Freedom Road: Eastertide
Quiet Time
(Memorial Day Weekend)
May 27/28, 2017
Digging Deeper
Freedom Road: Quiet Time
Written by: Robert Ismon Brown ([email protected])
Connections Pastor for Education
Chicago First Church of the Nazarene, Lemont, Illinois
Background Notes
Key Scripture Texts: Matthew 5:1-2; Mark 1:35-37; Luke 5:15-16; Habakkuk 2:1
35
In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. 36 And
Simon and his companions hunted for him. 37 When they found him, they said to him, "Everyone is searching for you"
(Mark 1:35-37)
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him.
began to speak, and taught them, saying… (Matthew 5:1-2).
2
Then he
15
But now more than ever the word about Jesus spread abroad; many crowds would gather to hear him and to be cured
of their diseases. 16 But he would withdraw to deserted places and pray (Luke 5:15-16).
I will stand at my watchpost, and station myself on the rampart; I will keep watch to see what he will say to me, and what
he will answer concerning my complaint (Habakkuk 2:1).
Introduction
10
"Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth."
with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge (Psalm 46:10-11).
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The LORD of hosts is
Silence. Listening. Stillness. Our culture resists the invitation to quietness. Bombarded by an unending stream
of media traffic, human life constantly clusters around sounds. Through technology we shut out the world we
consider intrusive and then open ear-gates to vibrations intended to soothe the soul. But are we soothed? Does
the heart beat with alternative rhythms that draw us into the mystery of life and the world, into a different
world: a better one?
The ordinary world is full of noise, and our lives are full of stress. As human technology has brought us laborsaving devices, lifting the burden of work, so it has also brought us clamor and disturbance. Phones ring,
commercials blare, trucks grind, sirens moan, and combine their sounds with a hundred others. Then, when it
would seem that silence finally triumphs, we pick up an earpiece and soak up a digital tune--and do this
voluntarily! Why do we struggle with the quiet? Is it that one set of sounds masks others? Or that external
noise suppresses the troubling thoughts racing through our heads? Some of us add our own audio to help us
through repetitive and "boring" tasks, as if suffering through monotony in silence pains us far too much.
Of course, not all sound is noise. Harmony, rhythm, orchestration, lilting melodies accompanying catchy
words, a baby's coo, the sound of our spouse's car in the driveway--each sound is a sign we welcome. Sounds
evoke feelings, recall memories, settle tense nerves, communicate ideas, warn of danger, cheer on our favorites,
and reinforce the certainties we hold dear. Loud, soft, high, low, blended, mellow, harsh, muffled, inaudible-flavors of sound, not always to our taste, ready for our audition.
Sages and prophets, poets and philosophers since the dawn of recorded history put their hands to crafting words
about the solace of silence and the renewing power of a heightened awareness of the world and of deeper things.
We begin our reflections this week on Freedom Road with liberating insights from a score of contemplative
writers who embraced the truth found in Quiet Time.
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"Where shall the world be found, where will the word resound? Not here, there is not enough silence" (T.S. Eliot, "Ash
Wednesday")
"Settle yourself in solitude and you will come upon Him in yourself" (Teresa of Avila)
"Drop Your still dews of quietness, till all our strivings cease; take from our souls the strain and stress, and let our ordered
lives confess the beauty of Your peace" (John Greenleaf Whittier).
"Jesus calls us from loneliness to solitude... Loneliness is inner emptiness. Solitude is inner fulfillment. Solitude is not
first a place but a state of mind and heart... There is an old proverb to the effect that 'the man who opens his mouth, closes
his eyes!' The purpose of silence and solitude is to be able to see and hear" (Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline,
p.84).
"Stillness and quiet, freedom from the demands of others, becoming inner-directed, these are not goals in themselves.
They are steps on the way to learning the meaning of God's love for us. As one finds the reality of that love, it becomes
possible to offer oneself to God in a mature way and to give some of the same love and understanding to others, selfgiving love without strings attached... Whatever else it involves, one finds in this process of detachment and reattachment
the meaning of being born again, of giving up an old life and being given a new one" (Morton Kelsey, The Other Side of
Silence).
"Choose a suitable time for recollection and frequently consider the loving-kindness of God. Do not read to satisfy
curiosity or to pass the time, but study such things as move your heart to devotion. If you avoid unnecessary talk and
aimless visits, listening to news and gossip, you will find plenty of suitable time to spend in meditation on holy things"
(Thomas a Kempis, The Imitation of Christ).
“Throughout his writings and lectures, Dallas Willard has warned that the hardest thing to get North American people to
do is nothing. The regular practice of doing nothing, however, is crucial for spiritual growth. It keeps us from having an
inflated view of our importance, it surfaces anxiety, fear, and worry along with our controlling strategies to keep from
facing them, and it opens our heart to hear from our real, authentic selves and God.
These benefits of solitude combined with silence — a form of "doing nothing" — are of crucial importance in today's
climate. Arguably, the most distinctive, pervasive characteristic of contemporary folk is stress. And a stressful life is one
prone to depression and anxiety. So now more than ever it is important for Christians to incorporate the disciplines of
solitude and silence into their regular practices.
These disciplines are absolutely fundamental to the Christian life, and they are naturally practiced in tandem. In solitude
we choose to be alone and to reflect on how we experience the facets of life (our family, job, relationship with God,
finances) and what they mean to us while in isolation. We unhook from companionship with others, we take ourselves
physically and mentally out of our social, familial, and other human relationships.
Because one can learn to practice solitude in the anonymity of a crowd, silence is not necessary for practicing solitude, but
it is a very useful aspect of it. Silence involves two aspects. First, one closes oneself off from sounds and seeks a quiet
place. Second, one closes oneself off from communicating with others" (J.P. Moreland).
How afraid are we of being alone? Does silence interrupt our noise? Is solitude the same as loneliness? Can
we be silent with others?
From Dietrich Bonhoeffer's book, Life Together, comes this challenging word:
Let him who cannot be alone beware of community…Let him who is not in community beware of being
alone…Each by itself has profound pitfalls and perils. One who wants fellowship without solitude plunges into
the void of words and feelings, and one who seeks solitude without fellowship perishes in the abyss of vanity,
self-infatuation, and despair.
