Missing Silence

Yesterday at church our pastor gave a wonderful sermon that I didn't want to hear. There was so much on my heart and mind that all that seemed necessary to me was a place to be still and talk to God. As good as the message was, I really felt like shouting "Could I please get a little quiet?" Not wanting to embarrass Will, Lisa or Marilyn I kept my cool, but that overwhelming urge reminded me of this post, first shared on a Sunday afternoon way back in September of 2009 after attending a worship service. It still speaks to me. I hope it speaks to you as well...

Over the years I have worked in a wide variety of churches, and I admit that I am a bundle of contradictions when it comes to worship. I love traditional Quaker worship (about as traditional as it gets!) and I love emergent worship aimed at those who can't deal with traditional. You see, I want it all! Anyone who knows me understands how important music is to me, and I love all types of worship music. I can understand what the psalmist meant when he wrote "make a joyful noise to the Lord" because to me they are all joyful noises! I love classic hymns like It Is Well With My Soul, Come Thou Fount, Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee and Amazing Grace. I love the gospel bluegrass style of When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder and I Saw the Light. I love great modern songs like Awesome God, Shout To the Lord, Thy Word and Where Justice Rolls Down. And I love to rock out with the newest praise and worship stuff from people like Chris Tomlin, David Crowder and Starfield. The opening chords to No One Like You from Crowder light a fine in my soul. I loved leading music in church, at youth groups and at Quaker Lake. Music moves me and is an important part of my worship experience. Music helps provide the passion in worship.

I also love a good sermon. To be taught new insights into scripture, to be inspired, to be moved by the spoken word is an important part of the worship experience. Listening to Matthew Hartsfield on a Sunday morning or Tony Campolo anytime can really rattle my cage. I also love when pastors choose to communicate in different ways- through drama, video and other creative forms. I love leaving a service feeling inspired and challenged in my walk with Christ.

Marilyn, Will and I currently attend a church where they do the above things exceptionally well. Van Dyke Church has a variety of great music and pastors who deliver solid messages with style and creativity. But once again this morning I discovered the one thing they don't do well, the one thing very few churches do well anymore. They are missing silence.

Growing up at New Garden Friends Meeting (and continuing later at Springfield) we learned how to "do" silence. Each week there was a 15-25 minute period of "open worship" or "Communion after the manner of Friends" during which there was silence. It followed the message, and people would often stand and speak to what God was laying on their hearts about the sermon. But even if no one spoke, it was a much needed time of "being still" before God and listening for the still, small voice. This practice continued through my days at Quaker Lake, where on the Vespers Hill and at the Campfire Circle we would center our thoughts in periods of silence, meditation and prayer. We believed what George Fox, the original Quaker, had said in the 1650's- "There is one, even Christ Jesus, who can speak to my condition." So we listened for Him. Many of the great spiritual moments of my life took place in those periods of total silence.

Now, the silence has been replaced by background noise. This morning we had a time of silent meditation at Van Dyke, but the piano played the entire time. This is the norm at most churches that have "silence." One time at FUMC-Kissimmee, I had preached the Ash Wednesday service, and wanted a period of silent meditation to accompany the implementation of the ashes. Our Associate Pastor, Rodney, emphasized that while he knew people were not really comfortable with silence, this would be total silence for a few moments. He finished by saying "so as the organ plays, settle into this time of silent meditation." Too funny.

Silence scares people in the church. It is too intimate. What if God is actually trying to speak to me? Do I really want to hear Him? When we open ourselves to the silence and actually listen for God's voice, we join the ranks of the many biblical heroes who listened- and seldom heard what they wanted to hear! So I have to find my times of quiet and solitude with God outside of Church these days. That is not all bad. But still, I feel sorry for those who don't know how amazing silence can be. And I wonder if God is being heard like He should be in our world today.

So give me a great sermon, a Chris Tomlin worship set and a slick video to challenge my mind and my spirit. But please, leave me some to "be still and know that He is God." I do miss the silence...

