Solitude and Silence

i. What are the biblical and theological foundations for solitude and silence?

ii. Define/describe the role of solitude and silence in the spiritual life.

iii. How does God work through solitude and silence to foster spiritual transformation?

Bringing my desire, my longing for healing and spiritual transformation, into the practice of solitude and silence holds a certain tension for me. Based on my experiences of solitude and silence while immersed in a two-year classical Christian practices program through the Grace Institute for Spiritual Formation out of Luther College there is a tension between desire and feeling like I have failed in the past in what I understood to be a spiritual practice. This tension manifests as fear that I will fail again. However, I also realize that this self-work is crucial to my capacity to live and lead.

Part of what I was lacking in my previous experience was an informed theology where solitude and silence is understood as having a role in God's redeeming plan for humanity. Jesus said, "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly" (John 10:10). Yet, a deeply satisfying life in Christ eludes many people and leads to the search for satisfaction through accomplishments and accolades. Redemption by the blood of Christ is more than salvation for eternal life, it is the "impartation of life." The incarnation of Jesus enables both the possibility of conversion and a developing transformation of our lives. Christ followers talk about being God's hands and feet and are the way that Jesus continues to dwell among us and mediates him to the world. The new life that Jesus came to bring is not only life eternal for those who trust in his promise, but also abundant life now for us and for the sake of other as we witness the fullness of his redemptive love - conversion and transformation.

I have come to understand through the readings and experience this quarter that that "the discipline of solitude is a key discipline for all those who seek after God. It is the primary place where the leader's soul is strengthened." It is where Jesus was strengthened (Matt. 4:1-11). Solitude and silence are not so much "practices" but are fundamental "disciplines of abstinence" that stand as counterparts to more classical spiritual "disciplines of engagement" like prayer, study, confession, worship.

Previous attempts at establishing a regular practice of solitude and silence have ended up feeling like a

hollow religious practice where I have more often than not been disappointed in not connecting with what is real in me, and not experiencing the deep level of connection that I desire with God. Those experiences are reminders of