category
Search by topic, scripture, category etc..
84 Results in 84ms
Display
Sorted By
-
illustration
The Silence wasn’t to be Feared
In Lancelot , one of Walker Percy’s final novels, the narrator reflects on his own struggle with idleness and addiction to entertainment. In a poignant scene set outside his Mississippi mansion, ... -
liturgy
O Holy God, we know we have fallen
O Holy God, we know we have fallen short. We turn our backs when we could embrace. We remain silent when we could speak. We speak when we could listen. We judge when we could seek understanding. We cl... -
liturgy
Father, Son, Holy Spirit–our God,
Father, Son, Holy Spirit–our God, Mysterious, Awe-Inspiring, Wonderful, One-in-Three/Three-in-One: You surprise us not with flashing lights, loud crashing noises, and constant activity. You surprise u... -
liturgy
God of justice, you repeatedly call us
God of justice, you repeatedly call us to action, but we so often fail to respond. Your word convicts us, demonstrating that inaction is just as sinful as the wrong actions. Lord of mercy, forgive us ... -
liturgy
Adapted from Psalm 32:1-7
Pastor: Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. All: For when I... -
liturgy
Holy One, help us be still and know
Holy One, help us be still and know that you are God. Too often we move at such a hectic pace that we neglect our relationship with you. Our lives become full of distractions that are nothing but shif... -
liturgy
Adapted from Psalm 62:1-2
For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken. Come let worship the Lord our God – for He is ... -
liturgy
Break Our Hearts
Break our hearts, Jesus That we may weep as You weep Love as You love Break our hearts Jesus and raise our voices that we may speak and act so all may be safe so all may have opportunity so all may k... -
liturgy
In the silence, we raise our voice
In the silence, we raise our voice before you. We wonder aloud why you are so far from us when we call. In the agony of our cry, we are reminded that it is we who have wandered from your fold, from th... -
liturgy
Father God: It is sometimes hard for us
Father God: It is sometimes hard for us to understand what You do. We are in trouble. We want You to come rescue us right now, like the cavalry riding over a hill or the Lone Ranger appearing out of n... -
liturgy
Adapted from Psalm 62:5-12
Leader: For God alone our souls wait in silence, for our hope is from him. People: He only is our rock and our salvation, our fortress; we shall not be shaken. On God rests our salvation and our glo... -
liturgy
Lord our God, we have sometimes not
Lord our God, we have sometimes not listened for your summons to praise you; we have not acknowledged that this good news we proclaim is for the whole world; and we have too often been silent to the s... -
liturgy
Loving God, you spoke the earth into
Loving God, you spoke the earth into motion. Your words have that much power. So instead of continuing to speak to you, we silence ourselves. Please show us our sins and forgive us for them as we list... -
liturgy
Hear the good news – God is not silent,
Hear the good news – God is not silent, nor is God deaf. The one who watches over you does not sleep or slumber. God hears your prayers, even in those moments when you don’t know what to pray. And God... -
liturgy
Almighty God, in Jesus Christ you
Almighty God, in Jesus Christ you called us to be a servant people, but we do not do what you command. We are often silent when we should speak, and useless when we could be useful. Have mercy on us, ... -
liturgy
Calm us now, O Lord, into a quietness
Calm us now, O Lord, into a quietness that heals and listens. Open wounded hearts to the balm of your Word. Speak to us in clear tones so that we might feel our spirits leap for joy and skip with hope... -
Quote
Silence. All human unhappiness comes from not knowing how to stay quietly in a room. -
illustration
Being Silent Makes Us Feel Helpless
One reason we can hardly bear to remain silent is that it makes us feel so helpless. We are so accustomed to relying upon words to manage and control others. If we are silent, who will take control? G... -
