It’s pretty noisy out there—perhaps especially for those of us who are older. Not just literal noise and not just because we can’t handle the ringing in our ears or high-decibel sounds. The world today is filled with clamorous commotion in every way, most of it moving too fast and perhaps unaware of those of us who move deliberately and quietly through life. Those of us who treasure quiet—literally and metaphorically.
How quiet is your church? Does your congregation understand the value of silence, pauses and listening? Are your leaders deliberate with their words, are sermons more than loud blarings? Can you wade in troubled waters? In her recent sermon, Family Ministry Director Pam Voves (Faith Lutheran, Glen Ellyn, Illinois) points out that God asked the Israelites to be still as they awaited God’s deliverance from the Egyptian army.
Stillness works for us, too. In a world of constant clatter, of uproar that threatens to overwhelm our inner selves, of holy hullabaloos that may be too loud and self-promoting, we can be hushed in the presence of God’s word, God’s grace, God’s providence.
Strangely and wonderfully, stillness also invites us to accept God’s invitation to action. Pam continues, “And when it was time to walk through the sea, even though it did not seem logical, they trusted God, and they walked.”
It takes some effort to be a quiet-and-active church. Some maturity, some humility, even some courage. It’s hard to step aside and let the worrisome or attention-seeking racket go parading past. And yet, “God’s stillness calls us to look inward, quieting ourselves, listening for God,” says Pam. Perhaps those of us who cherish quiet could help our churches find tranquility—and motivation for action—in a noisy world.
We can be the quieting, inviting voice of God….
For Pam’s sermon, click on http://www.creativefamilyministry.com/pams-blog
