The Discipline of Quiet - an exhortation for Good Friday
One of the defining features of modern life is the ubiquity of entertainment and noise. Technological advancements over the past century have pushed inexorably toward a culture of constant engagement. The household radio gave way to the household television and the television has given way to personal computers and now pocket devices which boast near infinite varieties of attention-grabbing offerings. From our waking moments till we return to sleep our lives are filled with music, podcasts, emails, videos, games and more. Because of social media we need never be alone, and our constant access to the internet insures we need never be bored. In such a life, stillness and quiet are rare and deeply uncomfortable. However, scripture is clear that these are essential aspects of our life as worshipping creatures.
The Psalms exhort us to “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him” and to “Be still, and know that I am God.” The prophet Isaiah tells us, “For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, ‘In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.’” Habakkuk commands, “The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him.” And in Second Kings we are told that God speaks to Elijah, not in the wind, not in the earthquake, not in the fire, but in a low and quiet whisper. Finally, the consistent practice of Our Lord was to seek out quiet and desolate places to pray, “It was very early in the morning and still dark. Jesus got up and left the house. He went to a place where he could be alone. There he prayed.”
Our current isolation makes a discipline of quiet much more accessible than usual. However, our contemporary lifestyles also make it entirely possible to avoid silence even as our travel and fellowship is restricted. We still must choose to engage a practice of stillness and prayer. We must deliberately shut off the myriad and constant stimuli which surround us and focus our attention on the Lord. Such a practice is a vital part of our prayer life.
A discipline of silence and meditation is especially appropriate as we consider the sacrifice of our Lord. On Good Friday we will not be able to worship together in the church as is our custom. Our Good Friday service is marked by periods of silent contemplation on the seven last words of Our Lord on the cross. Though we cannot gather to worship in the church, we can observe a time of meditative prayer in silence in our own homes. St. Luke’s gospel records that there was darkness over the earth while our Lord hung in agony from the sixth hour (noon) until the ninth hour (3pm). It will be valuable to practice quiet prayer during this same period.
To that end, there will be a shorter corporate streamed prayer service which will begin at noon on Friday. The parish clergy and fellows will have recorded a series of short meditations on the Seven Last Words of Christ. After the streamed service parishioners are encouraged to go to the webpage to listen to the meditations and pray the collects associated with them. Take twenty minutes on each of the meditations and attendant prayer and scriptures. Every twenty minutes move on to the next homily. During the intervals meditate on the word of Jesus and the teaching of the homily. There will also be select Psalms and other Scriptures to read and pray through during that period. Keep silence during this time and stay away from distractions as much as possible. If your mind is wandering, it may be valuable to repeat a set prayer (such as the collect for the particular word of Christ or even the “Jesus Prayer”) to yourself or to read a passage of Scripture. Observing intervals of twenty minutes will bring you to about the ninth hour.
As we approach the great festival of Easter, we must first acknowledge the great depth of sin that our Lord overcame. Meditation on the Cross of Christ provides us with the appropriate context for the celebration of His resurrection. Though the practice of silence may be uncomfortable and seem tedious, it is a way for us to take up our cross and follow our Lord. Only when we have removed ourselves from the cacophonous storm of the world can we hear the low whisper of God.
Fr. Deems