The Gift of Silence: Learning to Listen for God’s Presence
One thing I hear often from people is a desire for silence.
A desire to step away from the noise, the expectations, the notifications, and the constant input of everyday life.
A desire to find a place where they can simply be.
And my favorite question to ask is:
What do you imagine you’ll find in that silence?
Most people answer:
“I don’t know.”
And I love that answer.
Because there is mystery in silence.
Silence is not empty.
It is not simply the absence of sound.
Silence is a place where we begin to notice.
A place where we begin to listen.
A place where something deeper within us has room to emerge.
What do we find in silence?
What’s in the silence that you long for?
What do you come into contact with when you give yourself space to be quiet?
What happens to your mind?
Your body?
Your soul?
For many of us, silence can initially feel uncomfortable.
When the noise fades, we may become aware of thoughts we’ve been avoiding, emotions we haven’t had space to feel, or desires we haven’t allowed ourselves to name.
But if we stay.
If we gently listen.
Something else may begin to reveal itself.
A deeper knowing.
A sense of peace.
A feeling of being held.
A connection to something greater than ourselves.
Silence as a place of communion with God
For me, I talk to God in the silence.
And God talks back to me.
Not always in a loud or obvious way.
Often through a quiet sense of knowing.
Through what rises within me.
Through the wisdom of my own body.
Through sacred words that come alive.
Through a gentle invitation to pay attention.
Which makes me wonder:
What if, beneath our desire for silence, many of us are actually longing for communion with the Divine?
A place to listen.
A place to receive.
A place to be held.
A place where we remember we are not alone.
Learning to listen
I believe silence creates space for a deeper kind of listening.
Listening to ourselves.
Listening to one another.
Listening for the movement of the Divine in our lives.
This kind of listening is not about forcing an answer or achieving a certain spiritual experience.
It is about creating enough space to notice what is already present.
It is about becoming available.
The Listening Room: A space for contemplative practice and connection
This longing for deeper listening is the heart behind The Listening Room—a monthly virtual gathering where we slow down, enter contemplative practice, and create space for communion, reflection, and connection.
The Listening Room is not simply an hour of sitting in silence.
You will be gently guided through a trauma-informed contemplative practice, followed by facilitated group reflection and sharing within a thoughtfully held container.
There are clear boundaries and intentional guidance so that you are not left wondering what to do, how much to share, or how to navigate the vulnerability of being seen.
Together, we will practice listening:
To ourselves.
To one another.
To the Divine.
Come as you are.
No experience with meditation or contemplative practice is needed.
You do not need to know how to be silent.
You only need curiosity.
And a willingness to slow down.
I hope you’ll join me.