On Silence

I’ve been thinking about silence, and how much I thirst for it.

As you may know, we share a home with our daughter Maggie, son-in-law Brandon and two perfect granddaughters, Piper (age 8) and Maisie (age 5). I know what you’re thinking. “Perfect. Really?” Yes, really! All grandchildren are perfect! Just ask their grandparents!

Our littles are perfect. And perfectly noisy. Noisy when they play. Noisy when they sing at the top of their lungs, which they do a lot. Noisy when they run in circles around the house, laughing hysterically. (Do you remember the last time running made you joyful? Me either.) 

For the first time, they are now at school all day. That means six hours of quiet that Harry and I are still adjusting to. And the quiet has made me realize how much I’ve needed it!

We all need silence for times of reflection and renewal. Times of quieting our racing hearts and minds, listening for the voice of God, who waits in the depths of our being to talk to us if we would only get still enough to hear. But spiritual silence takes effort and intentionality.

We’re probably all familiar with Psalm 46:10, in which God says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” But if we’re being honest, being truly still can be challenging. Being still is not the same as being quiet. A quiet house doesn’t automatically allow me to be still! Stillness involves the mind as much as the body, and it seems that it’s becoming harder and harder to still our minds on a regular basis.

Father Richard Rohr writes that because of technology, “We are a toxically overstimulated people. Only time will tell the deep effects of this on emotional maturity, relationship, communication, conversation, and religion itself. Silence now seems like a luxury, but it is not so much a luxury as it is a choice and decision at the heart of every spiritual discipline and growth.” 

That is why one of the spiritual practices is silence. If you can find even 10 or 15 minutes in your day to close yourself off from the world, God will draw near. If you can find a bit of time in your evening to turn off the TV, close your book, or silence your phone, God will be there. God is, in fact, always there, waiting.

Sometimes, you may “hear” what God wants you to know. And sometimes, God simply wants to enfold you quietly in the arms of the Son, Jesus.

In my last reflection, I wrote that just being silent, opening our heart, mind and spirit to God, is itself a form of prayer. Of course, there are many others. Breath prayers. Praying with beads (Yes, you can be a Protestant and use beads to pray!). Meditating on scripture. Walking meditation. Prayers of praise, confession, intercession. The Examen.  

Your Women at the Well ministry invites the women of the church (including both friends and members) to our September retreat, Pathways to Prayer. If you’re interested in learning new ways to connect to the Spirit, including those listed above, join us on September 13, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., in the Friendship Room at the church. We gather to celebrate our sisterhood, hear a message on prayer from Pastor Nancy Becker, try some new practices, sing, talk, create, and have fun.

This event is free to all participants, thanks to the Smock grant. It will include coffee, fruit and pastries upon arrival, along with lunch. There will be plenty of things to learn and practice, and also plenty of free time—to walk our meditation path, sit quietly at a prayer station, or just talk with other women.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to sign up in the narthex or the pavilion, please let a member of the team know you’d like to come: Trish Lawson, Ginger Boys, Rose Ross, Sharon Kinsey, or me. Or you can call the church and leave a message.

Mother Teresa writes: “We need to find God, and [God] cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature—trees, flowers, grass—grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and sun, how they move in silence. We need silence to be able to touch souls.”

And, I would add, we need silence to allow our souls to be touched by God.

Praying for that blessed silence in your day,

Lou Ann