A bunch of us saw Rob Bell’s Nooma video called “Noise” at our adult forum on Sunday. (Want to see it, get it here at You Tube).  It raised a lot of questions for me about how noisy our world is and what that is doing to us, especially spiritually.  We have a lot of noise thrust on us and also thrust a lot of noise on ourselves.

And we were reminded in the video that when God came to Ezekiel, God wasn’t heard in the earthquake or fire or wind, but in the sheer silence (see 1 Kings 19:11-13).

Can you remember the last time you were in the presence of sheer silence?

Yeah, it’s hard for me too.  I try to get away once a year on a silent retreat to do this, but it’s hard, especially for those of us with younger children.  There is never a time of sheer silence.

But if God is to be heard in the sheer silence, how can we open ourselves up to the possibility of hearing God in those times?  What would it be like to turn of the cell, get away from it all and experience some uninterrupted silence?

Scary for some, I’m sure.  We keep it so busy so we don’t have to deal with some of the inner thoughts of our hearts.  But what if God wants to bring healing to us, and the only way to receive it is for us to be still?

So, think about your life and try to find some time for quiet.  Maybe a walk or shutting the doors, or just getting away somewhere to steal some time and experience the quiet.  It might not be easy, but every time I do it, I know it is so worth it.