Revisiting GracePlaces: Lent 1-Silence

Last updated on: March 17, 2014 at 7:00 am by Elizabeth Nordquist

Revisiting GracePlaces: Lent 1-Silence 2014-03-17T07:00:27-07:00 Elizabeth Nordquist

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I have felt overwhelmed with the number and variety of Lenten resources that have come my way this year through many channels, each one seemingly more inviting than the next. I needed to take a moment to stop, to breathe, the listen to what the Spirit was inviting me to let go of or add on as a way of walking toward Easter in a more focused way. As I mused over the possibilities, I kept coming back to older practices in which I have encountered Grace in the past, but have let slide—some out of inertia, some out of a shinier new offer, some out of forgetfulness. So, I am being led this Lent to go back to places where I once encountered the Holy, where I found that in steady practice that I could see Christ more clearly, love Christ more dearly and follow Christ more nearly in earlier legs of the journey. Each week I will re-inhabit one, possibly continue it into the following week, and see what the Spirit, my travel-companion, helps me to see about myself as well as the Christ I follow.

I was asked to review a book on silence, and it prompted me to remember how silence has opened my senses, body and spirit to Holy Presence. There was a time when I led worship twice a day, and the most sacred time was the ten minute silence we observed in each gathering, as a community to sit, to ponder, to pray, to listen. Surely, with just my own schedule and disposition to manage, I can find a way for that kind of silence! Yet, I am finding it challenging. There is an Agenda that rises, somehow almost unbidden, every morning–what does my body need? what does my partner need? what does the house need? what does my neighbor need? what do those who, I am given to love need? But I see that my soul needs some silence, a silence in which I am not busily multi-tasking in my mind about ways to get all the needs of the Agenda met. I need a clear silence in which to be still, one in which the cadence of my breathing becomes more natural and relaxed. And I need an uncluttered silence in which to listen for the “sound of sheer Silence” which is the Holy One.

The first challenge is to get to my sacred corner and plop my body down there, with a timer if necessary. More difficult, though, is to get my mind to reject its addiction to the adrenaline of the “monkey mind” and to be still, be still, be still. To let the Breath of God breathe on me and in me is to enter in that GracePlace where I can allow my long-time knowing of the Graceful Silence fill and surround me. My experience tells me that out of that silence, when I can become “lost in wonder, love and praise,” I often am directed to the next right action of mercy and justice for God’s sake in the world.

I am practicing silence each day this first week of Lent.

Previous Post

March 6, 2014

An Invitation to Stillness: Book Review of Be Still and Know

Next Post

March 15, 2014 Revisiting GracePlaces: Lent II-Walking a Labyrinth

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category action Advent animals attentiveness Beauty blessing body Book Review Brigid Bruce Reyes-Chow celebration change Christmas church clergy misconduct community compassion creation David Hockney discernment Easter Eastertide election Epiphany faith faithfulness feminism forgiveness friendship God of all seasons Gods world Grace gratitude Healing hesychia Hildegard of Bingen Holy Spirit Holy Week hope hospitality humility inclusiveness invitation Jesus Christ journey joy justice kindness labyrinth Lent letting go Light listening Love Love & Salt making space marriage Mary Mechtild of Magdeburg memory Mothering mourning music ordination patience paying attention peacemaking Pentecost perseverance pilgrimage praising Prayer preaching presence reconciliation remembering repentance restoration sacred conversation sainthood Scripture reflection Seasons seeing clearly serving silence soul friend spiritual direction spiritual practice St. Francis storytelling suffering time Transfiguration Sunday transformation traveling trust truth-telling Uncategorized wisdom witness women Word work worship

Select a Month January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What question did Jesus ask Saul on the road to Damascus?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Why do you hate me? Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? Do you not know who I am? Why do you persecute my followers?