Blaise Pascal in his Penses wrote: "What else does this craving, and this helplessness, proclaim but that there
was once in man a true happiness, of which all that now remains is the empty print and trace? This he tries in
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vain to fill with everything around him, seeking in things that are not there the help he cannot find in those that
are, though none can help, since this infinite abyss can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object; in
other words by God himself" [Pascal, Pensees, #425]. Augustine echoed this with his statement: "Thou hast
made us for Thyself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee" [Confession, Book I].
"And God said…" Here's a different sound. At the dawn of creation it amplifies the world into existence, from
subatomic particles to whole galaxies, exploding in space where no ear may yet hear, only the mind of God. No
one around to be distracted by the "big bang"; only the Triune God (and perhaps the angels) who is pleased with
the sounds He hears and the ones He makes. "If a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it, does it make a
sound?" A playful philosophical puzzle to be sure. God smiles and replies, "I always hear it." "And God saw
all that he made and it was good." Including the first sounds made by His creation. God knows the silence.
And he knows the sounds. Do we?
Biblical Reflections on the Place of Silence
9 Then Moses and the Levitical priests said to all Israel, "Keep silence and hear, O Israel: this day you have become the
people of the LORD your God. 10 You shall therefore obey the voice of the LORD your God, keeping his commandments
and his statutes, which I command you today." (Deuteronomy 27:9-10).
"Now a word was brought to me stealthily; my ear received the whisper of it. 13 Amid thoughts from visions of the night,
when deep sleep falls on men, 14 dread came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones shake. 15 A spirit
glided past my face; the hair of my flesh stood up. 16 It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance. A form was
before my eyes; there was silence, then I heard a voice: 17 'Can mortal man be in the right before God? Can a man be
pure before his Maker?" (Job 4:12-17). "Teach me, and I will be silent; make me understand how I have gone astray"
(Job 6:24). Oh that you would keep silent, and it would be your wisdom! (Job 13:5).
Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah (Psalm 4:4).
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man
who carries out evil devices! (Psalm 37:7).
"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth" (Psalm 46:10).
For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. … For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for
my hope is from him. (Psalm 62:1, 5).
For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, "In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust
shall be your strength." (Isaiah 30:15).
It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD (Lamentations 3:26).
"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" (Mark 1:35, cf. Luke 4:42).
Solomon, king of Israel, was gifted with wisdom from God. Offered the chance to ask for riches or power, he
chose wisdom instead (see 1 Kings 3). Three collections preserving that wisdom appear in the Hebrew Bible,
and collectively they are known as "Wisdom Literature": Song of Songs, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes. Some
scholars suggest these show progressive experiences of Solomon with "wisdom" or the Hebrew idea hakmah.
From Ecclesiastes 3:7 we learn that there is "a time to keep silent and a time to speak". And also, "To draw
near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools. Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be
hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven, and you upon earth; therefore let your words be few"
(5:1-2). James, in the New Testament, continues the Wisdom tradition and offers extended counsel on the
proper use of the tongue (James 3:1-12)
To the Hebrew writers, silence and quietness were equivalent to listening. Only by listening can Israel hear the
word of God and then obey it. When silent, human beings withhold their own wisdom and allow God to
express His, as in the case of Job. Silence is often connected to "waiting on the Lord", a phrase which implies
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both patience and trust in what God will do in response to our situation. Carving out the discipline of silence
opens us to the salvation of God--at His initiative and in His time.
The public ministry of Jesus was a pressure-cooker existence; human beings persistently demanded his
attention, whether for healing or help. Mark offers this description of Jesus guidance under such conditions:
"31 And he said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while." For many were coming and
going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves" (Mark
6:31-32).
Here we see both rest and solitude, the appropriate discipline for persons engaged in high energy ministry.
The examples of Moses and Paul also come to mind. Before Yahweh could confidently send Moses as His
prophet-prosecutor to Egypt, appealing for the release of captive Israel, He arranged for a forty-year stay in the
"backside of the desert" where Moses would in solitude and silence encounter God at the burning bush and
prepare him for the immense challenges ahead. Paul, after his conversion, spent considerable time alone in
Arabia, allowing his understanding to be re-shaped by a new sense of God, Messiah and what it meant to
become part of the people of God (see Galatians 1:17-18). Under such circumstances each were "taught by
God".
While we are largely called to fellowship in the body of Christ, the twin discipline, solitude-silence,
complements our interaction with others. One writer (Donald Whitney) has commented: "Without silence and
solitude we're shallow. Without fellowship we're stagnant" (Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life). Jesus
practiced both and he taught his followers to do the same. He called them one-by-one, but then formed them
into a community. Bonhoeffer once remarked: "When God calls a man, he calls him alone; but he does not
leave him alone". No wonder Jesus often spoke these formulaic words: "He who has ears to hear, let him hear"
(Matthew 11:15).
The ancient prophet Elijah received considerable attention for his public prophesies, rebukes of royal power and
its holders, spectacular miracles, and his end-of-life fiery chariot ride out of this world. There was nothing
particularly private about the man, although he constantly kept people like Ahab and Jezebel guessing what he
would say or do next! At a critical juncture in his prophetic ministry, he staged a contest between the prophets
of the pagan god Baal and himself on behalf of Yahweh; their goal was to prove who was the one true God.
Amid the frenzied pagan rituals which achieved nothing, Elijah finally called a halt to the excesses and prayed a
simple prayer. And the fire fell from Yahweh on the altar of sacrifice in an amazing show of force and triumph.
We might say it was a very good day for Elijah, and for God! No sooner were the dramatics at an end, than
Elijah received word from Queen Jezebel that Elijah was as good as dead, and a bounty was sworn on his head.
He fled far south from Mount Carmel and took refuge in a solitary cave. While trembling in the darkness,
Elijah witnessed God's mighty acts of power outside the cave: wind, fire and earthquake. Then, out of character
with all the rest, came a "still small voice". This account, which is found in 1 Kings 18-19, climaxes with a
poignant text: "Yahweh was not in the wind, earthquake, fire…but in a "gentle whisper" [literally, still, small
voice] (19:11-12)". What did the voice say? It asked a question: "What are you doing here, Elijah?" (19:13b).
