Liturgy for Life : WK 4 - THU
Silence
Psalm 62:1-2
I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken.
Psalm 62:5-6
Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken.
Psalm 62:7
My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.
I think we have become accustomed to noise. It is almost difficult to think of spaces in our lives where there isn’t much noise. Sometimes I like to practice a mindfulness activity where I just listen. I try to notice how many things I can hear in the moment. It is amazing how many things are making some type of sound. There are often so many sounds happening at one time in every moment of our lives that we are not even aware of them. I invite you right now to just stop and listen. See how many different things you can hear in the moment. See if you can count them all and discern what they are. I like to sit in my backyard and do this from time to time. It is pretty amazing. Often, I can hear multiple different types of birds chirping or singing. I notice the sound of cars driving nearby, the freeway off in the distance, the sound of the wind or breeze, my dogs panting, some neighbors talking to each other, and so many other possible sounds on any given day. My point is that we are almost swimming in sound.
If we want to live less frantically and feel less overwhelmed, it will be important for us to practice moments of silence. Times where we hit pause in our lives and intentionally turn off the noise. Silence often accompanies periods of solitude, but not always necessarily. I love the lyrics from a Switchfoot song called “Adding To The Noise.” In the song, they say to the listener, “If we’re adding to the noise, turn off this song." I love that. When we make time for silence, we will be able to listen to our hearts and pay attention to the feelings within us. We can reflect on our thoughts or even give our minds a rest from all the processing and thinking we've been doing.
The other thing silence helps us with is remembering that who we are is not determined by what others and society say we are or should be. This is what the psalmist conveys in today’s passage. In his waiting quietly for and with God, he recognizes that God alone is his rock, salvation, and fortress for life. He is reminded that God alone is Who is hope needs to be in. The honor he desires and needs comes from God and God alone. I also love this verse from the Psalms: “Be still and know that I am God.” I appreciate how The Message translation puts it: “Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything.”
Psalm 62:1-2
I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken.
Psalm 62:5-6
Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken.
Psalm 62:7
My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.
I think we have become accustomed to noise. It is almost difficult to think of spaces in our lives where there isn’t much noise. Sometimes I like to practice a mindfulness activity where I just listen. I try to notice how many things I can hear in the moment. It is amazing how many things are making some type of sound. There are often so many sounds happening at one time in every moment of our lives that we are not even aware of them. I invite you right now to just stop and listen. See how many different things you can hear in the moment. See if you can count them all and discern what they are. I like to sit in my backyard and do this from time to time. It is pretty amazing. Often, I can hear multiple different types of birds chirping or singing. I notice the sound of cars driving nearby, the freeway off in the distance, the sound of the wind or breeze, my dogs panting, some neighbors talking to each other, and so many other possible sounds on any given day. My point is that we are almost swimming in sound.
If we want to live less frantically and feel less overwhelmed, it will be important for us to practice moments of silence. Times where we hit pause in our lives and intentionally turn off the noise. Silence often accompanies periods of solitude, but not always necessarily. I love the lyrics from a Switchfoot song called “Adding To The Noise.” In the song, they say to the listener, “If we’re adding to the noise, turn off this song." I love that. When we make time for silence, we will be able to listen to our hearts and pay attention to the feelings within us. We can reflect on our thoughts or even give our minds a rest from all the processing and thinking we've been doing.
The other thing silence helps us with is remembering that who we are is not determined by what others and society say we are or should be. This is what the psalmist conveys in today’s passage. In his waiting quietly for and with God, he recognizes that God alone is his rock, salvation, and fortress for life. He is reminded that God alone is Who is hope needs to be in. The honor he desires and needs comes from God and God alone. I also love this verse from the Psalms: “Be still and know that I am God.” I appreciate how The Message translation puts it: “Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything.”
- What are your thoughts on spending moments in silence with God? Is it something you currently practice or something you can envision yourself doing?
- Sometimes, the idea of being still and spending time in silence can be frightening and may lead to feelings of anxiety. This is because we often rely on noise and busyness to distract us from thinking and reflecting on our lives. What are your thoughts on this?
- If you were going to spend a few minutes practicing silence with God, where would you do it? How long would you like to do it? What do you anticipate it might feel like to be silent with Jesus?
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