But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him. Habakkuk 2:20 This past Sunday, I watched as the last of the Sunday morning crowd made their way out into the parking lot and off on their Sunday adventures. Except for the occasion, a few who were still conversing about various topics, I found myself alone. I entered the Sanctuary that had just moments before been filled with singing, fellowship, and the Gospel message. Now it was silent and dark, with only the light from the sun filtering through the stained-glass cross to illuminate this space of worship. For a moment, I was saddened by the silence. I missed the cacophony of praise that exudes from this space on Sunday mornings, and a spirit of melancholy spread over me.
But then, God granted me a new perspective. I once again overheard laughter from outside the sanctuary. It was just a few members of the church carrying on a lively conversation as they made their way to the exit. And it was then that I realized that the silence I was experiencing was for a good reason. The Body of Christ had departed these walls to go out and do the ministry of the church in the world around us! The silence was not an absence; it was a byproduct. It was the natural occurrence of the church as we ventured out to live the Gospel message we had just celebrated.
Sometimes the silence we experience in our lives is not because God is not with us, but it is because God is on the move! It only feels like silence because we have such a narrow conception of God’s work. An empty sanctuary after Sunday morning worship is not something to be mourned; it is something to be celebrated! This is because the disciples have departed to do the work of our master, Jesus Christ!