What follows in the passage is God's clarifying word to Elijah who, after much busy activity, finally found the
quiet place where at last he could hear God speaking with him. Reading this entire account is itself a clarifying
experience.
Why Silence and Solitude?
A number of eminent writers, ancient and modern, have written on the virtues of this twin spiritual discipline.
We'd like to glean from their research and offer a summary treatment of the reasons for developing it in our
lives. Of particular note are the following: Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy; Richard Foster, Celebration
of Discipline; Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life; Francis Schaeffer, True
Spirituality; A.W. Tozer, The Best of A.W. Tozer, ed. Warren Wiersbe.
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The Practice of Jesus
Read Matthew 4:1; Matthew 14:23; Mark 1:35 and Luke 4:42. For Jesus, the discipline allowed him to
strengthen his connection with his Father in heaven in order to meet the challenges presented by the human
needs all around him. As a discipline, Jesus never confused the "need to be wanted" with the true purpose of his
mission to "seek and save the lost". Tempting though it might have been to bask in the light popular acclaim,
Jesus resisted that temptation through the discipline of silence and solitude. Part of developing spiritual
"boundaries" is the cultivation of this practice. Deriving joy and peace from the presence of God must not be
confused with drawing attention from the crowds. Jesus knew the difference, and called his disciples to follow
his example.
Hearing God Speak
We have already commented on Elijah's story (1 Kings 19:11-13), and how circumstances forced him from the
public eye into desert solitude at Mt. Horeb. In that place the whisper of God drowned out the noise of the
crowd. Elijah needed a place to "listen" for God's voice. If God in the Unseen One, how much more necessary
is to for us to find the unseen place where visual distractions bombarding physical vision are replaced by the
still small voice and the "vision of God", the "knowledge of the holy" (A.W. Tozer). Shallowness of life grows
out of our allergy to silence. Whereas in silence, the perception of God's voice reaches the depths of our being,
drilling down to the "thoughts and intentions of our hearts" (Hebrew 4:12). Young Samuel, as we noted, found
himself listening to God when he finally realized that the voice he heard was not that of Eli, but the voice of
God instead: "Speak, Yahweh, your servant hears you…" (1 Samuel 3:10). The lyric of the poet is germane:
Speak, Lord, in the stillness
While I wait on Thee;
Hushed my heart to listen,
In expectancy.
Speak, O blessed Master,
In this quiet hour,
Let me see Thy face, Lord,
Feel Thy touch of power. ["The Quiet Hour", E. May Grimes, 1920]
Silent Worship
When the community of Israel came together for worship, they employed a variety of instruments, raising their
praise to the high heavens. A familiar Psalm, in an early English version, reads "Make a joyful noise, all the
earth" (Psalm 100; also, 95; 98). The Hebrew word is rua' and means simply "shout, raise a sound, blast, cry
out". The celebratory aspects of worship "lift the voice" and "strike up the instruments" for Yahweh is the
Great King and His people regularly engagement in "enthronement rituals" honoring His supreme role over all
things. "Let everything which has breath, Praise Yahweh" (Psalm 150). By "making sounds", the ancient
people of God allowed the breath of God to enter their lives and vibrate their vocal chords, taking up the Name
of Yahweh on their lips. Such was the nature of community worship.
But by contrast, the same Hebrew tradition acknowledged the place of silence. Yet it is not really a contrast,
but the logical sequel to exuberant praise. It's a bit like the cheering crowd, welcoming a dignitary to their
gathering; they stand to their feet and shout their approval, acknowledging his arrival. Then, all is hushed and
the room becomes quiet. Their guest may raise his hands to settle his fans, waiting for the silence he needs to
address them. Were they to persist in their demonstrations and not yield to his gestures, would they not
eventually disrespect his reason for coming? And so we find texts like these: "Yahweh is in His holy temple.
Let all the earth be silent before Him" (Habakkuk 2:20). "Be silent before Yahweh God" (Zephaniah 1:7). "Be
silent, all flesh, before Yahweh" (Zechariah 2:13). Adoration, honor, reflection on His worth; these are the
elements of silent worship.
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Deepened Trust
Driven by the cares of this life, even God's people fray around the edges. Life is uneven. Mountain tops are
wonderful places to stand, but valleys generally follow them in the journey of the Christ follower. Will we trust
God in these "low places" as well? Faith requires exercise and occasional rehabilitation. Within the traditions
of Christian spirituality there is something called the "trial of faith"; that rugged testing of the soul's confidence
in the faithfulness of God. Where does the soul go when it is burdened by the heaviness of everything around
it? Again, Scripture offers the example of the Psalmist in the 62nd Psalm:
1. "My soul waits in silence for God", he begins. And what does the soul discover as it "waits in silence"?
That God is "salvation", "rock", "stronghold"--these are the rewards of faith's waiting on God: to discover
once more the character of God, not merely in the abstract, but through the powerful language of the
wilderness.
2. "My hope is from him…I shall not be shaken". Without doubt, we come to the place of silence and solitude
trembling, shaken by the experiences engulfing us. But once in that quiet place, our soul settles and our
heart stills itself, and the images of the God, solid as a rock, pass before the eyes of our understanding.
To borrow a phrase from Paul, "the peace of God, beyond understanding, will guard your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7).
Or, we might look to Isaiah 30:15, "In turning and rest you shall be saved, quietness and trust is your strength".
The word "turning", from the Hebrew shub, means to go back from whence we came--to return. From the place
of quietness we go into the world, the place of service and work. To the place of quietness we return, to
discover trust and fresh faith once more.
Finding Salvation
No one knew more about solitude in his own time than Jeremiah the prophet--the "weeping prophet" who
witnessed the fall of his beloved Jerusalem in the third and final exile to Babylon. Both his prophecy
(Jeremiah) and its appendix (Lamentations) reveal a man deeply touched by his relationship with God, but also
dramatically affected by the plight of his people, Southern Israel (Judah). His prophetic work was not popular,
and on at least one occasion, he was in "the pits"--literally--for refusing to tone down his strong words about the
coming judgment of God on Israel. He found sanctuary in the lyric poetry of the Hebrew language, a literary
form he masterfully used to express his sadness over the national tragedy, but also to exercise confidence that
Yahweh would, one day, save His people. We read:
"Yahweh is good to those who wait for Him, to the one who seeks Him. It is good that he waits silently for the
salvation of Yahweh. It is good for one to bear the yoke in his youth. Let him sit alone and be silent since He has
laid it on him. Let him put his mouth in the dust, perhaps there is hope" (Lamentations 3:25-28).
