Last Night Vun and I went out to 7:22. A Ministry put on by North Point Community Church for college & carreer/young adults/singles I'm not sure what the demographic is...anyway, not the point.
Last night I attended my first ever silent service. 2 hours without one spoken word. You got it, not one spoken word. Several thousand people in one room and not one spoken word. Worship in silence.
We examined the issue of "life interruptions" we evaluated our own lives' interrumptions, we considered our interruption from the light of scripture, what God might be doing in us, to us and even through us. Before we were done we were able to lay whatever interruption in our lives (present or past) before God and his care. And then all of us shared in communion together.
And we did all that in absolute and complete silence. An interruption to look deeper at our interruptions.
It was an incredible experience.
Posted by ed | TrackBackWs it competely silent, or was there music? Any visuals?
I watch 7:22 on their website, and I'm thinking that might be one boring webstream that week. I can see how being there would be powerful, though.
Keep us posted on Catalyst. I think the convention center 'arena" is set up as a huge hotzone if I remember correctly.
Posted by: Brian MullinsIt was completely silent...yes there was a number of visuals...we were directed through words typed on a screen.
In terms of it being a gimmick...if it genuinely brings people closer to God, to confession and to life change...if it honors God, calling it a gimmick is at best a lack of understanding or a worst a shallow observation of something that we don't understand because we haven't experienced it before. Sorry for being rather strong, but I'm tired of the judgement that those whom are truly trying to help others connect with God and serve him, receive because they're willing to do things differently.
Posted by: edI think many are looking for another way to "connect" with God because in so many churches the "old fashioned prayer meetings" are dead and ritualistic and definitely "exterior-in". Not in all churches, but in many that I've attended. And silence is a great way to experience change from the interior-out.
I found the 7:22 webstream for the service Ed attended, and it was probably better in person, but I certainly got the drift.
Posted by: Brian MullinsI'm not often "touchy" - but when I've just had and when I've just witnessed a spiritual time that deal with more than just the externals and all someone else can say is "sounds gimmicky" that bothers me to some extent.
Having said that, Jim, sorry your experience was "gimmicky" you shouldn't assume that's the case for everything or even everyone else.
As a pastor, I've been to and have done and lead many a "good old fashioned prayer meeting in my time as a pastor, but few times do we in our churches actually stop and "Be still and know that I(He)am God." for any length of time. The fact that this church created an experience where that was able to happen and people were able to look inward and ask God to change them is a pretty good thing.
Brian, you're right - I can't imagine that it would be easy to capture the experience over the net - it was the fact that people stopped from their usual routines etc and were still for that length of time and did it together as Christ's body that I think really helped people look deeper as they called upon Christ to lead them through it. I'd never seen or experienced anything like that. Sometimes it takes some time before you can get away from all the noise in your life to get to the real stuff that's in the way of Christ having first place. It was incredible to experience and to be a part of.
Posted by: edMy wife and I watched the web version of the service, and I thought it was absolutely amazing! I think it really matters on how you prepare your spirit to take in God's message. That goes for any type of worship, whether it be traditional or not. 'Gimmick' or not...God spoke. If God speaks to someone and you want to call it a gimmick, then maybe you should examine your own heart to see where you stand with Him.
Posted by: Peter