Silence
WE LIVE IN A NOISY WORLD
ROBERT CARDINAL SARAH CALLS THIS A 'DICTATORSHIP OF NOISE'
And it’s not just about ‘hearing’, but what we see and consume, what busies our fingers, our minds, our fears. Smart phones, apps designed to addict us, 24-7 fear-filled news cycles, Netflix, longer working hours – the list goes on.
None of these things are bad on their own – we’re not anti-technology. But when we’re so stuck in using them that we don’t know how to stop, even for a moment to hear God’s words to us, something needs to break the cycle.
Jesus demonstrated that we all need to step back from the madness and constant pressure of life. And, ultimately, we are following Him and his way.
Silence is not just ‘being quiet’. It is not just ‘doing nothing’. It is entering into the silence to seek God and hear his voice. It can be refreshing, uncomfortable, transformative, perspective-giving.
As a church we want to walk together into silence, to break the pattern of constant noise and distraction to find God again, and see the healing and transformative work that he does in us and through us for the good of others.
Want to go a little deeper?
Invitation to Solitude and Silence by Ruth Haley Barton is a great little read around the practice of solitude and silence. It’s based around the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 19, and covers a whole bunch of ground around our worries, fears and the reality we come to face in the silent place.
Some Resources
We have more to add, but here are a couple of resources for you!
Guided Silent Prayer
We’ve recorded a guided 5-minute silent prayer session, because we know, strange as it sounds, sometimes we need help to enter in to the peace and calm of silence.
