Stillness: October 21 through December 24

Introduction

            While stillness is often seen as the absence of all other distractions, we must recognize stillness as an intentional practice. We take this time to practice calmness and to create restorative silence. We recognize the difficulty of this endeavor in our busy and loud world, but we also see the importance of this task.

            Pockets of quiet allow us the freedom to commune with God. Settling our bodies and our minds for worship and introspection separates us from the world’s greed, social pressure, and materialism. In a world obsessed with mass production, to choose stillness is a radical act. We ask for God’s help in our search for calm. We ask for relief of the stresses and anxieties that distract us, for the pains and regrets that consume us, and for an awakening to the quiet beauty we so often ignore.

            We declare our intentions to use this time to find peace within our own lives and within our world.

Please enjoy this small photo essay collected from Chapel Photographer, Ellen Kneeskern's time abroad in Europe. While looking through these photos, consider the stillness created by nature, the peace promised by water, the constancy of history, and the quiet of the night. Think of how all these gifts are granted to us by God.