Advent 09- Quiet

At the moment I'm feeling rather miserable- full of cold and a sore throat for the umpteenth time in a couple of months.  So it's tricky to be positive.  But here goes anyway.

Last night I was at church for our 'Contemporary carols' service.  Owing to some anxiety about the state of the paths under all the frozen slush and snow* I left early so didn't stay for the whole thing.  But it reminded me about something which I have been missing in services lately, and the service I generally go to gets louder and more action-filled.**

Sometimes it's good to have time and space to just be quiet and focus on God.  In my first year at uni I went to a thing called Night Prayer where there would be large spaces for silent personal reflection on what was going on in your life, or on the readings and music which were interspersed in the service.  I found it restful and a nice change from the constant buzz of student life.  Sadly once I moved off campus I stopped going.  I've been to similar events since, notably Transcendence, which includes something of the same space for personal quiet reflection.

The difference between space for personal quiet in an event like this and just trying to do the same thing by yourself at home is that it's easier to be quiet and 'in the mood' for prayer and reflection if you're not distracted  by everything that's going on around you at home, and if other people around you are doing the same.  That said, I rather dislike most typical prayer meetings, where I have to worry about what I'm saying, unplanned, out loud.  I end up thinking more about what words I'm using than about what I'm praying, focusing on myself or others more than God.  But I'm not great at extended times of praying alone either- my thoughts and attention tend to wander.  So I most often pray in short burst, as the need or desire strikes me.  But I know it's healthy to have longer, more focused times of prayer too.

Which is why I like it when there's time to do this in a service.  Not too long, or people start to fidget and wonder what's happening, but perhaps we're too afraid of leaving blank space, of people getting bored, and in a desire to fill everything with music and words we can be in danger of drowning out the 'still small voice' in which God speaks- we can be so busy talking we forget to listen.

Be still, for the power of the Lord is moving in this place,

He comes to cleanse and heal, to minister his grace,

No work too hard for him, in faith recieve from him,

Be still for the power of the Lord is moving in this place.

*When I said I liked snow, I didn't include frozen slush, which is unpleasant to walk on and not a Good Thing.  Neither is slippery ice.  But I still love the wonder and specialness of snow- even when it's causing me issues getting to my parents' for Christmas.
**Not that this is necessarily a bad thing.