This past Sunday as a part of our “Becoming” series we discussed a few of the contemplative disciplines - solitude, silence and mediation. Definitely felt like we struck a chord this weekend - you can read some great reflections on the service here, here and here.
Afterwords my new friend Sam Duregger came up and told me about an experience had had last summer, living in a tent. Sam willingly chose to live in a tent for six months as a way to simplify his life, save money and stretch his imagination.
He describes it this way on his website TentLife.net
"During my time in a tent in Metro Oklahoma City, I encountered ants, spiders, large animals, and inclement weather… not to mention the sting of solitude and the deafening roar of silence."
We are not prone to solitude and in a go-go world such as ours silence leaves impression that nothing is happening. But a noisy and hurried pace of life locks us into patterns of feeling, thought, and action that are geared in a world set against God.
The disciplines of solitude and silence can help us combat all of the distractions - busyness, pace of life, social entanglements, etc - and help us reconnect with the love and grace of our creator. Richard Foster calls it an inner attention to the Divine Whisper.
It is in silence and solitude that we discover our
dependence on God and find a place of strength, reflection, and renewal.
Even after the experience in a tent, I still struggle to find comfort in silence... I am beginning to think that it is hard for a reason.
Posted by: sam | November 12, 2009 at 06:43 PM