The Abbey

Who am I?  I am one will choose a traditional worship, evening prayer, and liturgy over "contemporary worship" any day.

Our confirmation class visited an Abbey and had discussion with a monk this last week.  We end the night participating in their evening prayer service.  I joked with my husband that if I closed my eyes and plugged my nose I could be at seminary.  (Our seminary had a distinct smell to it).  I love evening prayer services.  I enjoy being in quiet time with others around me and I absolutely love chanting the Psalms.  I'm probably a church geek because I got a little teary eyed when we chanted the first Psalm of the evening.

The prayers of the Psalms move me.  As does the music.  The Psalms are words when you can not prayer, they are things you are pondering and struggling with about God, but can't voice.  Psalms are the celebrations and joys when you are out of words to express how full your heart is.  Psalms are the prayers of people (of David) and of me.

There is something to be said about quiet time.  I think it is even more special when it is quiet time with a group.  Meditation in a group is challenging, but also rewarding.  I have had practice.  We did it on internship with a group of ladies.  Once a month, one hour, in the sanctuary- complete silence.  Prayer and reading and hearing God's voice.

I love worship, please don't get me wrong. Personally, I feel something is missing if I also don't have prayer and quiet time in a community along with that worship.  The voice of God can be hard to hear if we are always doing the talking and making the noise.  It's a teeter totter- finding the balance of worshiping God and taking time to listen to God.