Believe
bonus sermon: Solitude and Silence
RUMC
3/26/17
Anton
Chekhov writes a short story called “The bet.” You can find it on line if you
like, but in short, it is about a debate
between two men who disagreed about the death penalty. The banker argued that
execution was swift and merciful and therefore the most humane and moral
option. The lawyer argued that both were immoral but life in solitary was more
humane.
There was a
heated discussion and a bet. The banker bet 2 million rubles that the lawyer
couldn’t stay in solitary confinement for 5 years. The other man said, “Make it
15 and you have a bet.”
They decided
that he would stay in a lodge on the banker’s property guarded 24 hours a day
with no contact with anyone, but he could have anything he wanted.
Over the years,
he played the piano, read books and more books. He studied and mastered
languages. And he spent years reading and studying the Bible.
The day before
the end of the 15 years, the banker, desperate to keep his 2 million rubles,
planned to kill the lawyer and blame the guards. He went out to the lodge in
the middle of the night and slowly crept up to the door. He let himself in and
was about to do the deed when he spotted a note on the table.
The note was
eloquent, but in part, it said. "Your books (and these years in solitude) have
given me new wisdom. (I now realize that) YOU have lost your reason and taken the wrong path. You have
taken lies for truth, and hideousness for beauty. … I don't want to understand
you. (And I don’t want your money.)”
"To prove to you in action how I despise
all that you live by, I renounce the two million rubles I once wanted so badly,
and which now I despise. To deprive myself of the right to the money I shall go
out from here five hours before the time fixed, and so break the compact ..."
15 years in
solitude had changed the man. But now, through friend’s experience of solitude,
the banker was also changed.
The banker felt
such admiration of the man and contempt for himself that he kissed the man on
the forehead and left. He went back to his house and his tears of self-contempt
kept him from sleeping for the rest of the night.
When the report
of the lawyer’s escape reached the banker, he went to the lodge, took the note
before anyone else could read it, and locked it up in a fireproof safe. [i]
Maybe he wasn’t changed as much as he thought.
Solitude
changes a person. Silence changes a person. Most people, however, rarely seek
either in our busy, noisy, crowded culture. In fact, both shyness and
introversion have almost become mental illnesses. After studying the
professional literature, Christopher
Lane, of Northwestern University, wrote an article entitled, “Shyness: How Normal Behavior Became a Sickness"[ii]
in which we argues that we are treating normal human traits as though they are
mental illnesses.
Although
anything carried too far can become destructive, I want to say very clearly
today that Silence and Solitude are legitimate and important spiritual
practices.
Again
and again, we see the most powerful spiritual experiences of the Bible coming
from times of Solitude and Silence.
· Abraham received
his call in the quiet darkness of the night.
· Moses was often
alone with God on the mountain or in the tabernacle.[iii]
· God spoke with
Elisha,[iv]
· Elijah,[v]
and
· Jacob[vi] while
these men were alone.
· Proverbs says, “Where there are many words,
sin is unavoidable.”[vii]
· You know the
passage from Ecclesiastes 3, “There is a time to be silent, a time to speak.”[viii]
· Habakkuk says,
“The Lord is in His holy temple so let all the earth keep silent.”[ix]
· And Zechariah,
“Let all mortal flesh keep silent before the Lord. “[x]
The
best example is Jesus, who
· “often withdrew
to lonely places and prayed,”[xi]
· sought out
solitude after performing miracles,[xii]
· in times of grief,[xiii]
· choosing the
twelve apostles,[xiv]
· in His distress
in Gethsemane,[xv]
and at other times. Solitude was a consistent practice in Jesus’ life.
One
of the longest and best-known examples of Jesus practice of Silence and
Solitude is the story we read this morning in what is commonly called the
temptation in the wilderness. Immediately after his baptism, Jesus entered 40
days of Silence and Solitude to wrestle with his call, his identity, and his
humanity.
Of course, my favorite reference to Silence
and Solitude is from today’s Psalm, “Be still, and know that I am God.”[xvi] The Psalm
describes violence, natural disaster, war, and just general chaos that are part
of our everyday life. But then came a word from God. “Come behold the works of
the Lord … be still and know that I am God.”
“Be
still and know that I am God.” The simplest command in the Bible. Be still and know that I am God.
I
read all those Biblical stories, as I reflect on the most transformative times in my life, they
have been when I stopped, retreated from the business of life, gave myself the
gift of solitude, and quieted the whirlwind of my thoughts and emotions long
enough to hear the still small voice of God. The most powerful times have been
when my mind, heart, and hands were still long enough to let God be God.
Now
I don’t recommend that any of us spend 15 years in solitary confinement, (That
would be contrary to Jesus call to serve and love) but I do believe Chekov’s
story gives us a peek behind a curtain that many have never dared to part.
I
hope it gives you some encouragement to set your intention to try the spiritual
practice of Silence and Solitude.