Those are words for "saints and sinner" alike. Left alone with her own thoughts, stilled by solitude, even an
unbeliever may discover the presence of God. Absent her own words, her own reasonings, she may find at last
the voice of God. What leads us to salvation? Is it not the plain awareness of our own sin, future plight, and
coming judgment? Do not our own words crowd out those facts from our consciousness? Might not our own
arguments become nothing more than roadblocks to the plain truth about ourselves, about Christ, and about
salvation? When we silence our thoughts, lay aside our arguments, and sit in silence, we open ourselves to the
possibility of God's arriving presence, and the salvation He brings.
Restoration
From Mark 6:31, cite previously, we are reminded that one reason for "solitude" is "rest". Among its many
purposes, the Sabbath served this one for ancient Israel, and should do so for us. Work takes its toll on human
life, as does constant interaction with other human beings. True, we are built for relationships and for society,
but not only this. The simple fact of "sleep" as a necessary part of our biology should draw attention to the
importance of "silence" for personal restoration and renewal. "They who wait on the Lord will renew their
strength" (Isaiah 40:31).
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The monastic life, for all its faults, contributes this discipline. Even the "non-professional" benefits from time
spent "on retreat". David, writing what has become the famous 23rd Psalm, included these words: "He leads me
beside the still waters; he restores my soul…" From the Hebrew mēy-nuach, text reads "waters of quietness".
Since David employs a shepherd-sheep metaphor, he refers to the quiet streams as opposed to rushing torrents
where sheep are not startled. Sheep won't drink from turgid, rushing streams, for two reasons. First, because
their nostrils are too close to their mouths and they don't like water up their noses any more than we do; and
second, because if they lose their balance trying to drink in rushing waters, the sheer weight of saturated wool
will render them helpless - and they have the same instinctive fear of drowning that we do. So the shepherd has
to provide for them to drink at still, clear, brimming pools. Might we not say that solitude and silence keeps our
nostrils clear to breath the Spirit of God, and our wool dry from the saturation of the busy life. More
importantly, David connects the "quiet waters" to the experience of a "restored soul". The Hebrew nephesh, for
soul, means the whole of one's human life; the essentially human part of us. Time spent in silence with God
restores our humanity.
Fresh Point of View
What was so fascinating about the "Mountain" to the ancient people of God? We often read of God's leaders
"going up on the mountain", such as Moses, Elijah, and Jesus. Perhaps the clearest reason lies in their "height"
and the vantage point offered by this elevation above the world below. Perspective. Mountains offered fresh
perspective on the world. When on the mountain, I can see for miles in every direction, and whatever happens
"down there" does not affect me in the least. From "up above", the particular is seen in light of the general; the
part in terms of the whole. Spiritually, solitude offers us the prerogatives of the "high mountain" where God
may show us things "in perspective", unhindered by the pesky gnats of our factual lives. Facts are fine things,
but they only tell us "what is", and often, that is not enough for us. "Of course that's the way 'it is'; the problem
is that it's not the way 'it should be'". From such protests arise the call to the silence of the mountain, or, better,
the mountain called silence where we see what may possibly lie ahead.
The New Testament story of Zechariah, father of John the Baptizer, underscores the value of silence to gain
fresh perspective. Once told about the unlikely birth of his son, Zechariah doubts the whole affair. What God
does for him may rather look like something he did "to him": he silenced his tongue until the day of his son's
birth (see Luke 1:20). Later, at the birth of the promised forerunner of Messiah, Zechariah writes the name of
his son, "John" ("favored one"), with the consequential healing of his silence (Luke 1:63-64). What do we take
from this? Perhaps the simple truth that God arranges our life situation so that silence becomes more likely. In
Zechariah's case, God used the nine months of expectancy to shape a man's point of view, and to realized that
God is capable of doing anything consistent with His character. Whatever Zechariah lost through his physical
impairment, he more than made up for in spiritual development. How does God "silence us" when it is in our
best interest to do so?
What Does God Want?
"Lord, what will you have me to do?" Those words come from Acts 9:6 and fell from the lips of Saul as he was
on the verge of his remarkable conversion. Luke tells us he spoke those words "trembling and astonished".
Faced with the perplexing choices, we come to the quiet place often in such a state of mind: trembling and
astonished--puzzled, in fact, by where the highway brings us: to the crossroads. In Saul's (aka Paul) case, God
choose the "silence of blindness" to so darken his outside world that he was forced to contemplate the ways of
God afresh. Led by the hands of another, he arrives in Damascus where faithful Ananias prays for him and
clarifying light from God fills his mind and heart.
Even our Lord during his earthly life confronted such decisions, perhaps among them he counted the selection
of his Twelve disciples to be most important. So Luke 6:12-13 records how he went off to the "mountain to
pray", spending the entire night "in prayer to God". Only after this extended period of solitude did Jesus proceed
to "choose Twelve of them…"
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Knowing When to Keep Quiet
The discipline of silence might well be required, not when we are alone, but when we are with others. "A time
to speak; a time to keep silence" (Ecclesiastes 3:7), writes the Wisdom writer. Proverbs 17:27-28 echoes that
sentiment, reminding us that fools and wisemen are more often than not distinguished by the way they manage
their speech. From James 1:19 we learn the importance of quick-listening but slow speaking, especially when
the speech involves emotional outbursts! Where do we learn the discipline of "keeping quiet"? Certainly the
presenting need arises when we are with others; in the silence we ponder what we said, how we said, and what
impact it had on others and on us. What better place to learn the discipline of silence than in the place of silence
and solitude.
