Search for Silence

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.

James 5: 16

One place to find peace is through confession. About a third of the way through our worship service there is a time for the Silent Prayer of Confession followed by the Assurance of God’s Forgiveness. The most recent book I’ve checked out of my church library has given new meaning to me for that quiet time of oneness with God.

Search For Silence by Elizabeth O’Connor is a book about our potential for growth through the act of confession. She delves deeper into not just what it would mean for our own personnal growth, but the possibility of growth for the Christian communitiy when we have a true understanding of confession and how our attitudes and belief system affects those around us. When we can better learn things about ourselves we are well equiped to have a better understanding of others.

“We do not confess our faults in order that God may be better acquanted with them, but in order that the concreteness of words will increase our own understanding.” (page 29)

She speaks of a journey, a pilgrimage of Christianity. She refers to the Sermon on the Mount as a call to pilgrimage, our examples to live by. Unfortunately it is stated that an error has been made when we set these examples as standards for everyone to live up to. We are reminded that we should not be concerned with the speck in our brothers’ eyes. Let me tell you how peaceful it is to not judge others. Now there is a fruitful act of peace.

The book is broken up into two sections and includes exercises and passages for meditation following each section for spiritual growth and contemplation. Section one has a focus on confession and the second section has a focus on prayer.

This is an enjoyable book and can be approached as a personal study. The meditation passages are wonderful, some names are familiar others more often are new to us. I recommend this book, even if you skip the exercises and just skim the meditation passages, it is still a contemplative book and offers food for thought. Unfortunate if you have to go that route but any bit of peace you can find in the day is peace well found.

Although the time for the Silent Prayer of Confession followed by the Assurance of God’s Forgiveness is brief, it could be the most important part of our worship in that we are communicating with God and he to us. If any are on a search for silence, I believe this book could greatly enrich this time when we have true silence in our week, and we need to speak to God and hear him speak back to us… CHECK IT OUT!

I hope you can find this book or even similar meditations that will bring you closer to God and to His peace.

Where are some of the other places you find peace? Is there a book you can recommend? A daytime ritual you follow or a part of your church service that brings you this peace from the Spirit? Share with us…