Silence & Solitude
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Introduction
Introduction
Me
We
Today we are talking about a spiritual discipline that we all need to practice and to understand
Christ Jesus practiced this discipline
This Exercise
on numerous occasions
23 And after he sent away the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. So when evening came, he was there alone.
Pray
Alone
Alone
For some that is a scary word
For some that is a sought after word
But in truth most of use avoid it if we can
We often think “I love being by myself” But have you ever really ever been alone?
How did you feel
You might have felt OK for a spell but then…
We Want Friends and we want Family
We desire connection
We fight loneliness with loudness
Music
radios
TV
Phones Everyone has a cell phone
Instant messenger
T.S. Eliot
“Where shall the world be found, where will the word resound? Not here, there is not enough silence”
Sometimes we hide from Silence and Solitude because what frightens us the most is not others but ourselves. Something we are attached to. It is easy sometimes to deal with others, but yourself is a different matter
Loneliness is inner emptiness. Solitude is inner fulfillment. - Richard Foster
What is Solitude
What is Solitude
Being away from others
hard to do sometimes
We have to form a place and a time when we are to be by ourselves with out other and let others know that this is your time and place so that they do not interfere.
Solitude cannot be without silence.
Cannot be by yourself if there is all this other stuff going on in your head
Take a moment for silence
Bothers us
Makes us feel awkward
Not use to it in the culture we live in
If you are talking then you ain’t listening
We tell our children
We need to tell ourselves
A head talking to God with out a heart listening to God is not Solitude
At the same time just not talking is not solitude
We need to learn when to speak and when not to
Ecclesiastes 3
time for everything under the sun
time to speak and a time to listen
James
Tongue is a fire
Be Quick to listen and slow to speak
Solitude is not Isolation
Solitude is not Isolation
Do not fall into the lie that I am practicing solitude when really I am just isolating myself from others.
We are made in Elohim's image and part of that is we are made for community
Why should we practice the discipline of Solitude?
Why should we practice the discipline of Solitude?
Follow Jesus
Example
Matt. 4:1 - Desert
Matt. 14.23 –Went by himself
Mark 1.35 - solitary place to pray
Luke 4.42 –Solitary place
Hear God’s voice better
Ever notice that when the TV is on it is harder to talk on the phone or even talk to a person in the room
the sound distracts us
How much harder is it to talk to God
Thomas Kempis (1441 Imitation of Christ) Monastery in Holland
“In quiet and silence the faithful soul makes progress, the hidden meanings of the Scriptures become clear, and the eyes weep with devotion every night. Even as one learns to grow still, he draws closer to the Creator and farther from the hurly-burly of the world. As one divests himself of friends and acquaintances, he is visited by God and his holy angels.
Express Worship
Express faith
Seek Salvation
Me on the front steps of a Church
To be physically and spiritually Restored
I worked a YMCA camp
We had no time by ourselves and no time for church
even though it is Young Mans Christian Academy
It tires you out fast
Regain perspective
Seek the will of God
Learn to Control the tongue
For some this is a major problem
Gossip
Anger
Cursing
Steps into Solitude
Steps into Solitude
Take advantages of the little solitudes
Moments before others are awake in the morning
car ride
When you first wake up in the bed
We usually loose them take advantage
Develop a quite place
We make playrooms
Family rooms
Why not a place to be alone
Outside
In doors
In garage (my Papa’s favorite)
Try to take a day during the year to go with our words
Set goals for silence and solitude
today I will take 15 minutes
Trade responsibilities with someone else in the family so that you can grab that time for longer periods
The fruits that follow solitude
The fruits that follow solitude
increased sensitivity and compassion for others
Freedom to be with people
Attentiveness to others needs
It helps us learn to love more
Next Steps
Next Steps
Something that most Americans struggle with
Something that I am really having to work at
Necessary discipline
Pray