Because of Jesus,

"You're Soaking In It"

Some of my older readers may remember the old Palmolive dishwashing detergent in which clients of a manicurist named Marge would discover they were soaking their hands in the detergent. She would always reveal her secret by announcing, "You're soaking in it." From time to time I like to provide you with inspirational readings- Scripture, song lyrics, poetry or some other devotional reading- so you can just soak in it. Treat the words like a hot tub. You don't have to DO anything; just sit, soak in them and let them wash over you. Stay WIDE OPEN to what God has to say to you. Today's words come once again from Lois Cheney's 1969 devotional classic God Is No Fool.

"Be still and know that I AM God."

The hymns rise and fall.

The organ lifts and uplifts.

The choir in its practiced solemnity focuses its praise.

Standing at the sound of prayers, we hear the chants of Scripture fill the nave.

The sermon adds its one-voice contribution.

All, all in reverent noise.

The meeting turns on Christ.

The conversation patters to Christ.

The laughter smiles with Christ.

The daily devotional drowns out the Christ.

All, all in reverent noise.

The first bird is heard.

The baby's cry is heard.

The embarrassed cough is heard.

Who is silent?

Who is waiting for Jesus?

Who is listening to God?

"Be still and know that I AM God."

Because of Jesus,

Waiting Expectantly

The Presence in the Midst
FYI- very few Quakers still dress this way :)

This morning at 9:30 Marilyn, our friend Lisa and I (Will is sick ) plan to worship at our home church along with nearly 1000 others. There will be loud music from a killer band, exciting use of giant video screens and a video wall, and a sermon that comes with the usual promise from our pastor of "the most important one I've ever given." And it will be excellent- they most always are. There will be excitement, energy and plenty of noise as we worship God together. I look forward to being there.

Last Sunday morning I was in NC where a group of us visited a small Quaker Meeting pastored by an old friend. Even with the 5 of us there were less than 40 in attendance. There was no praise team, just a choir and a piano. There were no video screens or any other technology besides one microphone. There was no hoopla, no hyperbole and no frills whatsoever. At the appointed hour, worship began. And it began in silence. I was so excited.

Silence is as scary thing in the modern church and in modern culture. Long "pauses" without noise make people uncomfortable. I remember once at the UMC I served in Kissimmee, FL an Associate Pastor going on and on about how we were going to have brief period of absolute silence to quiet our hearts and clear our minds. He repeated this over and over as he instructed us until finishing with these words: "And now, as the organ plays, we will pause for a moment of complete silence." We just don't do silence very well anymore. In worship last Sunday, there were periods of silence in between each of the elements of the service. I laughed to myself thinking that in most churches today people would have been sitting in their pews wondering, "Who messed up? What should be happening now?" There are fewer and fewer Quakers who have an appreciation for silence. Where silence is still a part of worship, it is often tolerated rather than embraced. People no longer understand the power of the quiet moment. But there is great power if you truly grasp the WHY of silence in worship.

Silence in worship is not about being quiet, it's about expectantly waiting. We allow the presence of God to fill the room in a very real way when we wait on it. We allow the Holy Spirit space to move in us when we center our hearts and minds on the things of God rather than the troubles of the day. We take the time to allow the scriptures, the message, the music and the Holy Spirit within us to speak into our hearts- and sometimes give us a message to share. A vibrant Friends Meeting that uses periods of silence in worship rarely has "silent worship." Last Sunday was no exception. People wait expectantly, and often numerous members of the congregation will rise and speak messages of faith, hope and love. So many times in the days of my youth those messages were much deeper and much more important than anything the pastor had to say. And I can tell you first hand of finding myself on my feet and speaking during periods of open worship with no real memory of standing up. When the Spirit says move, you move. And then you settle back into waiting. Because God always more for us if we take the time to wait on it.