Dallas Willard writes:
Solitude and silence are primary means for correcting the distortions of our embodied social existence. Our
good ideas and intentions are practically helpless in the face of what our body in the social context is poised to
do automatically. Jesus of course understood all this very well. Thus he knew that Peter's declarations that he
would not deny him were irrelevant to what he would actually do in the moment of trial. And in fact the social
setting and Peter's deeply ingrained habits moved him to deny Jesus three times, one right after the other, even
though he had been warned most clearly of what was going to happen.
The "wrung" habits of mind, feeling and body are keyed so closely and so routinely to the social setting that
being alone and being quiet for lengthy periods of time are, for most people, the only way they can take the
body and soul out of the circuits of sin and allow them to find a new habitual orientation in the Kingdom of the
Heavens. Choosing to do this and learning how to do it effectively is a basic part of what we can do to enable us
to do what we cannot do by direct effort, even with the assistance of grace.
Indeed, solitude and silence are powerful means to grace. Bible study, prayer and church attendance, among the
most commonly prescribed activities in Christian circles, generally have little effect for soul transformation, as
is obvious to any observer. If all the people doing them were transformed to health and righteousness by it, the
world would be vastly changed. Their failure to bring about the change is precisely because the body and soul
are so exhausted, fragmented and conflicted that the prescribed activities cannot be appropriately engaged, and
by and large degenerate into legalistic and ineffectual rituals. Lengthy solitude and silence, including rest, can
make them very powerful.
But we must choose these disciplines. God will, generally speaking, not compete for our attention. If we will
not withdraw from the things that obsess and exhaust us into solitude and silence, he will usually leave us to our
own devices. He calls us to "be still and know." To the soul disciplined to wait quietly before him, to lavish
time upon this practice, he will make himself known in ways that will redirect our every thought, feeling and
choice. The body itself will enter a different world of rest and strength. And the effects of solitude and silence
will reverberate through the social settings where one finds oneself.
[From "Spiritual Disciplines, Spiritual Formation and the Restoration of the Soul", The Journal of Psychology
and Theology, Spring, 1998]
The Love of Solitude and Silence
[The following excerpt is taken from Thomas a Kempis, Imitation of Christ, Chapter 20: "The Love of Solitude
and Silence".]
Seek a suitable time for leisure and meditate often on the favors of God. Leave curiosities alone. Read such
matters as bring sorrow to the heart rather than occupation to the mind. If you withdraw yourself from
unnecessary talking and idle running about, from listening to gossip and rumors, you will find enough time that is
suitable for holy meditation.
Very many great saints avoided the company of others wherever possible and chose to serve God in retirement.
“As often as I have been among human beings,” said one writer, “I have returned less human.” We often find this
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to be true when we take part in long conversations. It is easier to be silent altogether than not to speak too much.
To stay at home is easier than to be sufficiently on guard while away. Anyone, then, who aims to live the inner
and spiritual life must go apart, with Jesus, from the crowd.
No man appears in safety before the public eye unless he first relishes obscurity. No man is safe in 30 speaking
unless he loves to be silent. No man rules safely unless he is willing to be ruled. No man commands safely unless
he has learned well how to obey. No man rejoices safely unless he has within him the testimony of a good
conscience.
More than this, the security of the saints was always enveloped in the fear of God, nor were they less cautious and
humble because they were conspicuous for great virtues and graces. The security of the wicked, on the contrary,
springs from pride and presumption, and will end in their own deception.
Never promise yourself security in this life, even though you seem to be a good religious, or a devout hermit. It
happens very often that those whom men esteem highly are more seriously endangered by their own excessive
confidence. Hence, for many it is better not to be too free from temptations, but often to be tried lest they become
too secure, too filled with pride, or even too eager to fall back upon external comforts.
If only a man would never seek passing joys or entangle himself with worldly affairs, what a good conscience he
would have. What great peace and tranquillity would be his, if he cut himself off from all empty care and thought
only of things divine, things helpful to his soul, and put all his trust in God.
No man deserves the consolation of heaven unless he persistently arouses himself to holy contrition. 31 If you
desire true sorrow of heart, seek the privacy of your cell and shut out the uproar of the world, as it is written: “In
your chamber bewail your sins.” There you will find what too often you lose abroad.
Your cell will become dear to you if you remain in it, but if you do not, it will become wearisome. If in the
beginning of your religious life, you live within your cell and keep to it, it will soon become a special friend and a
very great comfort.
In silence and quiet the devout soul advances in virtue and learns the hidden truths of Scripture. There she finds a
flood of tears with which to bathe and cleanse herself nightly, that she may become the more intimate with her
Creator the farther she withdraws from all the tumult of the world. For God and His holy angels will draw near to
him who withdraws from friends and acquaintances.
It is better for a man to be obscure and to attend to his salvation than to neglect it and work miracles. It is
praiseworthy for a religious seldom to go abroad, to flee the sight of men and have no wish to see them.
Why wish to see what you are not permitted to have? “The world passes away and the concupiscence thereof.”
Sensual craving sometimes entices you to wander around, but when the moment is past, what do you bring back
with you save a disturbed conscience and heavy heart? A happy going often leads to a sad return, a merry evening
to a mournful dawn. Thus, all carnal joy begins sweetly but in the end brings remorse and death.
What can you find elsewhere that you cannot find here in your cell? Behold heaven and earth and all the elements,
for of these all things are made. What can you see anywhere under the sun that will remain long? Perhaps you
think you will completely satisfy yourself, but you cannot do so, for if you should see all existing things, what
would they be but an empty vision?
Raise your eyes to God in heaven and pray because of your sins and shortcomings. Leave vanity to the vain. Set
yourself to the things which God has commanded you to do. Close the door upon yourself and call to you Jesus,
your Beloved. Remain with Him in your cell, for nowhere else will you find such peace. If you had not left it, and
had not listened to idle gossip, you would have remained in greater peace. But since you love, sometimes, to hear
news, it is only right that you should suffer sorrow of heart from it.
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Our Vacuum and God's Fullness: Reflections and Actions
[The thoughts below are adapted from The Reading Room @ The Water's Edge; we've taken some editorial
liberties throughout to bring this in line with our study.]
Solitude is the practice of being absent from other people and other things so that we can be present with God.
