Silence.
Space, a place to listen.
In all the programming that goes into what we call a church service, particularly in “praise and worship,” taking time to still ourselves enough to hear and respond to the Holy Spirit seems to be the one thing we haven”t fit into the schedule. Probably that”s because God”s voice–the real thing, not the spiritualized weirdnesses that often masquerade as it–is the one thing we can”t manufacture, and therefore, can”t program in.
But it”s also the one thing people, both Christians and those exploring Christianity, long for above all else. Not evangelical sing-alongs, no matter how talented the musicians. Not great preaching, no matter how gifted the preacher or relevant the message. These things are fine, but they can”t touch the heart”s deepest hunger. Only God can do that. Everything else is just a tool.
Tools are good when used right. But tools can be noisy–sometimes too noisy. We can become so fixated on our tools that we forget they”re just a means to an end. They can drown out the voice of the One we seek to encounter.
When I read through the book of 1 Corinthians, chapters twelve through fourteen, I”m struck by one thing: when those early believers came together, they expected God to show up as well. And they made room for him to have his way. While Paul was writing to correct some of the problems which arose from the human part of that equation, let”s not lose track of what those problems signify. The Holy Spirit is real. The question isn”t whether he”ll talk to us; it”s whether we”ll listen.
Are we willing to submit our carefully planned, thoughtfully timed worship order to God? What would happen if we started thinking of silence and listening as an integral part of our worship experience? What if we were to risk taking our corporate worship beyond just singing, clapping, and raising our hands–which in themselves can get pretty rote and mechanical–to points of encounter where we learn to “be still, and know that [the Lord is] God”?
Listening.
Learning to hear, truly hear, the voice and the heart of another person.
It”s one of the most relational things we can possibly do. It is critically important in our relationship with God. He himself is a great listener, but he has things to say as well. Giving him a little room to do so could transform our experience of what church is about. It could also move and refresh the hearts of non-Christians, as they encounter a gathering of believers that is neither mere religious entertainment on the one hand, nor a spiritual freak show on the other, but a setting of genuine communion, where people listen for and respond to the voice of Jesus with genuineness, gentleness, self-discernment, sobriety, humility, and love.
