[A]nd when the abbot began to recite a verse the choir responded humbly, and none of them dared to recite a single verse except the abbot himself; and none spoke without permission, except when they were praising the Lord, unless the abbot permitted; and even then they did not speak in words, but by making it known by some intelligible sign with eye, or lip, or hand, to indicate what they desired to say. And the abbot would write on a tablet with a style every answer he gave them.
– The Life of Brendan of Clonfeert
“But the LORD is in His holy temple.
Let all the earth keep silence before Him.”
– Habakkuk 2.20
Monastic worship
This is one of my favorite passages in the Brendan story. It gives us insight to an aspect of monastic life which is seldom seen and which, these days, almost never emulated.
Our text allows us a glimpse into a service of worship. We cannot know whether this was a normal service or a prayer vigil. The monks sat in “choirs” of fourteen each, opposite one another, while the abbot occupied a chair between them. Brendan and his company were invited to join them for this service. Candles were lit, and as they reflected off the various liturgical implements—patten, chalice, cups—the flickering light must have lent an air of mystery and spirituality to the proceedings.
The pervading sound of the service was silence. The abbot would read a verse or passage and all would respond, whether in unison—with a common phrase—or by their own individual response—“Amen” or “Thank You, Jesus” or “Yes, Lord” or some such phrase—is not clear. At times they would all praise the Lord together, perhaps by singing or reciting a psalm. Those who sought to speak indicated so in one or another familiar gesture, and the abbot would grant permission. Then he would record “on a tablet”—probably a waxed tablet—his response to what was shared. The comments would perhaps later be recorded in a journal of the monastery’s proceedings, those who shared noted by name. The service, it appears, would end in silence.
The virtues of silence
We live in a noisy world. Sadly, the discipline of keeping silence before the Lord has nearly disappeared from Christian life. We hear of those who go on an occasional “silent retreat.” And, from time to time in our services of worship, the leader may call us to “a moment of silent prayer.” But otherwise, the noise of our boisterous world has wormed its way into our lives, individually and as congregations. We just don’t know how to “keep silence” before the Lord. Or why we should.
As to the how, that’s not rocket silence. Just come before the Lord, acknowledge His Presence with you, and you with Him, then listen, speaking in psalms or hymns or spiritual songs or a brief word of response only occasionally, and then sparingly. Do this for ten minutes. Then thirty. Then an hour. Whatever it takes to recover the discipline of silence and gain the benefit it provides.
And that benefit is great indeed. In silence we are better able to focus on our vision of the Lord Jesus, exalted in glory. In silence our minds can gather the various images from psalms and prophets and apostles of Jesus on His throne at the Father’s right hand. We can see Him there. Draw near Him there. Take our seat with Him there and look out on our world from His vantage point. In silence we can listen as He speaks His Word to us. We can better know His Spirit searching, cleansing, and filling us. We can allow the activities of our day to be paraded before us and offer them to Jesus, seeking His wisdom and strength and preparing our soul and body to glorify Him in all things.
In short, silence offers the sweetest, surest, safest, and most precious environment in which to commune with and participate in Jesus and the joy of our salvation.
For Reflection
1. Do you have time for silence in your relationship with the Lord? In what ways?2. Why do we allow so much of this world’s noise to rob us of the precious benefits of being silent before the Lord?
Psalm 62.1, 2, 5, 6
(Germany: Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness)
My soul in silence, waits, O LORD,
safely I stand within Your Word!
You are my Rock, my Stronghold true,
and my Salvation, LORD, are You!
My soul in silence waits, O LORD,
hoping in You and in Your Word.
You are my Rock, my Stronghold true,
and my Salvation, LORD, are You!
T. M. Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest this week: Our Read Moore podcast takes up the book Understanding the Times to help us in knowing how to live and proclaim the Kingdom. Our ReVision series, “The Kingdom Economy”, continues to unpack the secrets of the Kingdom. And new in our bookstore, our book, The Ongoing Work of Christ shows us how the book of Acts provides a template and footprint for all who take up the work of building Jesus’ Church.
And please prayerfully consider supporting The Fellowship of Ailbe with your prayers and gifts. You can contribute online, via PayPal or Anedot, or by sending a gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451.
Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
