Would you benefit from more silence and reflection? Richard Church and Kathryn Price introduce
URC Spirituality

Finding space in a crowded schedule is not easy. We often find ourselves in a world hemmed in by the opinions of others or are the objects of marketing by companies or opinion formers, and this can leave us distracted and strangely listless.

Someone I know has converted her shed to be a space apart, literally a desert place. Another discovers space in the city on a commute to work. But for those with caring responsibilities, the search for space can seem an elusive goal.

Silence can easily intimidate us, especially if we are prone to evade the challenge of quietness by putting on the television or radio or seeking someone out for conversation. Yet for this talkative disciple, it has been through prolonged periods of silence that re-creation has been tangible. I was able to undertake the Camino across north west Spain during sabbatical leave and the long periods of aloneness gave opportunity to hear the Spirit speaking. But even five minutes’ silence in our noisy worlds can create a space for inspiration…

Richard Church and Kathryn Price are retired URC ministers. Find out more about URC Spirituality at urc-spirituality.org.uk or contact the group’s secretary, Ann Barton, at ann.barton@hotmail.com

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This is an extract from an article published in the June 2023 edition of Reform

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