17_07 Silence & Solitude

What is “Silence & Solitude”

This Spiritual Rhythm is possibly one of the hardest for those of us who are Martha’s.

“We break the silence of travel with an iPod, the silence of the evening hours with the TV or computer, the silence of sleep with an alarm clock. Every part of our life is inundated with words—urgent words, random words, trivial words, hurtful words, managing words, religious words and on and on. In the midst of so many words it becomes difficult to know which messages are really important and which ones we need to remember.” - Adele Calhoun

Silence & Solitude is the practice of stepping away from whatever your normal rhythm is to be quiet and alone.

Can be for 1 hour or 1 day.

It’s the spiritual “Do Not Disturb” button on life.

It is an exclamation of faith in the fact that God is in control and can keep the world spinning without me for a few hours.

For some of us, just the thought of a moment of silence feels like a joke.

Kids, work, responsibilities, house projects, hobbies, church things.

We can find a million reasons to NOT do this!

Some of us are just afraid of being still for any period of time.

We only need one reason to do it - Jesus did it.

He models this for us all throughout the gospels.

History

Silence & Solitude is not inherently a Christian practice.

Moses, Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad practiced it.

Poets & Philosophers praise it.

Some of the world’s greatest leaders made history defining decisions after practicing silence & solitude

think: Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, Theodore Roosevelt, etc.

What does Culture say about Silence & Solitude?

We live in a go, go, go, culture.

Slowing down is unheard of.

At best we talk about MAYBE taking a vacation.

The regular practice of S&S is not something our busy world values.

We measure our success by our productivity & busyness.

What does Scripture say about Silence & Solitude?

Mat 4:1 - Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

Mat 14:23 - After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone

Mark 1:35 - Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.

Luke 4:42 - At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them.

Jesus spent time in S&S…

Before Jesus began his public ministry

Before choosing the 12 disciples

When he was grieving - like John the Baptist’s death

After great ministry victories - like feeding the 5,000

How does this inform how we live as God’s family?

Jesus

This is a spiritual rhythm of surrender - it forces me to “be still & know that He is God”

It’s a practice that forces me to directly face the things I have been ignoring or pushing down in my heart.

Family

Even though S&S is done on your own, the rootedness it creates in me becomes a wellspring for my church community.

S&S forces me to address my own mental, emotional, & spiritual health.

When I am healthy, I can lead others towards health!

Mission

This is an opportunity for me to model for a watching world what it means to follow the Way of Jesus.

The intentional slowing down & being still becomes a blazing fire on a hilltop in a world that is going 1 million mph.

How do I Practice this?

This practice may feel like the hardest to prioritize, value, and practice.

The good news is, though you and I won’t be very good at it at first, and that’s okay! This is a journey.

(1) You might want to start by only doing a 5 or 10 minute moment of S&S. (Parents, maybe during a nap).

Set an alarm on your phone so you don’t worry about how long it’s been.

Turn on Do Not Disturb & set everything aside.

Don’t even try to use this time to pray or read the Bible.

The purpose of this time is to slow down and listen.

(2) Ask yourself questions like:

What is the Holy Spirit trying to tell you? What is he pointing a finger at?

Where is your mind constantly racing? Is that thing from God? Is it worth the time it’s demanding of you?

(3) If you’re struggling to be present, focus on your breathing or look at the nature around you and identify the beauty you see.

If you struggle to be still, maybe take a walk and put some of the above into practice

(4) Over time, slowly increase how long the time of S&S is.

(5) After you’re done, take note of what God was pointing out in your own heart in a journal and consider sharing it with a friend or family member.

Why should I try this?

“In quietness we often notice things we would rather not notice or feel. Pockets of sadness or anger or loneliness or impatience begin to surface. Our own outer agenda looms larger than our desire to be with God in silence. And as the silence settles in and nothing seems to be happening, we often struggle with the feeling that we are wasting time.

Everything we notice in this struggle can become an invitation to prayer. Like a can opener the silence opens up the contents of our heart, allowing us deeper access to God than we experience at other times. As we remain in the silence, the inner noise and chaos will begin to settle. Our capacity to open up wider and wider to God grows. The holy One has access to places we don’t even know exist in the midst of the hubbub.” Adele Calhoun