SOLITUDE:
THE PORTABLE SANCTUARY OF THE HEART
“Staying in Touch with God” --- A Lenten Sermon Series
He (Jesus) said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all
by yourselves & rest a while.”
Mark 6:31 (NRSV)
The disciples were quite proud of
their accomplishments & wanted Jesus to know everything that they had
done. They led busy lives, & if one
reads between the lines, often put work before family. One could compare them to the celebrity
executives of our day. Think of the
popularity of CEO’s like Lee Iacocca, Carly Fiorina, or Donald Trump. So it was with Jesus’ protégés, who, like the
Lord, himself, achieved rock star status. They experienced awful days, as when
John the Baptizer was beheaded, & awesome days, as when Jesus presided at
the 5K feeding. Both events are bookends
for today’s gospel lesson.
All of that stress & busyness,
though, is not healthy for body, mind, & spirit. Jesus was well aware of that fact, long
before medical & sociological researchers labeled occupational & societal
stress as “risk factors.”
He bid them, “Come away to a quiet place all by yourselves, & rest.”
Doesn’t that sound inviting! Jesus knows what is best for his friends.
600 years earlier, the prophet Isaiah
reiterated similar instructions from God.
Rest & change rescue us from life’s craziness, he said, & quiet-time
allows us to develop a trust that provides inner strength. Isaiah chides his listeners for not
listening, for not following God’s encouragement to take that long-needed,
well-deserved break, for not choosing something simpler, something better,
something healthier for themselves & everyone concerned. (I often joke that God should have played the
“reverse psychology” game by demanding that we work seven days a week,
rather than take a sabbath rest. Our rebellion
might have led to a healthy break!) The
truth is: God’s people put their trust in worldly ideas, choosing the
fast-paced life – “swift horses” vs. 16 says.
Of course, God had all the time in the
universe, so he waited to see how his children would fare. No surprise: things got horrible. Failing to give time for self & God,
persons slowly slipped away from their Lord & Leader. They went into total ruin.
God waited, yes… but not idly, promising that he
would make their lives better. The
weeping & upset would go away, if they heeded his words. Once things slowed (down), persons could hear
God speaking & see God directing their lives. All of the stuff which got in the way of the
best life, things which they deemed of such importance, would be
discarded. They’d find true contentment.
Isaiah prophesied, “You will defile your
silver-plated idols & gold-plated images.
They will be like filthy rags” replaced by God’s richest blessings (Is.30:22).
Solitude. Doesn’t that sound so good many days?!? Most of us have so many blessings in life, so
we shouldn’t complain, but silence & time alone with God would be so
welcomed. --- We can make it so. Those opportunities exist.
Like last week, I want to continue to
remind us that spiritual disciplines are natural. They are not as hard to accomplish, as we may
think. It’s like the person who makes
time to go to the gym versus the parent
who gets fit by wrest-ling with a child & pushing the stroller on long
walks, or the executive who takes the stairs instead of the elevator, or the
person who gardens & tends to the lawn. It’s all exercise. All it takes is a reframing, looking at the
day’s events as posses-sing opportunities for exercise. It’s the same when developing the spiritual
life.
Yes, taking extended days for
spiritual retreat is important, but finding a daily or weekly time of sabbath
& solitude may be more essential, & practical.
Before I continue, let me say that
solitude is not to be confused with loneliness.
The single person may be thinking, “The last thing I need is more time
alone.” Solitude is not time alone, but intentionally
cultivated time with God. Solitude can
occur in the privacy of your “prayer closet,” as Jesus teaches in the Sermon on
the Mount (Mt. 6:6), or in the midst of a
crowded rock concert. Solitude is not
necessarily dependent upon our physical surroundings, because it’s an interior
place. Yes, a quiet, out-of-the-way
place is definitely preferred by many of us, but not required. Tue out the world & tune in Jesus.
Jesus employed the spiritual
discipline of solitude throughout his ministry.
