But let it be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit which is precious in the sight of God. 1 Peter 3:4
This year I was accepted into the One Year On-line Spiritual Formation Academy sponsored by the Upper Room. My first gathering on Zoom was February 24 - 26, 2022. The days were filled with learning, reading, journaling, praying (communal and individual), worshiping, and being. We began and ended each day in silence.
When I first read the agenda and then listened to the invitation to enter holy silence at 9 p.m. and not breaking this until after we began worship at 9 a.m. I was intimidated and a little worried about shutting off my emails and phone; not engaging in conversation with others and using this time to intentionally quiet myself.
For those that know me, I am always thinking/doing/listening/speaking/engaging, I have 10,000 thoughts with 10,000 words. I was challenged to embrace this time as connecting to God; to slow down; to enter a quietness of surroundings and soul.
I realized that I have allowed the demands of life, including ministry, family responsibilities, and world events, to disconnect me from the peace that Jesus offers me. This can happen so gradually and easily, that sometimes we do not even notice it until we have a nervous stomach often, we are quick to anger, we feel disconnected, and we may even express resentment.
As we move through this time of Lent, I extend this invitation to each of you to enter into purposeful silence, allowing God to enter the space and fill your thoughts and mind with the love of God. May we inhale – God’s abundant peace and exhale all that disturbs our peace of mind.
My hope is that this quote will be a springboard for prayer and silence.
“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 the sun, they move in silence…we need silence to be able to touch our souls” Mother Teresa. Amen.