Church of the Creek

 I went to worship today at the church of the creek.

We've had a lot of rain so the messages shared were loud and clear.

A small child came and sat by me, quietly for a while.

They got up, collected a pile of rocks and made the offering to the creek.

They offered me some, and I did the same.

We sat quietly, smiling at each other for awhile.

They said, "We like this creek." waved and walked to rejoin their family.

A refreshing service and deep sermon.

I'm grateful to be a member.

Silence in the Presence

After the mind is in some measure turned to the Lord, his quickenings felt, his seed beginning to arise and spring up in the heart, then the flesh is to be silent before him, and the soul to wait upon him (and for his further appearings) in that measure of life which is already revealed. Now, this is a great thing to know flesh silenced, to find the reasoning thoughts and discourses of the fleshly mind stilled, and the wisdom, light, and goodness of God's Spirit waited for. For man is to come from the poverty of self, into the abasedness, into the nothingness, into the silence of his spirit before the Lord, into the putting off of all his knowledge—wisdom—understanding, abilities, all that he hath done or can do, out of this measure of life into which he is to travel, that he may be clothed and filled with the nature, Spirit, and power of the Lord.

Isaac Penington
presense

silence and worship

My dear friend Joan Broadfield wrote
"About 'silence': It's all about what the invitation calls us to.
If the invitation is for silence, it would not speak to me.

If you are talking about longer than an hour to sit in a listening/waiting way, I'm very interested.

If you are talking about dedicating a worship time of an hour to come to listen in quiet expectation, I'd be interested.

But for me, when the emphasis is on SILENCE, it means nothing to me about spirituality. It is dictating a form, which gets in the way of expectation and listening to God.

I've had my fill of the rhapsodies of silence. That's not to say that a depth of a covered meeting is not important to me: in fact, it is. But I have never had a god-connected experience in one that is emphasizing silence. Paradox: those meetings that are 'covered' are mostly without words."

yes. There are two experiences here. One is weekly worship and I have always maintained that it is in the silence that we worship, not silence itself. I have not experienced an benefit from being silenced.
Many monthly meetings are learning the value of longer worship time. Media has extended worship once a month. All are welcome to this time of open worship that may or may not have a lot of silence.
Individual meetings can discern for themselves the frequency and length of worship.
I'm an advocate of communities and i see Monthy Meetings as communities being visible to themselves.

In addition some are called to live in a state of worship, prayer, communion with God that asks for more than a monthly meeting can provide. When this life called to me, I could not find anywhere, within, or even close to my faith community where I could go for an extended period of life , mostly in silence, within an supportive , nurturing and guided community ;where I was welcomed to just be, in worship and meditation to spend as much time as I needed with my inner and outer Light.

I’m still looking and this is what this blog is about.
I’m willing to create Still Waters Refuge and share it’s gifts with all seekers and I cannot do it alone.
Please join me. In Spirit, prayer, and comment.