Tag: Practice
Practicing Presence in a Distracted World
Practicing presence in a distracted world can be difficult. We are constantly being pulled in one direction and then another. We begin to focus, and suddenly an email comes in. The kids need to be picked up. The phone rings. Something else needs our attention. So how do we practice presence? First, what is…
The Difference between Sillence and Solitude
Silence Before Solitude Standing on the mountain, looking out at the valley below, I could see where I had come from hours before. The climb had been difficult and long. None of that mattered now as my toes hung just over the edge of Flint Mill Rock. This was not a dream hike. It…
Learning to Hear God Without Noise
Noise comes at us from every direction. Some noise can be helpful: Christian podcasts, worship music, sermons, Christian radio. Other noise can distract us: traffic, home life, work, school. I often hear people talk about filtering the noise. Rarely do I hear someone say they want to silence the noise and actually mean it.…
Why Silence Feels So Uncomfortable At first
Silence is uncomfortable. There are movies built around this idea. There is something about true silence that makes us uncomfortable. We seek noise, distraction, anything except silence. From the moment of conception our lives are filled with noise. We learn our mother’s heart beat, our father’s voice. Then we are welcomed into a world…
What Do You Actually Do During Solitude?
There’s one of the questions I hear most often. “What am I supposed to do during solitude?” It’s a fair question. For many of us, life is built around accomplishing something. We measure our days by what we finished, what we learned, or what we crossed off the list. Then we step into solitude……
How to Begin a Simple Practice of Solitude
If you’ve never practiced solitude before, it can feel overwhelming. We tend to imagine solitude as something reserved for pastors, monks, or people who can disappear into the mountains for days at a time. We picture hours of uninterrupted silence and profound spiritual experiences. Most of us don’t live that way. We have jobs,…
The Gift of Paying Attention
There is a difference between seeing and paying attention. A practice of Christian mindfulness and presence begins with paying attention. Most of us move through life seeing thousands of things every day. We see people, places, responsibilities, problems, opportunities, and distractions. Our eyes are constantly taking in information, but very little of it receives…
SOLITUDE IS NOT ISOLATION
The Common Misunderstanding of a Christian Solitude Practice One of the most common misunderstandings about a Christian solitude practice is that it means being alone. But solitude, as it is seen throughout Scripture and practiced in the life of Jesus, is not primarily about separation from people. It is about intentional attention. Why Jesus…