pat loughery

I would like to stress the importance of silence in the ways a minister organizes his own life and that of others. In a society in which entertainment and distraction are such important preoccupations, ministers are also tempted to join the ranks of those who consider it their primary task to keep other people busy.

But our task is the opposite of distraction. Our task is to help people concentrate on the real but often hidden event of God’s active presence in their lives.

Hence, the question that must guide all organizing activity in a [church] is not how to keep people busy, but how to keep them being so busy that they can no longer hear the voice of God who speaks in silence.

“The Way of the Heart: The Spirituality of the Desert Fathers and Mothers” (Henri J. M. Nouwen), p. 63

I’m preparing for a retreat that I get to lead this upcoming weekend for a group of people who lead youth retreats. Our overall theme is to help the attendees establish a rhythm of life that helps them be embedded in the life of God. It’s the first time I’ve led a weekend retreat, and I’m thrilled at the opportunity to talk through the things I’ve been wrestling with for a year or two, blending the wisdom of the early Christian monastic communities and the realities of contemporary culture.

My goal is to help the folks who come along for the journey to be able to examine their lives, finding the routines that they live into, and to help them reset themselves and their rhythms of life, helping them to hear and to live into what God has for them.

I’ve recently read The Way of the Heart, and it’s one of those books that I underlined about 1/3 of, with lots of notes and circles and arrows in the margins. Nouwen writes clearly, plainly, and in a way that cuffs me upside the head with a simple message: You may be off track; the desert disciplines of solitude, silence and prayer will help you find out and to reset your bearings.

For all of us who consider ourselves spiritual leaders, Nouwen’s words are helpful. I hope in particular that Nouwen’s words help my friends who lead churches which are committed to excellence, relevance and engaging the people in a culturally relevant way. I hope against hope that Nouwen’s words can establish a new priority for youth leaders in particular, who are often charged with the task of keeping the kids busy and away from worldly influences, giving them community and joy, but not much depth or rootedness.