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The Discipline of Silence

He's there, in the silence, and He is ready to meet with you.

Two-thirds of piety consists in being silent.

  - The Rule of Ailbe (Irish, 7th century)

"Be still, and know that I am God."

  - Psalm 46.10

I'm not sure I know exactly what Ailbe was driving at in his rule, but I have discovered there are many benefits to practicing the discipline of silence.

The psalmists connect being silent with knowing the Lord. When we're not talking, not even really active, but awake and listening, it's quite possible we might be able to "hear" the Lord speaking within us. What forms might that take?

Conviction of sin, for one. The Spirit searches us as we wait in silence (Ps. 139.23, 24), and it's quite likely that He will uncover some thought, affection, word, or deed that should not be found in the soul of a saint - or query us about one that should, but is missing.

The response to such prompting is, of course, to confess our sin.

His prompting may also induce us to contemplate some aspect of the divine Being. I sometimes find, in the silence, that my mind wanders to the depths of space, the vast stretches of silence and darkness that go on and on, until I am struck with the immensity of God Who made, sustains, and contains such seemingly interminable space and quiet.

The response to such prompting is wonder, fear, and praise.

Often in the silence God will suddenly wash over my mind with ideas - things I'm working on, things I've been mulling but without any resolution, new ways to approach old tasks, new insights into Him and His Word. Sometimes the rush of these thoughts becomes like a flood, crashing around in my brain, striving to break out and overflow in some way.

At such times I write down my thoughts, scribble a diagram, or just make random notes.

Does all this make me more pious? I have no idea. But the benefit I find from periods of silence is that my sense of the reality of God, of His greatness, closeness, and personal attention to me and my concerns, is heightened and made more concrete.

I hope it is true that He is changing me in the silence, making me more like Jesus, but I'm not the best judge of that.

I commend the practice of silence, whether as part of your daily devotions or set aside as a special time on some occasion. Enter the silence. Be still, and know the Lord.

He's there, in the silence, and He is ready to meet with you.

Today at The Fellowship of Ailbe

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T. M. Moore, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He and his wife, Susie, make their home in the Champlain Valley of Vermont.
Books by T. M. Moore

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