Honoring Spiritual Seasons: Solitude

This may seem like an odd time to talk about solitude.  December is the busiest month of the year.  There are concerts, errands, visitors, cards, online shopping, laundry, end of year accounting, open enrollment for healthcare (aghh!!!! If I have to talk to ONE more person at Blueshield...).  Whew!  Sneaking off to the Grand Canyon for a little alone time sounds fantastic.  In fact, yesterday I had to wait at the bus stop for 30 minutes for a ride home.  By myself.  It was beautiful.

Today we're talking about solitude.  Don't get that confused with the always popular "Alone Time" much covered in magazines.  I'm not talking about quiet time focused on myself.  I'm talking about quiet time focused on God.  Not a 4-page Bible study, not an overnight retreat, not extra time on the toilet because no one will bother you there...I'm talking: You + God.  End of equation.  No equals sign!  No "result"!  In the Bible we read:

   But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Lk. 5:16 

Solitude is a spiritual discipline we often ignore because it interferes with the many other God-given responsibilities in our lives.  Does God want us to ignore what's right in front of us?  Is it ok if some things are undone, some people ignored in order for us to enjoy solitude with God?  Remember this:

Every day of his ministry, people left Jesus disappointed.  

Every day people who hoped to be healed went home blind and crippled.  How many people were looking for Lazarus' shoulder to see if their dead loved ones would follow?  Jesus didn't always provide a meal.  There were other prostitutes who wanted to hear that their sins were forgiven...but they'd have to wait.  Because sometimes, it was more important for Jesus to withdraw and go to a lonely place to pray.

From now thru Epiphany we're going to practice this - the art of solitude.  We'll do some creative things.  We'll do some ordinary.  Normally, I prefer to have things under my belt a little before I write about them, but this is not one of those topics.  This will just as hard for me as it is for you.  

So let's get started!

Grab a cup of tea (I highly recommend "Breakfast in Paris" by Stash - tastes good, but sounds oh-so-fancy.), cup of joe.

Ok.  good.

Now, turn off your phone, turn the baby monitor around so you don't see those blinking lights, if you've got the playlist on - press pause.  

Let's just have a moment of silence...

Take time to read through this Advent poem slowly and use it as a prompt for prayer.  Perhaps you'll pray the poem.  Perhaps words will jump out at you.  Try reading it aloud. 

In Mary-Darkness

by Jessica Powers

I live my Advent in the womb of Mary

And on one night when a great star swings free

From its high mooring and walks down the sky

To be the dot above the Christus i,

I shall be born of her by blessed grace.

I wait in Mary-darkness, faith’s walled place,

With hope’s expectance of nativity.

I knew for long she carried me and fed me,

Guarded and loved me, though I could not see,

But only now, with inward jubilee,

I come upon earth’s most amazing knowledge:

Someone is hidden in this dark with me.

Source: “In Mary-Darkness” from The Selected Poetry of Jessica Powers,

edited by Regina Siegfried, ASC, and Robert F. Morneau. Kansas City, MO:

Sheed & Ward, 1989.

Take time to pray over these words and phrases:

Womb

Blessed Grace

Hope's Expectance

Jubilee

Someone is hidden

With me