Be Still and Know That I Am God

As I write this I am enjoying the view from the observation car of a VIA train, rolling over the prairies.  I find myself aboard this train, heading back from Kingsfold Retreat Center near Cochrane Alberta, on my way home from a week long Ignatian Silent Retreat.

What a rich week to sit in the quiet presence of God, in a tiny little chapel in the woods, in the majestic view of the Rocky Mountains, immersing myself in Scripture with the occasional foray into the writings of Nouwen, Peterson and Dostoyevsky.  In the gospels we see time and time again where Jesus would depart from the crowds, depart from the rigors of ministry, depart from the everyday life to go and sit in the presence of His Father in prayer.  Departing from the distractions of the phone, the internet, the news, the sports scores – these things we find so difficult to leave behind.  Doing this in quiet without speaking is such a rich experience.  Found myself as the week went along slipping into a very restful, peaceful place – a place where I found myself not needing nor wishing to speak any words – but rather listen to the voice of God.  Though words have much power and are used very constructively, often our words are merely trappings we get caught up in.

When one sits with a group of people in silence we are free from these trappings – free from finding our identity in what we tell people about ourselves; who we are, what we do, how big the church is that we pastor, free from espousing the supposed wisdom I think resides within my brain – the things we so often seek our identity in.  Rather we sit together in the presence of the one who has given us all of our identity through His Son’s work on the cross on our behalf, and there is such rest and peace in that place.  Such a peace in being able to again commit all things to a sovereign God, knowing that He is the one in control of things, freeing me up to 'be still and know that He is God'.  So as the week moved along, I found myself moving from the anxiety, nervousness and fear of being quiet and alone, to a place of soaking up the solitude and quiet, fearful of again uttering words, for fear of losing this delightful place with God.  Yet in that, realizing we come to a greater depth and a place of uttering words of greater significance, if they come from a place of quiet and solitude.

Not long before I ventured out on this week, Monica and I had been conversing on the fact that so often we speak far too many words, many of them are not needed and often times many of our words simply lead us into sin.  Arsenius once said “I have often repented of having spoken, but never of having remained silent”.  Though I have at times repented of having remained silent, I resonate with the words of Arsenius because I believe there is much truth in them.   Psalm 39:1 says I will keep my mouth from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth.  And Proverbs 10:19 states when words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.  And of course James 3 speaks of the incredible struggle of controlling out tongues.

Perhaps this is why Ecclesiastes tells us there is a time to be silent and a time to speak.  Understanding there is a time to be quiet, in the presence of our God.  Listening to the voice of God, enjoying communion with Him in quiet and solitude, in order that the words we speak come out of this place, so we are uttering words that have meaning and significance for the world around us.

So I thank God for the grace and gift of this time with Him this week, a week with the quiet among the Rockies, that will seem a long way off when I fly off to the noise of Washington DC this week, for the 9 Marks Weekender!