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Emily Esfahai Smith writes: “As our lives become ever more connected, there are so few places we can go to truly be alone anymore.” We are always plugged into a screen…checking Facebook, reading emails, catching up with Netflix or playing a video game. We
may be alone, but….are we really alone? Times of solitude are important and it’s a habit we may wish to consider adding to our lives.
There’s been a lot of attention devoted to how technology is scattering our attention and corroding our relationships, but we need to consider how it may be impairing our capacity for solitude. We’re so overstimulated!
If we desire to know who we are in Christ and want to grow in our relationship with Him, we need to be content with being alone with Him – with nothing vying for our attention. When we meditate, pray or journal, our thoughts become inspired by the Holy Spirit and direct our thinking. Time with the Lord – time in solitude – is critical to strengthen our walk with the Lord.
Where do you begin to unplug so that you can make space for solitude and reap the benefits of being still before the Lord. Psalm 23:3 from The Message says: “True to Your Word, You let me catch my breath.” Try putting your phone down for some intentional solitude moments. It’s a great time to charge your phone and yourself!
Scripture: Psalm 23:3 (VOICE) “He makes me whole again.”
After sharing the Scripture, use at least three of the questions below with your group:
• Do you find yourself ‘addicted’ to technology? What consumes most of your time – Facebook, games, Netflix?
• What concerns you about spending quiet time alone in solitude?
• Have you ever felt the rewards of spending quiet time with the Lord?
• How do you spend time catching your breath spiritually?
Complete your monthly report and turn it in to the Corps Officer.
SOLITUDE
Gathering
July Leader’s Page
Psalm 23:3
SOLIT
UDE
Gath
erin
gD
o yo
u fi
nd
your
self
‘add
icted
’ to
techn
ology
? W
hat
con
sum
es m
ost o
f
your
time –
Face
book
, gam
es, N
etfl
ix?
SOLIT
UDE
Gath
erin
gW
hat
conc
erns
you
abo
ut
spen
din
g qu
iet t
ime
al
one
in so
litud
e?
SOLIT
UDE
Gath
erin
gH
ave
you
ever
felt
the
re
ward
s of s
pen
din
g qu
iet
tim
e w
ith
the
Lord
?
SOLIT
UDE
Gath
erin
gH
ow d
o yo
u sp
end
time
catc
hin
g yo
ur
brea
th sp
iritu
ally
?
He
He
whole
whole
makes me
makes me
again.
again.
Psalm 23:3 (VOICE)
Psalm 23:3 (VOICE)
f you
des
ire
to ta
ke s
teps
to b
egin
or
enri
ch y
our
pers
onal
ti
me
wit
h th
e L
ord
try
the
disc
iplin
e of
Cen
teri
ng P
raye
r.
Cen
teri
ng
Pray
er is
a p
opul
ar m
eth
od o
f med
itat
ion
use
d by
som
e C
hri
stia
ns,
pla
cin
g a
stro
ng
emph
asis
on
inte
rior
si
len
ce. .
.. T
he
nam
e w
as ta
ken
from
Th
omas
Mer
ton
’s
desc
ript
ion
of c
onte
mpl
ativ
e pr
ayer
(a
muc
h ol
der
and
mor
e tr
aditi
onal
pra
ctic
e) a
s pr
ayer
that
is “
cen
tere
d en
tire
ly o
n th
e pr
esen
ce o
f God
.” H
ere
are
som
e su
gges
ted
step
s:
I
Set a
side
10 m
inute
s for
this
exer
cise.
This
may
seem
like
an
ete
rnity
at fi
rst,
but a
s you
cont
inue
to p
racti
ce, y
our
soul
will
desir
e m
ore
time.
Set
a ti
mer
if th
at h
elps y
ou to
be
less
conc
erne
d ab
out w
hen
to st
op.
Settl
e int
o a
com
forta
ble
posit
ion.
Inte
ntio
nally
pla
ce y
ours
elf in
the
pres
ence
of G
od, i
n th
e ce
nter
of H
is lo
ve (T
his is
abou
t awa
rene
ss an
d ack
nowl
edgm
ent,
not g
eogr
aphy
or th
eolog
y).