I love worshipping at my church. The music, the technology and the high levels of excitement often move me and let us all express our praises to God and our love for Jesus. But we miss so much when we are afraid of silence. There is an intimacy in those moments that cannot be replicated by any other element in worship. I have my silent times by myself during the week and they are wonderful. But in my experience there is very little that equals the power of the gathered body of Christ waiting expectantly to feel the presence in our midst. It is my prayer today that the modern church would rediscover the power of silence in worship. Even if we have to do it "as the guitar plays..." Be still and know.

Because of Jesus,

Before You Speak...

I spend a lot of time sharing my thoughts and opinions with the world.  I saw this and thought it should serve as a reminder to all of us who write, preach and pontificate, no matter the forum.

Because of Jesus, 

Still Missing Silence

This post (now updated) first appeared on September 6, 2009- less than 2 weeks after I began this blog. It is still among my favorites...

Over the years I worked in and attended a wide variety of churches, and I admit that I am a bundle of contradictions when it comes to worship.  I love traditional Quaker worship (about as traditional as it gets!) and I love emergant worship aimed at those who can't deal with traditional- and everything in-between! You see, I want it all.  Anyone who knows me understands how important music is to me, and I love all types of worship music. I can understand what the psalmist meant when he wrote "make a joyful noise to the Lord" because to me they are all joyful noises! I love classic hymns like It Is Well With My Soul, Come Thou Fount, Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee and Amazing Grace. I love the gospel bluegrass style of When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder and I Saw the Light. I love great modern songs like Awesome God, Shout To the Lord, Thy Word and Where Justice Rolls Down.  And I love to rock out with the newest praise and worship stuff from people like Chris Tomlin, David Crowder and Starfield. The opening chords to No One Like You from Crowder lights a fine in my soul.  I loved leading music in church, at youth groups and at Quaker Lake.  Music moves me and is an important part of my worship experience.  Music helps provide the passion in worship.

I also love a good sermon. To be taught new insights into scripture, to be inspired, to be moved by the spoken word is an important part of the worship experience. Listening to Matthew Hartsfield on a Sunday morning or Tony Campolo anytime can really rattle my cage. I also love when pastors choose to communicate in different ways- through drama, video and other creative forms. I love leaving a service feeling inspired and challenged in my walk with Christ.

Marilyn, Will and I currently attend a church where they often do the above things exceptionally well.  Van Dyke Church has tremendous musicians and an excellent group of pastors. At times they can be very creative.  But every Sunday morning I notice the one thing they don't do well, the one thing very few churches do well anymore. They are missing silence.

Growing up at New Garden Friends Meeting (and continuing later at Springfield Friends Meeting) I learned how to "do" silence.  Each week there was a 15-25 minute period of "open worship" or "Communion after the manner of Friends" during which there was silence. It followed the message, and people would often stand and speak to what God was laying on their hearts about the sermon. But even if no one spoke, it was a much needed time of "being still" before God and listening for the still, small voice. This practice continued through my days at Quaker Lake, where on the Vespers Hill and at the Campfire Circle we would center our thoughts in periods of silence, meditation and prayer. We believed what George Fox, the original Quaker, had said in the 1650's-"There is one, even Christ Jesus, who can speak to my condition." So we listened for Him. Many of the great spiritual moments of my life took place in those periods of total silence.

Now, the silence has been replaced by background noise. Even when churches do have times of "silent meditation" it is usually accompanied by music. One time at FUMC-Kissimmee, I had preached the Ash Wednesday service and wanted a period of silent meditation to accompany the implementation of the ashes.  Our Associate Pastor, Rodney, emphasized that while he knew people were not really comfortable with silence, this would be total silence for a few moments. He finished by saying "so as the organ plays, settle into this time of silent meditation."  Too funny.

Silence scares people in the church. It is too intimate. What if God is actually trying to speak to me? Do I really want to hear Him? When we open ourselves to the silence and actually listen for God's voice, we join the ranks of the many biblical heroes who listened- and seldom heard what they wanted to hear! So I have to find my times of quiet and solitude with God outside of Church these days. That is not all bad. But still, I feel sorry for those who don't know how amazing silence can be. And I wonder if God is being heard like He should be in our world today.

