Wednesdays are busy at Roseland Christian Ministries. The Greater Chicago Food Depository drops off several tons of food, medical professionals come to provide medical care to the community, and lunch is served to 70-90 men and women.
In a small classroom behind this hustle and bustle, a gathering of mostly older women sits in a circle. Nearly every week our meeting begins in the same way. One of us reads Psalm 46:10: “Be still, and know that I am God.” Then we sit in stillness and silence together for a few minutes.
I tend to want to fill the silence with noise. I want to break the stillness with movement. But when I surrender my desire to talk and move, and we simply sit in the still silence as brothers and sisters, I am surprised at the peace and calm that come over us.
In our hearts and minds we say over and over again, “Be still, and know that I am God.” Those few minutes each week, for all of us who gather in the circle, have become a sanctuary in the midst of chaos.
What about you? Do you have a place and time to sit with others in the stillness and silence of God’s presence?
Lord, we can often get so busy and distracted. Help us to still our minds and bodies and to rest in the assurance that you are God and you are with us. Amen.
About the author — Joe Huizenga
Joe Huizenga serves as pastor and executive director of Roseland Christian Ministries in Chicago, Illinois. He and his wife, Cate, have four children.
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