Books
Teaching
Jesus and the Lonely Place
John Mark Comer | Bridgetown Church
How do we thrive?
Is there a practice from the life of Jesus that could set us up to thrive in the chaos of the over busy, digitally distracted, noisy, urban world? Yes. It’s the practice of silence and solitude. Put simply, it’s intentional time in the quiet to be alone with ourselves and God.
Elijah and the Broom Brush
John Mark Comer | Bridgetown Church
How do we deal with emotion?
Silence and solitude isn’t for the faint of heart. Often when we slow down long enough to get alone with ourselves and God, we feel all sorts of emotions that we’ve been frantically trying to outrun in the busyness of our lives. Elijah’s story in 1 Kings 19 is a seven-stage pattern for how to move through fear and emotional pain into freedom and joy.
the Need for Silence
Shauna Niequist | The Practice
It is in practicing a rhythm of silence, that we come face to face with our Maker and finally reduce the noise and societal goading long enough to hear His still small voice. It is through realizing that at any moment you can take a moment of silence, that we begin to unmake the mess we get ourselves into when we wreck ourselves in the name of success and productivity. Silence is a gift. A profound gift, that unravels and reveals us in the presence of God.
How to Practice a Rhythm of Silence
Jason Feffer | The Practice
Not only are we battling with the external noise of this life and all that entails, but for so many of us, the inner noise that grows loud as we seek out silence can be the hardest part of this discipline. In this teaching, Jason encourages us to keep trying, to realize that silence is a practice and a discipline, and that it is only through practicing it and through being disciplined to keep trying it, that we can invite God to speak and calm that inner noise.
Invitation to stillness
Father Michael Sparough | The Practice
How might we be present to God’s invitation to join the work of the kingdom and remain present as we join God’s work? This week, Father Michael Sparough shared the importance of both contemplation and activity, and he guided us in an outward Examen to help us cultivate a spirit of stillness as we discern and respond.
Videos
Be Still (a Guided Prayer)
Phileena Heuertz | Gravity Center
We learned this simple prayer of being from Fr. Richard Rohr. The text comes from Psalm 46:10 of the Hebrew Scriptures: “Be still and know that I am God.”
Withdrawing to Engage
Phileena Heuertz | The Work of the People
Silence and solitude nurtures reengagement and alignment with God's voice. Thoughts on contemplative prayer from Phileena Heuertz.
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Silence
Ian Morgan Cron | The Work of the People
Ian Morgan Cron on what we might be missing out on by robbing our communities of silence.
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Retreats
Sacred Solitude Retreats
Single-day guided solitude retreats offered throughout the year at University of St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, IL.