Solitude
“wasting time on God.” —James Houston
Solitude is a foundational practice for the spiritual life.
“Behold, my beloved, I have shown you the power of silence, how thoroughly it heals and how fully pleasing it is to God…it is by silence that the saints grew…it was because of silence that the power of God dwelt in them, because of silence that the mysteries of God were known to them.” —Father Ammonas
Encounter With Our God
“That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but He would not let the demons speak because they knew who He was.” —Mark 1.32-34
“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” —Mark 1.35
“Simon and his companions went to look for Him, and when they found Him, they exclaimed: ‘Everyone is looking for you!’” —Mark 1.36
“Jesus replied, ‘Let us go somewhere else — to the nearby villages — so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.’ So He traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.” —Mark 1.38-39
- Identity
- Calling
“We do not go into the desert to escape people but to learn how to find them.” —Thomas Merton
We retreat
The opposite of contemplation isn’t action – it’s reaction.
We need solitude more
We go into the
We need to learn to
“Waiting patiently in expectation is the foundation of the spiritual life.” —Simone Weil
“If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.” —Jesus, Mark 4.23
“One of the basic assumptions of the Christian life is that God does communicate with us through the Holy Spirit. The rhythm of speaking and listening we call communication is at the heart of any real relationship — including our relationship with God…The capacity to recognize the voice of God through the ministry of the Holy Spirit arises out of friendship with God that is sustained through prayer, silent listening and attentiveness to all that is going on outside us, inside us, and between us and God. Through practice and experience we become familiar with the tone of God’s voice, the content of His communications with us and His unique way of addressing us. We learn to recognize God’s voice just as we recognize the voice of a loved one on the other end of the phone.” —Ruth Haley Barton
We listen to…
- Scripture
- Circumstances
- Our Heart
- God’s Voice
“…still small voice.” —1st Kings 19.12
“The sound of gentle silence.” —1st Kings 19.12
“sheep listen to His voice. He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out. When He has brought out all His own, He goes on ahead of them, and His sheep follow Him because they know His voice.” —Jesus, John 10.3-4
“You rarely find any person who has made great progress in the spiritual life who did not at some point have much time in solitude and silence.” —Dallas Willard
Rule of Life
Sabbath
Prayer
Fasting
Solitude
Generosity
Scripture
Community
Service
Witness
Rhythm
Daily
Weekly
Monthly/Seasonal
“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life.” —1st Thessalonians 4.11
Transformation is possible if we are willing to arrange our lives around the practices, rhythms, and ways of being that Jesus Himself did.
Practices
Solitude: Listening Prayer.
“There’s so much going in our minds, and we are distracted so much, so you need a quiet place, quiet time, and a quiet heart.” —Dr. Aila Tasse
- Get to a quiet, distraction-free place, put away your phone, and get comfortable.
- Take a few minutes to just breathe.
- Ask God to silence the voice of the enemy.
- Ask God to speak to you.
- Open your mind and heart and listen.
Reach Exercise:
Go on a solitude retreat.
Recommended Reading
Invitation to Solitude & Silence by Ruth Haley Barton, chapters 10-12.
Rule of Life Podcast, Solitude Episode 2
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“Our greatest need is to be silent before this great God…for the only language He hears is the silent language of love.” —St. John of the Cross
“an invitation to enter more deeply into the intimacy of relationship with the One who waits just outside the noise and busyness of our lives.” —Ruth Haley Barton