The following piece was written for the Greenfield Hill Congregational Church 2018 Lenten Devotional. Devotional booklets are published twice a year, during the seasons of Advent and Lent. Church members are given a Bible verse and find inspiration in relating it to the broader theme for the season. The theme for Lent 2018 is “silence.”
Romans 8:26-27
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words. And he who searches the hearts of men knows what is the mind of the spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Silence. How I craved it.
I remember having three young children in five years who seemed to never stop speaking, commenting, questioning, arguing or vying for my attention, and the constancy of the noise was so exhausting for me. Ten years later, I am so thankful that I did not have a smart phone when they were small. Now, with two teens and a tween who often prefer the privacy of their rooms – and the allure of the darn phones – to my company, I miss them…even when they are home. I envision them at half their current stature, sitting around the L-shaped kitchen nook, and try to conjure up the happy racquet — “Look, mom! MOM! Do you like my picture?” — as I stand in a too-quiet kitchen chopping vegetables and almost wishing for a fire to put out.
But I am realizing that the solitude, though melancholy, has had the positive effect of drawing me closer to God…because I am a little lonelier (i.e., I need Him more) and because I have a little more time for Him now. Also, I have more to talk to him about lately because suddenly it feels like more is at stake — (You know, “little kids, little problems…”)
We live in a world that engulfs us with constant noise and distraction; it’s a cultural norm. Music and TVs blasting from every public space, even gas station pumps! (How on earth did we ever cope for those two minutes of pumping gas without screens? Not to mention more negation of human interaction — no need to smile or wave at anyone when staring at a screen!)
So our call to action can be to push back the noise of the world…to cover our ears…and carve out space in our lives for silent moments so that we may hear and reflect on how the Lord would have us live. What promising news, then, is Romans 8:26-27. We need help in our weakness and we need the Holy Spirit to intercede on our behalf, for we do not exist within the hallowed walls of a monastery — and this noisy world is too much with us.
So the next time you walk outside with a cup of coffee on a warm lovely morning, try leaving the phone inside. Just sit there. Watch and listen to the birds. You may well find that you feel the presence of the Holy Spirit. And in spite of yourself, you may find yourself uttering, “Thank you, Lord.”
Dear God, We ask that you help us find quiet time on as many days as we can so that we can draw closer to you in silence and listen to your still small voice. And thank you for your promise that the Holy Spirit will intervene on our behalf if we aren’t sure how to pray. Amen.