Quote
It is in deep solitude that I find the gentleness with which I can truly love my brothers. The more solitary I am, the more affection I have for them. It is pure affection, and filled with reverance f... -
Quote
We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how ... -
Quote
The simplest spiritual discipline is some degree of solitude and silence. But it's the hardest, because none of us want to be with someone we don't love. Besides that, we invariably feel bored... -
illustration
How To Keep Your Kids From Talking All the Time (Unfortunately, Through Lying)
My friend Joi told me that when she was growing up, her parents invented a ploy to keep her from talking all of the time. They told her that people are allowed only so many words in one lifetime, and ... -
illustration
The Power of Silence in a Prayerful Life
The Desert Saint John Climacus placed a strong emphasis on the role of silence in the life of prayer. In his guidebook to the spiritual life, he had this to say: Intelligent silence is the mother of... -
illustration
He Who Was All Stillness, All Peace, All Poise
Anthony Bloom tells the story of an elderly woman who had been working at prayer with all her might but without ever sensing God’s presence. Wisely, the archbishop encouraged the old woman to go to he... -
illustration
Reflecting on Shusaku Endo’s Novel and Film, Silence
In Silence, Shusaku Endo writes of the journey of Portuguese Jesuits journeying to Japan. It is a conversation about those who intend to take the path of Jesus, only to find they are on the path of Ju... -
illustration
Hearing Jesus in Silence
One of the early saints who emphasized the place of silence in spiritual life was Saint Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, who died a martyr late in the first century. In a letter written shortly before his... -
illustration
How God Speaks
While there is a common assumption in church circles that God speaks most frequently and the clearest through singing worship and heart-enlivened sermons, I find the context of speechless tranquility ... -
illustration
Sitting in Silence
I know a spiritual director who begins each of her sessions with five to ten minutes of silence. Sitting in silence is a new experience for many, and she told me that during these few minutes nearly e... -
illustration
Getting Your Money’s Worth
In the last class I taught at Regent, an obviously irritated young woman came up to me and said, “Dr. Peterson, three times during your lecture you did not say anything for twenty seconds. I know beca... -
illustration
Silence Adding Days to Your Life
My friend Joi told me that when she was growing up, her parents invented a ploy to keep her from talking all of the time. They told her that people are allowed only so many words in one lifetime, and ...
Page 1 of 3
Top_level_categories by Topic
A
C
- Called by God (1)
- Calm (1)
- Chaos (1)
- Children (1)
- Christmas (1)
- Church Health (1)
- Commands (1)
- Communication (1)
- Community (1)
- Compassion (1)
- Complaints (1)
- Confession of Faith (1)
- Conflict (1)
- Connection (1)
- Contemplation (1)
- Controlling Others (1)
- Conversation (2)
- Courage (1)
- Creation (1)
- Crowds (1)
- Crying (1)
- Crying Out To God (1)
D
F
G
- Gentleness (2)
- Genuineness (2)
- God Cares For You (1)
- God the Creator (1)
- God's Absence (1)
- God's Goodness (1)
- God's Judgment (1)
- God's Love (1)
- God's Nearness (1)
- God's Patience (1)
- God's Power (Omnipotence) (1)
- God's Protection (2)
- God's Provision (1)
- God's Sovereignty (1)
- God's Voice (1)
- God's Word (2)
- Good News (2)
- Growth (1)
H
I
L
M
O
P
R
S
- Safety (1)
- Salvation (2)
- Satan (1)
- Savior (2)
- Schedules (1)
- Scripture (1)
- Sea (1)
- Seeking God (1)
- Self-Awareness (1)
- Service (1)
- Signs (1)
- Silence (84)
- Silence (Spiritual Discipline) (1)
- Sin (1)
- Sins of Omission (1)
- Sleep (1)
- Solitude (8)
- Speech (6)
- Speed (1)
- Spiritual Disciplines (1)
- Stillness (2)
- Strength (1)
- Stubbornness (2)
- Stuffing Pain (1)
- Sun (1)
- Surprise (1)
T
Top_level_categories by Reference