Week 2- Day 2 (PEACE - against anxiety)

Disciplines of Fasting: Silence & Solitude

We often refer to the time between the testaments (The Old and New

Testament) as the 400 years of silence. The people of Israel did not

hear from God for FOUR HUNDRED YEARS. To put that into perspective,

400 years before the current year (2022) was 1622- which is closer to

the painting of the Mona Lisa than it is to present times. We barely had

the King James Bible in 1622. Can you imagine hearing stories of the

last time Christians heard from God- if the last time the church had

heard from God was 1622? Do you think you would still believe? What

would hope look like? What would peace feel like?

When was the last time you experienced silence? Real, true silence?

For me, it was on a tour of Mammoth cave in Kentucky. I was with a

group from my school, and a

er we had listened to the history of the

cave, they told us they were going to turn off all the lights. They asked

us to stand silently when they flipped the switch. I wasnʼt expecting to

be phased, but it ended up being so terrifying that I couldnʼt even

remember if I existed; I had to take some audible breaths to remember

I was alive. The lights were probably only off for 30 seconds, but it felt

like a very long time. While it sounds dramatic, it was actually really

scary.

Silence is scary.

The spiritual discipline of silence may be one of the most challenging

ones, especially in our current society. It is challenging to find a real

moment of silence- even at a coffee shop or on a walk. Noise- in the

form of music, distraction, social media, crying children, friends, tv

shows- keeps us from experiencing silence. While none of these things

are inherently bad, it is a good thing to cleanse our souls of noise.

A discipline that o

en accompanies the discipline of silence is

solitude. These are some of the least practiced spiritual disciplines, and you can probably understand why. They take intentionality and

can be uncomfortable. As you practice these disciplines, you may start

to think or feel things you werenʼt expecting. You may finally figure out

the name of that singer on the radio or have a GREAT idea for a project-

itʼs okay to write those things down! But come back to the silence.

You may also start to think about and feel emotions you havenʼt given

time to. Itʼs a scary thing to go into something like a time of silence and

solitude knowing that you may encounter something uncomfortable or

scary- but you are not alone in the presence of God. You cannot hide

from him, and he is not surprised by anything that surfaces.

You also might not hear anything at all. It might feel like the people of

Israel waiting for God to speak to them. Silence takes practice and

time.

I think about the story of Elijah on the mountain top and how he heard

the Lord in a gentle whisper.

8 Before Elijah heard the Lord, he had to

wait through the noise and commotion of a great wind, an earthquake,

and fire. The practice of silence and solitude is allowing the noise and

commotion of our own lives to settle so that we may hear the gentle

whisper of God.

May we learn to participate in practices that make us feel

uncomfortable so we may be transformed by the voice of God.

REFLECTION:

Take time to practice the disciplines of silence and solitude this week.

Whichever method you choose below (you can select more than one!),

please answer the following questions. Journal, pray or talk to a friend

(or do all 3!)

1. How does silence feel? Why does it feel that way?

2. How does solitude feel? Why do you think it feels that way?

3. What feelings came up that you werenʼt expecting? Were you

able to present those feelings to the Lord? If not, what steps

can you take to surrender to the Lord?

APPLICATION:

-Arrive 5 minutes early to every appointment you have for a week. In

those 5 minutes, sit in silence.

-When youʼre standing in line at the grocery store (or anywhere you

may find yourself in line this week!), donʼt look at your phone. Listen

and pray.

-While youʼre driving to work, sit in silence instead of turning on the

radio.

-Go for a walk without headphones. Pay attention to what you notice.

-If youʼre feeling bold, and if you are able, take a few hours (or even a

day) to sit in silence and solitude. Listen for the Holy Spirit. Or allow

the Holy Spirit to use the discipline of silence to cleanse your mind of

the noise of the world. Remember, it will be uncomfortable,

especially if this is your first time. But stick with it! Itʼll be worth it!