One of the themes that I want to explore on this blog is worship in real life. I can’t talk about worship in the context of music, the only instrument that I play is the CD. However, I can talk about silence as worship. I did one or two Retreats of Silence while I was in college. These were fairly short affairs, usually lasting less than a whole day. More recently, I have tried a couple of longer retreats of silence.

A couple of years ago, I needed a mental break and a spiritual retreat. I took a weekend off and went to a state park in Clermont and camped for the weekend. It was just me, the tent, my Bible, and my bike. It was only two nights away, but was a great chance to recharge. It was also probably the starting point for my Eschatologue series.

Then earlier this year, I took another retreat of silence. A group of several friends met up in Georgia to stay at a house in the mountains. In the evenings and at breakfast, we talked, laughed, studied the Bible together and prayed. The rest of the time was spent in silence. Again, this was only a couple of days, but was a much needed recharge.

Each of these retreats has been a time of great worship for me. If you are not familiar with a retreat of silence, or have no idea of how to fill that much time, here are a few suggestions:

1. Spend time in Bible study. Worship God with your mind by digging into the Scripture. For example, on my retreat of silence in Georgia this year, I studied the book of Ecclesiastes, as well as Paul’s letters to Timothy.
2. Pray! As I studied both Ecclesiastes and the letters to Timothy, I prayed about how the scriptures applied to me. I asked God to help me live out the truths expressed in those scriptures.
3. Pray some more! In Georgia, I took time to pray for each family in my church, by name, and expressly prayed for the needs in their families that had been made known to me.
4. Meditate. I spent several hours walking along mountain roads. I spent time praying as I walked, but I also meditated over the scriptures that I had read, or the morning Bible study that the group of us had done.
5. Journal. On both of my retreats of silence I spent time journaling. For me journaling consists of writing my prayers to God, and writing my thoughts from the scriptures that I had studied. I don’t journal very regularly, but when I make time, it helps me to pray in writing.

If you have never taken time to be silent, consider trying one afternoon. Leave your home, so that you are not distracted by things that need to be done, or the telephone. Turn off your cell phone. Stay away from televisions. There are so many distractions in our modern world that it is very difficult to take time to focus on God without distractions. Silence is considered a spiritual discipline for a good reason. It is not easy to remove yourself from the distractions of daily life. It is very hard for us to slow down enough to be quiet and listen for God’s still, small voice.

Make time this month to spend a few hours alone with God. Worship Him in silence!