Richard Foster’s enormously helpful book on Christian spirituality, Celebration of Discipline, lists Jesus
alone in the desert for 40 days (Mt. 4:1-11), spending a night alone in the hills (Lk. 6:12), on a quiet boat ride (Mt. 14:13), another time alone in the hills (Mt. 14:23), by himself one morning after a long night of work (Mk. 1:35), after healing a leper (Lk. 5:16), on the Mount of Transfiguration (Mt. 17:1-19), & in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before
he died (Mt.
26:36-46) to name a few. “The seeking out of solitary places was a
regular practice for Jesus.” [1] If even the
Son of God sought solitude to gain inner strength, shouldn’t we?!?!
So, what are the natural places of solitude in our lives?
How about those quiet moments of
laying awake in bed before you arise, or just the opposite, before you go to
sleep? How about time in the shower,
when shaving, or putting on make-up? Do
you have a quiet morning cup of coffee, or enjoy a stroll, or sit silently amid
traffic on the way to or from work? How
about silence for a few moments before mealtime in place of the vocal prayer of
thanksgiving? Any brief snatches of time
can bring solitude. We can always carry with us this “portable sanctuary of the
heart.”[2]
Perhaps we can create a space in our
homes -- that “prayer closet.” A
comfortable chair & soft lighting, the “white noise” of a room air
conditioner or passing traffic, relaxing music or other sounds, a seat on the
deck or in the garden – all are possible to foster solitude.
Here’s something to consider when it
comes to solitude. Why not take a day, or
even a few hours, of silence? At the
very least, use fewer words than normal, & only when absolutely
necessary. Knowing when to speak &
when to keep silent is a gift of wisdom that comes from the practice of
solitude (Ecc. 3:7). Do a good deed without explaining why. Begin to
depend on God, not words, to justify behavior.
Practicing the silence of solitude, we quickly realize how dependent we
are on verbal expressions to manage life & control others. We often find ourselves nearly helpless
without those words. One’s personal
silence, even amid a noisy world, is an integral part of solitude. It’s tremendously empowering – a fabulous
confidence-builder, as we rely on God, not words.
I talk about making space to be with
God, because God already creates a space for us to seek refuge & hide &
be alone with Him. That’s what we sing
about in our final hymn, Rock of Ages,
Cleft for Me. God cleaves a spot in
the stone for each of us. We would do
well to take what God offers & build on it, build on that secure, rock-solid
foundation.
Our silence & solitude allow us to not only
listen for God & be with God, but listen to God, just as the prophet Elijah
responding to that still, small voice, after the loud windstorm, earthquake,
& fire. (1st Kings 19:11ff). Many of us ack-nowledge that God created us
& has a claim on us. Not as many of
us compre-hend our place as one of God’s children & what that means. It’s
mysterious, yes, but it doesn’t need to be a mystery. Solitude provides a place to help us under-stand
& define who we are individually, who we are in relation to others, &
who we are in Christ. Our culture
teaches us to ask, “Who am I?” (And the
answer isn’t always satisfying.) Why not
ask, “Who am I in Christ?” Listen to
what God says to us about us.
One of the little realizations of which I’m assured,
that often comes in times of solitude, is that if every person I love goes away
or dies, I still have God. We have one
another. Do you know how freeing &
empowering that is!?!
Time spent alone with God is not only
a key to faithfully growing our relationship to God, but growing in our
relationships with others. When we’re
better individually, that improves us for others. A carefully cultivated solitude helps us be
more emotionally present & better listeners with ones who need us. That often translates into greater compassion
& affection toward persons, increased creativity & understanding in
those relationships, the offering of sound help given through fewer words,
& a “peace that passes understanding” (Phil. 4:7) communicated to & sensed by the persons in our lives.
Jesus & the great personalities of the faith did
not draw closer to God magically or by accident, but by careful, deliberate
nurturing of spiritual disciplines.
Jesus fasted. He also spent
quality time in solitude with God.
In the Name….
Copyright 2010 by G.D.Knerr at