- "A Musing Pastor"
Shhhhhhhh!
CRUNCH! CRUNCH! CRUNCH! If one of us is making this much noise while eating breakfast, the other will often turn the radio on and provide a level of noise to balance the annoying CRUNCHING sound. Sorry honey, but that is annoying!
On the other hand, you have heard "Silence is golden." but I tell you in our culture today the prevailing belief is , "Silence is deadly." We are inundated by noise, music, news, and a host of other audible stimulations. The general population tends to get a bit squimish when silence abounds. We need something to mask the deafening quiet.
In the stillness of this morning, I read Ecclesiastes 5:1-2 and was brought to a place of humbling. Weekly I read myself full, think myself clear, pray myself hot, and let myself go when preparing a sermon...but what would a worship service sound like if I said nothing? In fact what would a worship service feel like without any discernable noise? (No singing, no praying, preaching, scuffling of feet or clapping, no organ / piano, no greetings, no passing of the peace, no announcements, no nothing!)
Our 21st century sensibilities would probably implode from the silence and yet, many times I wonder about my own worship offering. Are my words, singing, and worship offering to God a pleasing gift or a tiresome babbling burden that God endures? Learning about the Desert Fathers who spent most of their entire lives in seclusion and many living in silence makes me question my motives and ministry. Do I need to say or do anything in worship in order to receive the free gift of God's grace and abiding presence? The obvious answer is no and yet we do sing, speak, pray, pass the peace, and a host of other activities as a way of saying "Thank you."
"Let your words be few" (5:2b) is found in Ecclesiates and yet it is a moniker that could be used in our daily living and not just in worship. When silence seems to be eating us alive, it's then we should probably just breath deeply and exhale slowly savoring the moments of peace and quiet.
Heavenly Father, this blog is black and white proof that my brain can't shut off and my mouth never stops. God forgive my annoying blabbering and rest on my busy heart today. Bless my friends in the same way. Amen.
