Day 8

"Everyone needs silence: the teacher, the nurse, the social worker; the artist, the poet, the doctor; the lawyer, the housewife, the cabdriver. To neglect this need is to risk living a tense, fragmented, spiritless life. Formation in Christian living is not confined to monasteries; it is a survival measure in the modern world. If we do not nourish our souls, they atrophy as do bodies without food. To maintain any kind of Christlike presence in the world, we need to seek silence and its fruits in the practices of spiritual reading, meditation, prayer and contemplation" -Pathways to Spiritual Living

READ: Mark 1:35

RELATE: Have you noticed how quiet it is? When was the last time you sat in silence? Ok, maybe you haven't noticed it. Maybe you've filled your time, lately, with Christian music and Christ-centered movies and the Bible. Don't get me wrong, that's all good. But read that quote again. This is not a new thought. Many early Christians have sought places where they could be quiet. In fact, in the Old Testament times, it was believed that if you spent time in silence, you would sense the presence of God. Not that you would hear from Him... but that you would sense Him.

So when was the last time you sensed God? Did you know that there is a monastery only a few hours from San Francisco which, if you stay there, is silent... all the time? No talking. Quiet walking. It's away from the noise and chaos of life... and hundreds of people go there to sense God. If you want to go, you have to book your room a year in advance!

Silence is more about discipline than it is about quietness. To seek silence is thought of to be like seeking God. It's hard to find... difficult through all the noise... but when you find it... you realize how good it is.

And it can't be just a short time of silence... sure you can start with an hour... but to really notice things, you need to do it for a while. Scholars believe that when Jesus goes off to pray, He is actually seeking silence... quietness... stillness. Maybe we need to model Jesus a bit more.

RESPOND: So here's the ultimate challenge this week. Each day we are going to seek silence. Stillness. Quietness. For the week, though, get rid of anything that drowns out God's presence. In fact, don't listen to any kind of music this week. Don't watch any kind of movie. Reading is ok... but avoid noise at all cost. Do whatever you can to not allow noise into your life. A couple students have already started avoiding all media... and they have some interesting perspective. Each day, respond on the journal to your experience in silence. What is it like? What do you like about it? What makes it difficult?

Finally, be ready for tomorrow! Tomorrow you will learn that silence is truly golden!