Seeking Silence
I got up this morning at 6:00am and went outside and sat on my front porch in the cool morning. I drank my coffee, read the compilation of Passion Narratives from all four Gospels I put together, and wrote this devotion. Aside from a few outside noises--a car driving . . . a barking dog . . . crickets or frogs from the pond across the street from me—all's quiet on the home front. That wonderful, much-needed presence has again come for a visit—QUIETNESS. Oh, how I love it . . . how I need it.
I cannot be the man I should be without times of quietness. Stillness is an essential part of our growing deeper as we grow older. We will not become men and women of God without the presence of solitude. Those words haunt me when I get caught in the treadmill of my calendar, time schedules and trying to meet the deadline of demands of my week, just like I know you experience. We are simply geared too high. Thanks to a blend of Alka-Seltzer, coffee, energy drinks, and Tylenol, we repeat our nonproductive haste with overwhelming regularity.
We are in such a hurry, we hate to miss one panel of a revolving door. We just have to open every FB post, Snap, Tik Tok, Tweet and Text. Talk about pollution! I want you to think about what our nervous systems undergo just to stay afloat: NOISE (music, news, talk, laughter, machinery, appliances, cell phones, social media, and traffic) from 6:00 a.m. 'til midnight. SPEED (bumper-to-bumper at 65 mph, on-ramps and off-ramps, deadlines, schedules and appointments) that all make us frown rather than smile . . . that causes us to check our watches more often than checking in with our Lord. ACTIVITIES(meetings, services, suppers, luncheons, breakfasts, rallies, our kids sport games, even church functions and ministries—all ("necessary" and "nice") that have a way of dismissing quietness like an unwanted guest. Sure—some things are important—super, in fact—but not EVERYTHING! Listen, if you and I REALLY treasure quietness, we will have to make time for it. When you feed it only the "leftovers" from the schedule, quietness always goes hungry.
I do not usually send out a devotion on Sundays, but today being Palm Sunday. I’'m just being direct and honest with you about an ingredient that cannot be ignored much longer in our lives without our paying a dear, dear price; and that is our need: To be quiet with God. Quiet to love ourselves enough to listen to God. Quiet to allow God to listen to and love us. I am desperately concerned that we slow down and quiet down and gear down our lives so that each week we carve out time for quietness, solitude, thought, prayer, meditation, and soul searching. And Jesus is concerned as well. Oh, how much agitation, stress and anxiety will begin to fade away . . . how insignificant petty differences will seem . . . how big God will become and how small our troubles will appear! Security, peace, and confidence will move right on in.
“The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD. Look, the LORD is ready to pass by.”A very powerful wind went before the LORD, digging into the mountain and causing landslides, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the windstorm there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake, there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. After the fire, there was a soft whisper. When Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his robe and went out and stood at the entrance to the cave.” (1 Kings 19:11-13)
You want know something? That still, small voice will never shout. God's methods don't change because we are so noisy and super busy. He is longing for your attention, your undivided and full attention. He wants to talk with you in times of quietness (with the TV OFF) about your need for understanding, love, compassion, patience, self-control, a calm spirit, genuine humility . . . and wisdom. But He won't run your hectic race to catch up. He will wait and wait until you finally sit in silence and listen.
Lent is a season set aside to slow down, shut up, be quiet and listen. Today begins Holy Week, and as the name self explains, it is the Holiest week in the church. The services of Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday, are two of the quietest, most reflective services of the church. If you have never gone through a complete Holy Week experience of Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday I highly encourage you to do so. It is from going through, experiencing and participating in the quiet, reflective Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services that the full force of Easter is felt. This week, I also want to encourage you to seek out more silence and quiet moments. Read through the passion narratives of the Gospels.
I am praying for you.
I am here for you if you want to reach out to talk.
Much love,
Gary
TWO MORE THINGS:
FIRST:
As I mentioned above I made a compilation of the Passion Narratives from all 4 Gospels. Each Gopels passion narrative contains some details the others do not. So I read through and went through all four Gospels and compiled the together in chronological order to create one complete passion narrative. I assigned parts to it so it can be read at a church service or other gathering. I will send that out in another post.
SECOND:
IF you are in the Madison/Huntsville area, and your church does not have Holy Week services of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, here is the list of services I will be leading and ALL our welcomed! For questions or more information please email me at garyl@onedirection.community. Or post it in comments box below.Holy Week Services
Thursday, April 6, 6:30pm-8:00pm: Maundy Thursday Service: Maundy” comes from the Latin word “mandatum” meaning mandate or commandment. On his last night before his betrayal and arrest, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples In John’s Gospel and then gave them a new commandment to love one another as he had loved them (John 13:34). He instituted the Lord’s Supper in Mark, Matthew and Luke and the commandment to “Do this in remembrance of me.” Jesus in John’s Gospel also instituted the washing of feet. Service will be held at 102 Champions Green Drive, Madison Al.
Friday, April7, 6:00pm-7:30pm, Good Friday Service: This service remembers God’s loving and redeeming the world through the passion and the saving works of the cross of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Gathering will be held outdoors at Indian Creek Greenway located in Creekwood Park off Slaughter Road in Madison just north of the Farrow Rd / Slaughter Rd intersection. 392 Harvest Wood Ct.Huntsville, AL 35806. We will be outside so dress appropriately for the weather that evening.