So give me a Tony Campolo sermon, a Chris Tomlin worship set and a powerful drama to challenge my mind and my spirit. But please, leave me some time to "be still and know that He is God." I do miss the silence...


Because of Jesus,

Missing Silence

Over the years I have worked in a wide variety of churches, and I admit that I am a bundle of contradictions when it comes to worship. I love traditional Quaker worship (about as traditional as it gets!) and I love emergant worship aimed at those who can't deal with traditional. You see, I want it all! Anyone who knows me understands how important music is to me, and I love all types of worship music. I can understand what the psalmist meant when he wrote "make a joyful noise to the Lord" because to me they are all joyful noises! I love classic hymns like It Is Well With My Soul, Come Thou Fount, Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee and Amazing Grace. I love the gospel bluegrass style of When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder and I Saw the Light. I love great modern songs like Awesome God, Shout To the Lord, Thy Word and Where Justice Rolls Down. And I love to rock out with the newest praise and worship stuff from people like Chris Tomlin, David Crowder and Starfield. The opening chords to No One Like You from Crowder lights a fine in my soul. I loved leading music in church, at youth groups and at Quaker Lake. Music moves me and is an important part of my worship experience. Music helps provide the passion in worship.

I also love a good sermon. To be taught new insights into scripture, to be inspired, to be moved by the spoken word is an important part of the worship experience. Listening to Matthew Hartsfield on a Sunday morning or Tony Campolo anytime can really rattle my cage. I also love when pastors choose to communicate in different ways- through drama, video and other creative forms. I love leaving a service feeling inspired and challenged in my walk with Christ.

Marilyn, Will and I currently attend a church where they do the above things exceptionally well. Van Dyke Church has a variety of great music and pastors who deliver solid messages with style and creativity. But once again this morning I discovered the one thing they don't do well, the one thing very few churches do well anymore. They are missing silence.

Growing up at New Garden Friends Meeting (and continuing later at Springfield) we learned how to "do" silence. Each week there was a 15-25 minute period of "open worship" or "Communion after the manner of Friends" during which there was silence. It followed the message, and people would often stand and speak to what God was laying on their hearts about the sermon. But even if no one spoke, it was a much needed time of "being still" before God and listening for the still, small voice. This practice continued through my days at Quaker Lake, where on the Vespers Hill and at the Campfire Circle we would center our thoughts in periods of silence, meditation and prayer. We believed what George Fox, the original Quaker, had said in the 1650's- "There is one, even Christ Jesus, who can speak to my condition." So we listened for Him. Many of the great spiritual moments of my life took place in those periods of total silence.

Now, the silence has been replaced by background noise. This morning we had a time of silent meditation at Van Dyke, but the piano played the entire time. This is the norm at most churches that have "silence." One time at FUMC-Kissimmee, I had preached the Ash Wednesday service, and wanted a period of silent meditation to accompany the implementation of the ashes.  Our Associate Pastor, Rodney, emphasized that while he knew people were not really comfortable with silence, this would be total silence for a few moments. He finished by saying "so as the organ plays, settle into this time of silent meditation." Too funny.

Silence scares people in the church. It is too intimate. What if God is actually trying to speak to me? Do I really want to hear Him? When we open ourselves to the silence and actually listen for God's voice, we join the ranks of the many biblical heroes who listened- and seldom heard what they wanted to hear! So I have to find my times of quiet and solitude with God outside of Church these days. That is not all bad. But still, I feel sorry for those who don't know how amazing silence can be. And I wonder if God is being heard like He should be in our world today.

So give me a Tony Campolo sermon, a Chris Tomlin worship set and a slick video to challenge my mind and my spirit. But please, leave me some to "be still and know that He is God." I do miss the silence...

Because of Jesus,