Choo
se a
sim
ple
wor
d, p
hras
e or
ver
se fr
om S
cript
ure
that
exp
ress
es y
our d
esire
for G
od (e
.g. lo
ve, p
eace
, gra
ce,
Jesu
s, pr
esen
ce).
Let t
his w
ord
guar
d yo
ur a
ttent
ion.
Take
tim
e to
bec
ome
quiet
. It i
s not
unu
sual
for t
he
first
minu
tes t
o be
fille
d w
ith m
any
noisy
thou
ghts
. It
mig
ht e
ven
happ
en th
e fir
st fe
w ti
mes
you
try.
Don
’t be
di
scou
rage
d. D
on’t
wor
ry a
bout
thos
e no
isy th
ough
ts.
Let t
hem
go.
Gen
tly re
turn
you
r atte
ntio
n to
the
cent
er
of G
od’s
pres
ence
and
love
by
repe
ating
you
r wor
d,
phra
se o
r Scri
ptur
e th
at y
ou se
lecte
d. Le
t this
dra
w y
our
atte
ntio
n ba
ck to
Jesu
s.
Be w
ith Je
sus.
Liste
n. B
e st
ill.
f you
des
ire
to ta
ke s
teps
to b
egin
or
enri
ch y
our
pers
onal
ti
me
wit
h th
e L
ord
try
the
disc
iplin
e of
Cen
teri
ng P
raye
r.
Cen
teri
ng
Pray
er is
a p
opul
ar m
eth
od o
f med
itat
ion
use
d by
som
e C
hri
stia
ns,
pla
cin
g a
stro
ng
emph
asis
on
inte
rior
si
len
ce. .
.. T
he
nam
e w
as ta
ken
from
Th
omas
Mer
ton
’s
desc
ript
ion
of c
onte
mpl
ativ
e pr
ayer
(a
muc
h ol
der
and
mor
e tr
aditi
onal
pra
ctic
e) a
s pr
ayer
that
is “
cen
tere
d en
tire
ly o
n th
e pr
esen
ce o
f God
.” H
ere
are
som
e su
gges
ted
step
s:
I
Set a
side
10 m
inute
s for
this
exer
cise.
This
may
seem
like
an
ete
rnity
at fi
rst,
but a
s you
cont
inue
to p
racti
ce, y
our
soul
will
desir
e m
ore
time.
Set
a ti
mer
if th
at h
elps y
ou to
be
less
conc
erne
d ab
out w
hen
to st
op.
Settl
e int
o a
com
forta
ble
posit
ion.
Inte
ntio
nally
pla
ce y
ours
elf in
the
pres
ence
of G
od, i
n th
e ce
nter
of H
is lo
ve (T
his is
abou
t awa
rene
ss an
d ack
nowl
edgm
ent,
not g
eogr
aphy
or th
eolog
y).
Choo
se a
sim
ple
wor
d, p
hras
e or
ver
se fr
om S
cript
ure
that
exp
ress
es y
our d
esire
for G
od (e
.g. lo
ve, p
eace
, gra
ce,
Jesu
s, pr
esen
ce).
Let t
his w
ord
guar
d yo
ur a
ttent
ion.
Take
tim
e to
bec
ome
quiet
. It i
s not
unu
sual
for t
he
first
minu
tes t
o be
fille
d w
ith m
any
noisy
thou
ghts
. It
mig
ht e
ven
happ
en th
e fir
st fe
w ti
mes
you
try.
Don
’t be
di
scou
rage
d. D
on’t
wor
ry a
bout
thos
e no
isy th
ough
ts.
Let t
hem
go.
Gen
tly re
turn
you
r atte
ntio
n to
the
cent
er
of G
od’s
pres
ence
and
love
by
repe
ating
you
r wor
d,
phra
se o
r Scri
ptur
e th
at y
ou se
lecte
d. Le
t this
dra
w y
our
atte
ntio
n ba
ck to
Jesu
s.
Be w
ith Je
sus.
Liste
n. B
e st
ill.