In solitude, we rest from our attempts to re-create the world in our image. We rest from arranging our
relationships and manipulating people with our words. In solitude, we say to God, "I am here to be changed into
whatever you like." In solitude, we learn to "wait on the Lord." Solitude teaches us that we do not need other
people in the way that we usually think we need them. It teaches us that our value is not determined by our
usefulness to others-who is using our services when we are absent? Solitude teaches us to hear the voice of God,
since we are cut off from the hundreds of other voices that call out to us from our usual company.
Solitude forces us to face despair, yet it provides the only opportunity to discover the amazing power of God's
presence. Too often, we run from our loneliness. We are sensitive to the dark power of despair and lonelinessthe pain defies explanation-however, we can discover that it is often in the midst of such experiences that God's
presence is most powerfully felt. It is only here that we truly comprehend the words of Jesus, "I am with you
always, even to the end of the ages."
Silence is the practice of quieting every voice, including our own inner and outer voices. It is written of one of
the Desert Fathers, Abbot Agatho, "that for three years he carried a stone in his mouth until he learned to be
silent." A rather extreme measure, but it demonstrates how difficult it is for us to be silent. Silence means being
still so that we can hear the Voice that searches our hearts and minds. We must quiet our own hearts and mouths
if are to be able to listen to the voice of God.
Silence also means excusing ourselves from the voices of others. The demands of the world around us do not
easily go away. We hear countless requests and demands each day over the radio, on the television, and from
the people around us. Each vying for our time and attention. Certainly some of these voices are important for us
to hear-especially the voices of our family. However, there is One Voice that is above all necessary for us to
hear. For this reason, we must develop habits of being unavailable to the voices all around us so we can learn to
hear the Divine Voice.
Silence is also necessary to free ourselves from our tendency to control. Silence frees us from the tyranny we
hold over others with our words. Thomas Merton wrote, "It is not speaking that breaks our silence, but the
anxiety to be heard." When we are silent, it is much more difficult to manipulate and control the people and
circumstances around us. Words are the weapons we lay down when we practice silence. We give up our
insistence of being heard and obeyed. Silence forces us to surrender to the will of Another.
Solitude and silence, combined with an engaged mind. These are the practices to open our lives up to the grace
of God. God says, "Be still, and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10). They are the practices of waiting on the
Lord. They are active stillness. They are readying one's heart to receive. Solitude and silence, combined with a
mind that is actively waiting on God will enable us to view life as God reveals it to us. We will consider our
actions and the motives behind them. We will consider the actions of others and allow God to season our
response with compassion and forgiveness-because we first recognize the compassion and forgiveness God has
shown to us.
Solitude and silence, when matched with such attention, destroy the darkness of loneliness as we recognize that
there is One who is eternally present with us. No longer will we coerce people into paying attention to us. These
practices will strengthen our awareness that there is no such thing as solitary confinement-for though we may
find ourselves abandoned by people, God has not, nor will He ever abandon us. We are freed from the
suffocating chains of isolation as we recognize that we are not alone. In silence and solitude, we discover that
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our infinitely empty lives can only find fulfillment in an infinite God. So in silence and solitude, we seek Himand find Him!
The most fantastic thing occurs when we develop what Brother Lawrence termed, "the practice of the presence
of God." When our emptiness has been replaced by the fullness of His presence, we begin to view all other parts
of life in a new way. God removes the "continual lust for more" (Eph 4:19) that results from a life apart from
Him, and replaces it with contentment and ridiculous generosity. Silence and solitude combined with attention
to the presence of God; these are the starting point for all other practices. They place us where we may listen to
hear God's perspective on our world, our circumstances, our goals, and our relationships.
Bible Reading Exercise: Immersed in the Inspired Word
Among the familiar biblical texts for meditation, listening, and divine presence are the Psalms. Poetry breaks
through the ordinary, opens up the heart, and touches mystery. Our spiritual ancestors heard these texts read
aloud, celebrated together through them, soaked their souls with words authorized by God Himself, and
discovered the truth about themselves, the world, and God. Not all Psalms are written with the same style or for
the same purpose. To guide your use of the Psalms in personal Quiet Time, here is a thematic summary of
“types,” with the example Psalms listed.
Laments (Dealing with loss, grief, reversal of fortunes, crisis, calamity, and life that is out of control)
Community
Individual
12, 44, 58, 60, 74, 79, 80, 83, 85, 89*, 90, 94, 123, 126, 129
3, 4, 5, 7, 9-10, 13, 14, 17, 22, 25, 26, 27*, 28, 31, 36*, 39, 40:12-17, 41, 42-43, 52*, 53, 54,
55, 56, 57, 59, 61, 64, 70, 71, 77, 86,89*, 120, 139, 141, 142
Specialized Laments (Penitential: addressing the problem of sin, confession, restoration; Imprecatory: responding to the enemy)
Penitential
Imprecatory
6, 32*, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143
35,69, 83, 88, 109, 137, 140
Thanksgiving (Todah) (Gratitude for the blessings of God for both the community and the individual)
Community
Individual
65*, 67*, 75, 107, 124, 136*
18, 21, 30, 32*, 34, 40:1-11, 66:13-20, 92, 108*, 116, 118, 138
Specialized Thanksgiving (Todah) (Gratitude for the long-term experience of God’s faithfulness to His people and His world)
Salvation History
Songs of Trust
8*, 105-106, 135, 136
11, 16, 23, 27*, 62, 63, 91, 121, 125, 131
Hymns and Doxology (Honoring God by singing of His character, attributes, and personhood)
8*, 19:1-6, 33, 66:1-12, 67*, 95, 100, 103, 104, 111, 113, 114, 117, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149,
150
Liturgies (Public Worship) (Recipes for specialized worship for significant occasions in the life of His people)
Covenant Songs
Royal Enthronement
Songs of Zion (Jerusalem)
Temple Liturgies
50, 78, 81, 89*, 132
2, 18, 20, 21, 29, 45, 47, 72, 93, 95*, 96, 97, 98, 99, 101, 110, 144
46, 48, 76, 84, 87, 122
15, 24, 68*, 82, 95*, 115, 134
Community Psalms (emphasis on the shared wisdom and law which govern the conduct of the community)
Wisdom
Torah poems
1*, 36*, 37, 49, 73, 112, 127, 128, 133
1*, 19:7-14, 119
Further ways of using the Psalms in personal devotions (Quiet Time) include a thematic approach that takes
into consideration the problems of human life in the world. Each of us is influenced by a world that is largely
not of our own making, and every day we experienced the consequences of compromising with that world,
colluding with its values, and shaped by its norms. Reading the Psalms in Quiet Time helps us realize the
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markings of that world and then offers a path to recover a new world where we recognize God as the agent.
