activity to no interruption, and spending with God. Notice how you felt through the time alone and spending it with God. How did God speak to you or you speak to Him?
THURSDAY
Set your alarm (like Tuesday) for 10 minutes. Be alone and in silence from anyone and everything else. Read Psalm 37:4- “Delight yourself in the Lord / and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Reflect what this verse tells you today.
FRIDAY
What is it that you often go to when silence arrives? The TV? The radio? A newspaper? Whatever it may be, fast from that item today. In other words, stay away from it! Don’t go near it. When silence comes up, embrace it and don’t turn on the TV. When silence comes up, sit there for a moment and notice the stillness and remember you sit with God.
SATURDAY
What day’s exercise challenged you the most? Repeat that day’s exercise today.
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