Roots: Habits for fruitfulness 5:
Solitude and Silence

Holy Trinity Church Huddersfield, Sunday 17 February 2019

An early day at church today, we attended the earlier traditional service as we had an appointment that day involving food drink and friends. We were able to catch up with those going to the later service in the half hour between services. Church then food, win, win.

With a service on the theme of solitude and silence, I expected the Hymn Dear Lord and Father of mankind to be sung. I was not disappointed.  The low point was the Peace, that point in a Communion service where people shake hands or hug and offer each other God’s peace. I was standing with my right arm in an elbow crutch but there are still people who insist on shaking the right hand even when that hand is being used for support. Not good.

The sermon was better. It started with a picture of modern life, how we are distracted by things including the internet. the irony that I am writing this on a computer in order to publish it on the internet is not lost on me. We lack the ability to be others and to God.

It may be good for us to spend some time abstaining from people in order to spend time with God. Jesus had a pattern of involvement with people followed by a time of solitude. He regularly and intentionally took time to withdraw from being with people to spend time with his Father.

Richard Foster in the book Celebration of Discipline talked about the little solitudes of daily life.  Those times when we can grab two or three minutes to pray.

Do you feel the tug to settle down to the solitude of God? The discipline of solitude and silence will open those doors.