The following three tables capture the main themes of this approach, along with example texts.
The Psalms know that the world influences our choices and our conduct, and they name that world with seven
markings that help us …
Realize the World’s Influence through …
1. Anxiety rooted in
Running out. Not enough. Done enough. Been enough. Not measuring up. Sponsored
scarcity
by policy of orange alert. Advertisers remind us that we have not yet arrived because
we have not bought into what they sell. We ration health care, grace, etc. If things
more widely shared, not enough for us.
2. Greed
Rapacious: those who can get, do so; those who have, get more. Cheap labor. Some
can’t keep up. Neighborly relationships become a contest. Artificial needs, where
luxurious wants become real needs. Overwork, 24/7, multi-tasking. Get ahead, stay
even, not fall behind.
3. Self-sufficiency
I can be or must be. Pharaoh: Ezekiel 29 (The Nile is mine, I made it). Rich man in
parable. Make tomatoes without God (that’s why they taste so bad). Deut.8-Don’t say
my power got me this wealth. World without God.
4. Denial
Dominate world can’t keep its promises. Denial is our response. New car, different
beer, better shave, more weapons, more weapons, etc. But they don’t work for us. Bury
the hurt-filled truth.
5. Despair
Understandable reasons. Old world is gone. Many things will not come back. Not safe;
not happy. World in free fall
6. Amnesia
The delete button of amnesia. What do we try to forget about? What do we not want to
know about? I prefer don’t ask, don’t tell. Don’t tell me and I won’t ask. But Moses:
“Take heed lest you forget.” But I want to forget
7. Normlessness
Without God, tradition, or common good: anything is possible. No civic courtesy,
crudeness, shrillness, road rage. Without God our life is a tale told by an idiot; might
makes right; when they come for me…
We come to the Psalms and we ask, “What have you got? Have you got another world?” The Psalms offer us a
counter-world, through the speech and imagination of the poet. Enter the Psalms partly eager, partly with dread.
Another language that counters the claims of our closely held world. Drawn to this other world: it is subversive.
And so the Psalms …
Instead of …
1. Anxiety
2. Greed
3. Self-sufficiency
4. Denial
5. Despair
6. Amnesia
7. Normlessness
Recover a New World to counter the old one through …
Trust-full fidelity counters anxiety caused by threat of enemies, etc.
Abundance counters greed. Doxology tells us that God has funded the
earth, the gift that keeps on giving. Generosity counters grasping. Counter
the wicked who covets the food of others. Sacrament of creation.
Ultimate dependence. Get rid of God, and you can get rid of neighbor.
Vulnerable assert trust and dependence on God. Unequal ground between
self-sufficient and the vulnerable. Those who strike terror.
Abrasive Truth-telling. Startling feature: refuse denial, full truth be told,
especially truth about pain. These are the psalms that the church denies.
Indispensable for maintenance of well-being. The system in the world is
not working, and we will not put up with it any longer.
Hope. Steadfast love. Cast down, defeated. Not hope in self. Not in
outside world. Anticipated parable of nagging widow. “Not lose heart.”
For abandoned hearts. Gather hearts, lift up our hearts, got to have heart!
Lively remembering. The game changer. Historical psalms. Remember
miracles (obedience). Remember disobedience (save us!). Obedience and
rescue depend on memory. Whole history recited with refrain: “Steadfast
love endures forever. ”Resist every delete button of its past.
Normed fidelity. God has given the Torah to Israel. Great Torah Psalms.
Creator has not left the world to be meaningless blob. Torah an active
agent of verbs. Torah yields perfect freedom.
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Text
Psalm 27; 46
Psalm 145
Psalm 10
Psalm 44
Psalm 42-43
Psalm 105; 106;
136
Psalm 19; Psalm
119
In the New World, given to us by reading the Psalms, God is the “Big Agent.” Through reading the Psalms we …
Recognize the supremacy of this God whose character and actions made this other world possible.
1. Anxiety/Trust
God of abundance.
Genesis 8:20-22;
Psalm 65
2. Greed/Abundance
God who prepares a table; generosity. Wine, oil, bread. Wine Psalm 23; Psalm
poured out like blood; bread broken like body; oil for the
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dying and the baptized. Gifts!
3. Self-sufficiency/Ultimate dependence
Trust another and give up our desperate self-sufficiency. Stop Psalm 73
envying the self-sufficient. Who in heaven but You?
Describes the move we make from a world of commodities
that will never give to a world of communion who holds us
with the right hand.
4. Denial/Truth telling
God is a truth telling God. “I belong to another.” Laments are Isaiah 43:1; Psalm
about speaking and hearing and being heard and we tell our
32
secrets in the holy place. Compare Freud, the Jew! You can’t
live if you live in denial. You have to tell your secrets.
5. Despair/Hope
Psalms mediate the promise keeping God so there is no
Psalm 85
despair. Puts all the vocabulary in Psalm 85. The Hebrew
words: hesed, emunah, tzedekah, shalom.
6. Amnesia/Remembering
Community deep in memory from a God who doesn’t forget. Lamentations 3:19Steadfast love, faithfulness, mercy. God remembers what
36; Psalm 98; Psalm
must be performed; God deletes what must be forgotten.
103; Psalm 51
7. Normlessness/Normed Word
Psalter takes us back to Sinai. Happy, blessed are those who
Psalm 1; Psalm 112.
don’t follow wicked but follow Torah. Normed life is like a
tree, a banquet, a dance, a journey home. The foolish never
get to Sinai. Think there is no God, that they can do what
they wish, without God and without neighbor. Sketch of
Torah keeper in Psalm 112.