It
won’t happen accidently. I know in my life, if I don’t intentionally seek Silence
and Solitude, it just doesn’t happen. There always seems to be someone, or
something, or some music, or some TV show, or some book, or some project
begging for my attention. There is always something that would keep me from
being still long enough to let God be God. I think we would all benefit from
Jesus’ advice: “When you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to
your Father, who is unseen.”[xvii]
Of course, Jesus is actually addressing Pharisees who like to show off when
they pray, but I think it is good advice for all of us too. “Go into your room,
(by yourself) close the door to pray” and shut up long enough to let God be God.
To be still long enough to know that God is God.
Let
me define what I am talking about
The Practice of Silence
is abstaining from speaking so that certain spiritual goals might be sought. Sometimes
silence is observed in order to read, write, or pray. There is no sound, but
there are internal dialogues with self and with God. This can be called
"outward silence."
Other
times the spiritual goal is simply communion with God. So we silence our hearts
and minds inwardly so that God's voice might be heard more clearly. This might
be called inward silence. Inward silence is my favorite.
Solitude is the
spiritual practice of withdrawing to privacy for spiritual purposes. The period of
solitude may last only a few minutes or for days. As with silence, solitude
makes space for prayer or reading, or study; or solitude might simply be time
alone with God.[xviii]
Silence and Solitude, not an alternative to
the practice of Christian community, spiritual relationships, and fellowship. We
don’t have to choose one or the other. Most of us will slide back and forth. I
want us to think of the two as balancing each other. In order to be whole and
healthy we need to seek a balance between community and solitude. It is the
Mary and Martha question. Which is better to be serving Jesus or sitting
quietly at his feet? The answer, of course, is “YES,” both are necessary.
Silence
and Solitude do several things for us.
· Like Elijah on
Mt. Horeb where he heard the gentle whisper of God's voice.[xix]
Silence and Solitude can help us sort out the voice of God from all the other
voices in our lives. It can help us discover the will of God, hear God’s voice,
and opens us to those transformative holy moments when God transforms our
lives.
·
Habakkuk
says, "The Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before
Him,"[xx]
There are no words when we stand before the almighty God. In those moments when
words fail us, our best offering of worship to God is awed Silence and Solitude.
· Finally, I love
the proverb, “Where there are many words, sin is unavoidable.”[xxi]
Maybe that is not true for everyone, but one truth I know, is I rarely get in
as much trouble with my mouth shut, as I do with my mouth open. The very
practical book of James says, “Every
species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has
been tamed by the human species, 8 but no one can
tame the tongue—a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”[xxii]
The practice of Silence and Solitude help us to tame the tongue. If we learn to tame the tongue, we
have a good start in taming our lives for the kingdom.
So
if we want to practice Silence and Solitude as a spiritual practice, where do
we start? Silence and Solitude can be elusive in today’s culture, especially if
you have children at home, and busy lives. I can’t really answer that for you.
But I will say, don’t expect to be able to carve out a week of silence. That is
too much to bite off as a starting place. Start with one-minute retreats. Find
a place in the house, even if it is the bathroom, where you can have 60 seconds
of Silence and Solitude. Maybe when you get in the car to go somewhere, just stop
and be filled with the silence before you start the engine. Look for those one-minute
retreat opportunities.
Then
expand into longer periods of time. I love coming to the church for times of Silence
and Solitude. Instead of driving past the church this week, stop in for 5 minutes
of silence. Sit down in your favorite pew clear you heart and mind, be still
and know that God is God. You might not hear anything, but you will be changed.
And how will you know if you don’t try?
God
says, “Be still and know that I am God.”
We
are going to take a few moments of silence, and if you close your eyes, you can
even have some degree of solitude.
Now,
personally, I can’t just jump into silence, so I use a transition to call me
into silence. Often I use the Jesus prayer, “Jesus Christ, son of God, have
mercy on me a sinner.” But lately I have been using a mediation I shared in the
Lenten Bible Study. So close your eyes. Take a deep breath… And another. Now
listen.
Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be AMEN
[i] Anton Chekhov The Bet http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/Bet.shtml
[ii] "Shyness: How Normal
Behavior Became a Sickness" Yale University Press, October 2007, Christopher
Lane
[iii] Exodus 33:7, 11
[iv] 1 Kings 19
[v] 2 Kings 2:3-5
[vi] Genesis 32:24–32
[vii] Proverbs 10:19
[viii] Ecclesiastes 3:7
[ix] Habakkuk 2:20
[x] Zechariah 2:13
[xi] Luke 5:16
[xii] Mark 1:35,
[xiii] Matthew 14:13
[xiv] Luke 6:12–13
[xv] Luke 22:39–44,
[xvi] Psalm 46:10
[xvii]
Matthew 6:6
[xviii]Adapted
from Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald S.
Whitney, copyright 1991.
[xix] 1 Kings 19:11-13
[xx] 2:20
[xxi] Proverbs 10:19
[xxii]
James 3:5-8
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