Introduction: Silence & Solitude
Throughout the Scriptures, people regularly experience God in profound ways as they enter into spaces of silence, solitude, and stillness. The book of Genesis is defined and guided by varying moments of individuals alone with God to either receive promises from him or wrestle with him about those promises. In the story of the Exodus, before entering the Promised Land and after years of slavery, Israel spends 40 years in the wilderness, wandering with God. In this wilderness Exodus tells us that Moses regularly went outside the camp to the Tent of Meeting to listen to God. 1 Kings recounts the Prophet Elijah’s retreat with God on Mount Horeb. The Psalms regularly sing and the Prophets repeatedly praise the practice of waiting for God in silence, stillness, and solitude.
Over the next three weeks, we’ll look at three examples of Jesus himself practicing this discipline and instructing his followers to do the same. In the book of Acts and the letters of the early church, the Apostle Peter regularly withdrew to times of silence and prayer, the Apostle Paul spent three years alone with God before starting his ministry, and the Apostle John’s final years were spent in solitude, exiled to the island of Patmos.
All this to say, the practice of silence and solitude, is a thoroughly biblical and Christian discipline. Although, many religions have some practice of silence itself and the Santa Monica based Headspace has repackaged meditation for the secular age. The Christian practice of silence and solitude is grounded not solely in emptying (as in other traditions), but the filling of oneself with the Spirit and presence of God.
We’ve developed a three-part working definition for silence and solitude built on the Gospel of Mark’s three narratives of Jesus entering into solitude for prayer. In these three stories, we find that silence and solitude is intentional, quiet time alone with God and our own souls. This is a time to (1) renew, (2) rest, and (3) relinquish.
Week 1: Renew — Mark 1:35-39
Often we spend our days distracted and compulsively running after any number of priorities. In silence and solitude, we, like Jesus, discover and reclaim who we are and what God has called us to do.
Week 2: Rest — Mark 6:30–47
Life is hard and is filled with labor, stress, distractions, and anxieties. In silence and solitude, we rest from work and activity and hear Jesus’ call to “come away by yourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.”
Week 3: Relinquish — Mark 14:32–39
The Hebrew word for “Be still” is literally “to let go of your grip.” In silence and solitude, we let go of our will, expectations of perfection, need for safety and control. We pray, “Not my will, but yours be done.”
Over the next three weeks, we invite you to follow along with each week of this practice. We recommend you work through it within your discipleship group. Transformation happens in community. Please reach out to a pastor if you need help finding a discipleship group.
More questions about the practice of Silence and Solitude? Check out this FAQ or email Pastor Ryan.