Spiritual Silence in the Experience of Friends (Quakers)


Spiritual Silence in the Experience of Friends (Quakers)
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Be still and know that I am God.
Psalm 46:10

In the inward quietness and withdrawal of the mind, the witness of God arises in the heart, and the light of Christ so shines that the soul becomes aware of its own condition.
Robert Barclay in his Apology for the True Christian Divinity

Friends (Quakers) are rightly known for their use of silence. I have previously written on Friends (Quaker) Worship. In this article, I want to explore the spiritual use of silence in an even broader context than corporate worship.

The essence of the value of silence, for Quakers as well as for monastics and others, is to free ourselves from influences other than from God. Silence, then, can open ourselves to God and let us truly listen to the Living Christ.

In the spiritual silence in which we have so opened ourselves, we can see our own condition much more clearly. This can be a very humbling experience, for we see our own sinfulness, how we fall short. Seeing our condition, we become acutely aware of our need for God to redeem us.

In the stillness, we can also become much more aware of the depth of God's love for us. We do not empty our minds because we value emptiness, but rather so they can be filled with the things of the Spirit. We allow God to make us a new creation(2 Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 6:15).

Friends (Quakers) value the use of silence not only in the context of our regular gatherings for corporate worship, but also in other contexts. Traditionally, Friends regularly have "times of retirement" - private devotions. While these often include Bible reading and petition, they also should include substantial quiet time for listening. In these times, we are helped to see where we need correction and the directions in which God would lead us. Friends also use silence in times when one or more meet with another outside of the meeting for worship to allow the Spirit to work more deeply in the interaction than generally occurs when someone is talking all the time.

The copyright of the article Spiritual Silence in the Experience of Friends (Quakers) in Quakerism is owned by Bill Samuel. Permission to republish Spiritual Silence in the Experience of Friends (Quakers) in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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