Introduction
As has been our tradition at CBC for many years, the period before Holy Week has been a time of reflection and preparation. And this Lenten season will be no different. This year, however, as prepare for Easter Sunday we want to lay the groundwork of deeper spiritual formation for years to come by cultivating two spiritual disciplines that have largely been ignored in our tradition: solitude and silence. Solitude is the temporary and voluntary withdrawal from people and things in order to hear from God. While silence is the temporary and voluntary cessation from speaking in order to hear from God. The twin disciplines of solitude and silence are the most intriguing and beneficial of the spiritual disciplines and because of the crowded and noisy nature of the culture we live in, the two that seem the hardest to come by. We seem to be able to find time to pray, and to read the word, but it becomes increasingly more difficult for the people of God to find time to be alone in quiet with God.
We have developed a devotional for the Lenten season that will challenge us to engage in disciplines with which we may not have much experience: silence, solitude and meditation. These are among the classic Christian disciplines that have benefitted our brothers and sisters over the centuries.1 These disciplines facilitate a closer walk with Christ by developing a listening ear to what God is saying and where God is leading.
1For those who wish to go deeper into these, please consider reading Richard Foster’s The Celebration of Discipline. His ideas form much of the guidance for this devotional.
We have developed a devotional for the Lenten season that will challenge us to engage in disciplines with which we may not have much experience: silence, solitude and meditation. These are among the classic Christian disciplines that have benefitted our brothers and sisters over the centuries.1 These disciplines facilitate a closer walk with Christ by developing a listening ear to what God is saying and where God is leading.
1For those who wish to go deeper into these, please consider reading Richard Foster’s The Celebration of Discipline. His ideas form much of the guidance for this devotional.
Download the Devotional
- Letter-sized PDF
- Booklet format (prints on letter sized paper, folded in half)
Solitude, Silence, and the Example of Jesus
Why engage in solitude and silence?
Our devotional will focus on four of the active movements listed below: confess, discern, renew, pursue. We will engage each movement for about 10 days.
- To Grieve
In Matthew 14:13, Jesus receives the bad news of John the Baptist’s execution and withdrew by himself to grieve. We should seek solitude to recover from inevitable losses and disappointment. - After Success
In Matthew 14:23, Jesus went up on a mountainside by himself to pray—right after feeding the 5,000. We should seek solitude in order to recover from a great victory that leaves us feeling tired and depleted. - Hear From God
In Matthew 17:1-9, Jesus seeks the silence of a lonely mountain and God speaks through the transfiguration. We should seek solitude in order to intentionally listen to God’s Spirit. - Before a Major Challenge
In Matthew 26:36-40, Jesus wants to pray alone in the garden before he faces the cross. We should seek solitude so we can find our quiet center and pray as a looming challenge approaches. - To Gain Perspective
In Mark 1:35, Jesus went off to a solitary place to pray following and during an intense season of ministry. He gains perspective as he talks with his Father and prepares for things to come. We should seek solitude to gain a clear perspective that leads to wise decisions. - As an Example
In Mark 6:31, Jesus invites the disciples to come away to a quiet place and rest after an intense season of ministry. He is teaching the disciples the importance of the practice of solitude. We should seek solitude as an example to others who live noisy lives. - For Spiritual Rejuvenation
In Luke 5:16, we learn that Jesus often withdrew to lonely places to pray. He does this after draining seasons of life. We should seek solitude for rest, rejuvenation, and renewal. - For Wisdom
In Luke 6:12, Jesus spends the entire night on the mountainside praying before he chooses his disciples. We should seek solitude to find wisdom in choosing who we will serve alongside.
Our devotional will focus on four of the active movements listed below: confess, discern, renew, pursue. We will engage each movement for about 10 days.
- Gain perspective (Confess)
- Wisdom (Discern)
- Spiritual rejuvenation (Renew)
- To Hear from God (Pursue)
The Daily Practices of Read, Reflect, and Rest
Each day of our Lenten devotional we will be challenged to do 3 things:
Before engaging in our daily exercises, we will practice something which is very uncommon these days: stillness. Our world is so busy that silence needs to be prepared for. Try doing “nothing” for 30-seconds. Turn off your music and turn over your phone. Don’t look at your computer screen. Don’t scroll on your iPad. Don’t write an email or text. Don’t even pray or read your bible. Just be still.
Thirty-seconds feels like forever! But this is an important step in preparing us for the work that God is looking to do over these 40 days.
To open our hearts to how God will work, this should be your pattern:
- Read the passage for that day.
- Reflect on what the word of God has said in silent meditation.
- Rest your mind. (attempt to clear your mind of all distracting thoughts, be still, and attempt to listen to what God maybe saying).
Before engaging in our daily exercises, we will practice something which is very uncommon these days: stillness. Our world is so busy that silence needs to be prepared for. Try doing “nothing” for 30-seconds. Turn off your music and turn over your phone. Don’t look at your computer screen. Don’t scroll on your iPad. Don’t write an email or text. Don’t even pray or read your bible. Just be still.
Thirty-seconds feels like forever! But this is an important step in preparing us for the work that God is looking to do over these 40 days.
To open our hearts to how God will work, this should be your pattern:
- Each of these exercises will take 15 minutes. This could mean getting up 20 minutes earlier or going to be 20 minutes later. It could mean finding an office or a park bench on your lunch break. If you plan, you’ll find 15 minutes.
- Each of these exercises means leaving your tech behind. If you’re at work, put your phone and your wearable in a secure place. If you’re at home, leave those same items in another room. (Reflection point: how hard is it to not have your phone with you? Why do you think that is?)
- When looking for a space to experience silence, you don’t need the space itself to be silent. You need to be sure that you can be silent and reflective in that space. The value of silence is that there are not competing options for my attention; the one thing that I’m focusing on is able to consume the entirety of my senses. (Reflection point: how hard is it to find a place (at home, at work) where you are not distracted? What does that tell you?)
- Each day, read the scripture. Be still with the verse in your mind. Don’t write about it or talk about it. Simply read the verses for five minutes and then reflect on it for 10 minutes. You may close your eyes or keep them open.