Further Practical Suggestions
Well, how do we experience Quiet Time? How does a person go about putting the discipline of silence and
solitude into practice? A few general suggestions appear below.
1. Solitude and silence may require time and space
a. Make or find a place where solitude and silence can occur.
1) Find a quiet place in a library, a room in your home, a room in a church; somewhere where you will
not be interrupted.
2) Consider making a spare room in your house into a sanctuary. We make rooms for watching
television, why not make one for communing with God?
3) As an experiment, try to see how quiet you can actually make your home, car, etc.
b. Create a regular, non-negotiable place in your schedule that is solely for the purpose of being alone and
still before God.
c. Carve out three or four days where you can be completely alone. There are many retreat centers
designed specifically for such a purpose.
d. If you have large blocks of time where you are alone (at home, in the car), leave the television, radio,
etc., off and focus your thoughts on scripture and in prayer. We who know how to worry also know how
to meditate-it is just a matter of what our minds dwell on.
2. Solitude and silence do not always require time and space. When you develop a habit of solitude and
silence, you will be able to take them with you wherever you go-especially in the hectic places of your life.
Look for the short times each day where you can find solitude and silence. Use those times to focus your
attention on seeking God's presence.
a. The quiet morning moments before you get out of bed.
b. The quiet after the children have gone to school.
c. The short drive to work (leave the radio off).
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d. The traffic jam on the way to work.
e. The moments you see a beautiful blue sky or green fields or imposing mountains. Let them direct your
thoughts on the Creator.
3. Solitude and silence always require attention. Silence and solitude without engaging the mind will put us to
sleep.
a. Consider memorized Scripture. Chew it over in your thoughts and apply it in appropriate ways to your
circumstances and relationships.
b. Consider an attribute of God. Think of the significance of the fact that He is present (also, able to do the
impossible, gracious, good, just, etc.)
c. Consider the faithful actions of God in the past (Israel, the Church, and in your life). Read Scripture and
see His works in history. Reflect on your past. Ask God to reveal the ways He has provided for you.
d. Listen. Wait in active stillness, "more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait
for the morning" (Ps 130:5-6).
Conclusion
Practices, habitually followed, help shape the persons we become. What habits shape us when we intentionally
remain quietly before the presence of God? Our study this week is about quiet steps on Freedom Road through
the practice of listening for God’s voice. Scripture is our primary witness to the words of God. From its pages
we hear the conversations of others, like ourselves, who come to God with quietness and confidence. These
witnesses teach us what the Quiet Time practice looks like. By way of example, we read the Psalms which
testify to the kind of people we really are, the people we can become, and the God who leads us to a new future
as restored persons.
Not long after the risen Jesus ascended to heaven, a group of the apostles and other followers of Jesus
numbering 120 gathered for prayer in a place simply referred to as “an upper room” (Acts 1:13-14). Here,
according to Jesus’ previous instructions, they “waited” for a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit, God’s gift to
them through the resurrection of Jesus:
49
And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed
with power from on high (Luke 24:49).
Like them, the pilgrims on Freedom Road, may we also find our version of “an upper room” where the practice
of “waiting” opens our hearts to a timely word, received through prayer and listening to the word of God? This
is the place of recovery, the celebration of timely silences, and the “second breath” of the Spirit for a new day
with fresh challenges. Describing such a habitual practice, the prophet Isaiah urges on his fellow-Israelites the
hopeful promise and the fruits of “waiting on the Lord”:
30
Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; 31 but those who wait for the LORD shall
renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk
and not faint (Isaiah 40:30-31).
In the readings at the beginning of our Notes this week, we witness the practice of Jesus which mirrors the
promise of the prophet. Jesus, God-become-human, grew weary and exhausted after long days of teaching and
healing. He not only experienced normal fatigue, but also carried the burdens of the anxious, the sick, the
bereaved, the poor, the marginalized, and the sinner. He sought the desert — the place of scarcity — where the
physical vista typified the changed perspective “near to the heart of God.” His ministry began in the wilderness,
the place where he must depend on his Father for everything to sustain human life. He confessed, with the
Scriptures, “Humans do not live by bread alone, but by every word of God” (Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4;
Luke 4:4). He chose aloneness so that he might know divine togetherness. He waited in the silence so that he
might hear the voice of his Father. He allowed the heights of heaven to fill his life so that he might do the will
of God on earth. If the Son of God, the Word-become-human, required the practice of Quiet Time, how much
more do we?
Memorial Day weekend appropriately calls on a people to remember loved ones, often at the place where they
are buried. Silence is the protocol for such sacred and personal moments of reflection. We respect others by
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allowing them the spaces to do so. For us, the followers of Jesus, every day is a day to remember and by
remembering to be renewed. Our last words this week take the forms of prayer and benediction. Reflect on
them, while making them your own, in your own words that invite the silence for your recovery as well.
Closing Prayer of Solitude and Silence
Lord, I have many excuses ready for not finding the opportunity to be still, for not making the time to be quiet. I
have high expectations of myself. I hear, sometimes too seriously, the expectations of others. I even blame you
sometimes, thinking you want me to do more, for 'more's sake' alone. It's easier to read, or plan, or act, even
easier to doodle or admire the view, than to stop and listen. I'm more accustomed to praying in thanks and in
intercession than in adoration and submission. I bring you my baggage of activity: these are the things that
make the waters muddy: may your Spirit move upon the waters and still them...
Muddy water, let stand, becomes clear,
Lord, I would be immersed in the tranquility of your presence. I give you these minutes of solitary, concentrated
prayer-in-your- presence. Shut out the distractions of noise and anxious thought. Relieve and relax the
pressures of posture and the demands of the body. My very breathing I put under your command:
 that its intake may infuse me with your Spirit
 that its expulsion may signify my cleansing
 that its rhythm may match your vibrant rekindling of my deepest being.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me. [Taken from Rowland Croucher, Still Waters, Deep Waters].
And A Benediction…
Go into the demands of the day released from inner strife and outer stress. After the quiet joy of encounter in
the stillness, may the Holy Spirit remain an inner resource in the dullest routine and the greatest challenge.
The Lord bless you and keep you. Receive his peace. Amen.
Glory to God! Amen.
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