Why Do We Have a "Preparatory Silence"?
The first time I visited Missio Dei, one of the things that stood out most was that we took a minute to sit in silence before the message. At that time in my life, rest was hard to come by and every moment felt filled with input, noise, and hurry. Sitting in church with the lights dim and no one talking, no music, no distractions, it felt like I could let my mind and heart settle. It felt like there was a muddy lake inside me that was finally able to start settling and allowing the surface to smooth out so I could notice God’s presence.
Taking a minute or so to sit in silence at each gathering may seem counterintuitive. After all, the gathering is around an hour and twenty minutes once a week. Why would we spend any of this precious time not learning, not communicating, not singing?
Christian Thinkers on Silence
I feel that I am only beginning to scratch the surface of this topic in my own life, so I often have to rely on the wisdom of others to remind me why silence is important to spiritual life. In The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, John Mark Comer notes that the gospels frequently mention Jesus withdrawing to quiet or lonely places. In fact, he notes that:
“In Luke’s gospel in particular, you can chart Jesus’ life along two axis points: the busier and more in demand and famous Jesus became, and the more he withdrew to his quiet place to pray” (Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, 130).
I also often think of a story about Dan Rather interviewing Mother Teresa. He asked what she said during her prayers, to which she replied, “I listen.” Dan Rather then asked, “Well, then, what does God say?” Mother Teresa smiled and answered, “He listens.” For an instant, Dan didn’t know what to say. “And if you don’t understand that,” Mother Teresa added, “I can’t explain it to you.”
This exchange with Mother Teresa highlights a bias in my own thinking that I suspect many share: we expect worship services to be active. We expect to sing, talk to God, or learn about God. These are of course extremely valuable, but imagine if you had a close friend or spouse and your only ways of engaging with them were to do the talking, listen to someone else talk about them, or praise their characteristics. If you did those things but never took time to enjoy silence together or listen to what they were saying, something essential would be missing from your relationship.
Practicing Silence in the Modern World
Silence is scarce for most of us–there is almost always music, a podcast, or an audiobook to listen to, someone to call, or just noise in the background (think of a coffee shop, a workplace breakroom, or a park). Yet silence is so important to the development of our relationship with God, that Missio sets aside time to facilitate our practice. In this setting, ambient noise is unavoidable, but we can cultivate a spirit of silence despite our surroundings. In fact, even if sitting quietly with a room full of people isn’t as silent as sitting alone, engaging in imperfect, shared silence provides a communal encouragement that silence alone does not.
Taking time for silence before the message allows God to prepare our hearts for His work during the message, but our time of silence is rarely fully silent. For me, some weeks this preparation feels like letting go of just one or two of the things that have been distracting me. Other times, when I’m holding a squirming baby or have barely made it to my seat before the time of silence starts, my personal silence may involve less hearing God and more trying to let go of the stress and hurry of the week or the day. Sometimes, trying to contain a small child so that others can experience silence takes up most (or all) of my attention. Other weeks, I can sense God’s presence more clearly in the silence and feel myself growing closer to God.
Whether distractions remain or we feel fully at peace, silence allows us to prepare for the message, worship, and draw close to God. This time at the beginning of the gathering can be the gateway to listening to God as He listens to us.