July 17, 2005

First Presbyterian Church Carson City

Pastor Bruce Kochsmeier

Purpose: For people to realize the wonder and reality of stopping to let God show them how to belong to him in the model of Jesus. For people to realize just how fast they are spinning and how much noise is in their lives that seeks to drown out God’s call.

There are many places in Jesus’ life that silence and solitude were essential. I’ve chosen the first one because it sets the stage for all the rest. When it seemed there was so much to do Jesus began by turning away from the chaos of the world so that we could best deal with the world’s chaos. Is this what we do?

My life is made up of words and sounds, sermons, letters, conversations, phones ringing. And For as Godly as I know it is supposed to be, quite often it isn’t. It isn’t because too many words and sounds take us away from what Jesus showed us when he took on the ministry to which he was called. For 40 days he said nothing. And in this he learned everything. He found solitude and silence in order to engage life most clearly. DO we?

Dan Rather interviewed Mother Teresa once and asked, “When you pray, what do you say to God?’

“I don’t say anything,” she replied. “I listen”.

“Well, okay,” Rather went on. “When God speaks to you, then what does he say?”

“He doesn’t say anything, He listens.”

Rather looked bewildered. For an instant , he didn’t know what to say.

“And if you don’t understand that,” Mother Teresa added, “I can’t explain it to you.”

Communion with God in this way is a mystery; a mystery we too easily avoid, but people get killed by a lack of silence and solitude – they die spiritually and they die physically from heart disease because they did not make time to be STILL. Jesus showed us how and how to be successful even in letting go of what the world would say was a waste of time. Can we learn to waste time with Jesus?

What is internal stillness? How does Jesus show this to us? When he went into the wilderness Jesus ate NOTHING. I wonder what JOY would be ours if we did this for a day let alone 40? I don’t think this is about food as it is about fasting from sounds and schedules. Are we learning the joy of last week’s scripture that calls us to seek God’s character as our highest priority?

Jesus told the disciples about this experience or Luke wouldn’t know about it. Jesus told them how he resisted the devil because he knew there was something better. Do we? The devil didn’t come back till the cross; tempting Jesus with the hope of the world. But the world’s hope isn’t enough so Jesus stays on the cross because coming off the cross wasn’t good enough.

In the first temptation Jesus is offered a deal in which he’ll have his immediate personal needs taken care of and forever in a worldly way. He says no. Why? Because he was noble, yes and wise. Jesus knew trusting God was what would feed him. How did he know this? Because he had learned to listen; to be still and to value silence.

In the second temptation Jesus is offered all the power in the world if he will worship the world’s understanding of power. Jesus won’t. He won’t because it isn’t enough. He has emptied himself in the wilderness. Holding on to emptiness by the world’s standards, he knows is life-giving. He knows this because he has been spending time in silence with God. Are we? Do we know what matters or do the offers and pressures of the world around us cause us to cave in? Silence and solitude, Jesus showed us make the difference between caving in and standing strong.

In the third temptation Jesus is challenged to prove who he is by forcing God to save him in his humanness. Jesus won’t give in because he already knows whose he is. He knows he has already been protected beyond any definition the world offers up. He knows this because he has been in stillness and silence. Do we know this? Or are we seeking the safety net of the world? We won’t know what it really means to be saved until our salvation is ONLY in the hands of God.

From what do we need to be saved? Likely it is from ourselves. It is from the tyranny of trying to respond to all the sounds and words that surround us. But really there is only one word that can save us and that word is “JESUS”.

Jesus knew the temptation to avoid stillness and seek sensation and yet showed us that true power is found in following him in intentional stillness.

Here’s what I’m describing in Dr. Arch Hart’s book, “Adrenaline and Stress”. He writes,

“A constant state of adrenaline arousal, although physically damaging, is often experienced as pleasant excitement and stimulation. And it is this that makes it most dangerous, because we can come to think of the arousal state as "normal" and to depend on the high it gives us to get anything accomplished. I believe there is a corresponding spiritual danger.

Becoming dependent on adrenaline arousal for the good feelings of life can create an association between spirituality and high arousal. In other words, one doesn't feel "spiritual" unless one is being stimulated by adrenaline arousal. Many expressions of spirituality have become linked to adrenaline arousal, and this can be very harmful. A great many of the true saints of God have found their peak spiritual experiences in quietness and solitude. But many modern "saints" look for it only in exciting challenges or emotional catharsis.”

(Citation: Archibald D. Hart in Adrenaline and Stress. Christianity Today, Vol. 34, no. 1.)

I think a key to this is realizing that as a friend of mine has said, “…silence of the heart is much more important than silence of the mouth.” Jesus showed us the power of a quiet heart and invites us into this powerful place. My friend goes on to say, “In truth, some of us are on the ragged edge because we are continually in motion, constantly in the presence of needs and people and demands, expectations, children pulling at you, spouse needing support, friends wanting help, groups looking for a volunteer, schedules, making plans, attending events. We can’t remember the last time we were absolutely alone, sitting – or better, kneeling – in silence.”

But God is speaking. Are we listening in prayer, through scripture, in worship, in places and ways and times that are truly devoted to letting God take hold of our hearts? Are we willing in the silence to let God change us to be more like Jesus?

To experience the wonder of God’s grace is to be still and let God take hold of us in times such as I’ve mentioned or on a walk alone or any number of ways that are exclusively for God’s use. I know we all need these times. They are the times that show us what it really means to follow Jesus Christ. Isn’t it time we made room for the sounds of silence? Jesus did. And like him, in the power of God’s Holy Spirit we can too, as we STOP and let God work. Let’s do it today. Amen.