29 April 2006

The gift of silence

At Communio Sanctorum, Wyman Richardson recounts an unexpected type of midday service, one made of silence instead of sound.

It leaves me with mixed feelings.

As a pre-Vatican II Roman Catholic, I knew what silence was for. I have spent many, many hours in a quiet church, praying, opening my mind and soul to God. Churches were for prayer, in those days. Now, they are "environments" for "worship experience."

There is nothing wrong with a "worship experience," but the Holy Spirit knows that silence is what brings people face to face with God. If He is not welcome in the Roman Catholic church, He will work elsewhere.

In the article, Richardson quotes from T.S. Eliot:
Where is the Life we have lost in living?
Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?

Where is the knowledge we have lost in information? ...
...and closes with:
Find the quiet places. Seek them. Run to them. And then sit and wait. Listen and hear what the Spirit is saying. The silence is a harrowing and a beautiful place.


Read it all.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I think silence is oneof the ways - not the only way :)if that makes sense

I've liked what you've posted about de-churched.

I've been reading a churchless faith recently. Have you read it? If not, you might like to . It helped me a bit.