Holy Silence.

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“Be still and know that I am God”.
Does your church reserve a time for silent prayer and meditation. And I don’t mean just for a few minutes. I mean a time during your worship service, with no noise, no hymns, no preaching, just a time set aside to look inwardly, pray and meditate.
Why or why not?
 
In our service there’s two that I can immediately recall - there’s a long period of silence where we confess our sins and reflect. Then there’s a long bit of silence for prayer during the intentions for those that can’t speak.

Every once in a while, we have silence during the distribution for reflection on what is happening - it’s probably as close as we get to Eucharistic adoration.
 
There is that practice within Monasticism in the Orthodox churches, silence, prayer, work and reading. This certaintly has biblical precedent and patristic precedent. Talk only when you will not damn yourself or make a fool out of yourself (hard to do in thihs age).
 
I thought about this last Sunday at mass. We have a lady who has a very gifted voice singing the Hymn during Communion. But it makes it very difficult to pray after Communion. Maybe that’s why I like TLMs, because there is no hymn singing during Communion.
Sometimes I feel like we are afraid of the silence. We have to have noise all around at all times. There’s no time just to pray and reflect.
Thoughts?
Or should I just shut up? 😃
 
JustaServant said:
“Be still and know that I am God”.
Does your church reserve a time for silent prayer and meditation. And I don’t mean just for a few minutes. I mean a time during your worship service, with no noise, no hymns, no preaching, just a time set aside to look inwardly, pray and meditate.
Why or why not?
Click to expand...
As you probably know, this kind of silent meditation is a Quaker tradition. However, some synagogues have silent periods as well, and especially during the Yom Kippur services, there is a special time for silent reflection and prayer.
 
JustaServant said:
“Be still and know that I am God”.
Does your church reserve a time for silent prayer and meditation. And I don’t mean just for a few minutes. I mean a time during your worship service, with no noise, no hymns, no preaching, just a time set aside to look inwardly, pray and meditate.
Why or why not?
Click to expand...
We meet in Living Silence…seeking to Quiet our hearts and bodies in order to Hear the Word of God. Unless one is moved by the Holy Spirit to offer vocal ministry thru word or song or prayer…we seek to Listen to our Present Teacher who is in our midst.

It is a “weighty” thing to break the Living Silence of worship.
 
As Ignatian said, in Monasticism, but not during the Divine Liturgy at the average parish on Sunday for the very simple reason that such silence is a personal, individual thing, and thus not appropriate for the communal worship of the community on Sunday.

We even have an Icon, however, known as “The Holy Silence.”
 
Private contemplative prayer is a time of holy silence, and much to be desired.

Normally, a time of silent prayer during a communal worship service are the exception
The Benediction being one such exception:
newadvent.org/cathen/02465b.htm

In my interest in Psalm 102, I found that the Ein Keloheinu which is normally a Jewish hymn of praise, or of prayer, sometimes is said quietly in Orthodox Synagogues.
Personally, I find it to be beautiful in it’s simplicity.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ein_Keloheinu

God’s peace be with you

micah
 
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