After missing two weeks, I decided to go back to All Souls and give it another chance. I hadn't dismissed it after my first service, but I wasn't sure if I would be able to muster the dedication to making it a part of my Sunday routine. I am fairly certain that I will be returning to the congregation week after week.
This week, Minister Galen Guengerich spoke of silence and the lack of it. This is something that I had thought about it in the past. I'd noticed that I constantly seem to be around noise. TV, phone calls, texts, and iPods - it's never ending. I had always thought it was a nuisance, but something one must live with when living in Manhattan. I had not stopped to think about the spiritual / emotional consequences of this constant noise.
Minister Guengerich delved deeper into the spiritual noise and the impact on the mind. You can't really devote your full attention to any one thing if you are managing multiple devices. Compound the several things that you're focusing on with the anticipation of noise (texts, phone calls, knocks at the door). He says that you aren't focusing on anything at all, but you are exhausted.
He doesn't advocate eliminating technology, but rather suggests that we increase the amount of silence in our lives. The world is a noisy place and we can't control it, but we can control certain aspects of lives and we can ensure silence. Rather than listening to music while clean, close iTunes. Instead of watching TV while making breakfast, leave it off and enjoy the peace of the early morning.
After listening to his sermon and realizing the negative effects of being constantly bombarded by noise, I can see the benefits to increasing the time during my day when I can experience silence. It'll be a needed break for my brain and an opportunity to clearly ponder my thoughts and goals and my life.
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