In an world where we look at our smartphones an average of 88 times a day. In an world where our calendars rule our lives and we can hardly find a moment of peace (and when we do relax, we naturally have to post about it on all platforms with the appropriate hashtags), we find ourselves, usually on Sunday mornings, in a time of worship.

Usually we only have about 20-25 minutes for praise and worship in our churches. So naturally we want to reach as many people as possible in that time. Therefore it’s best to start with a really energetic praise song and then move on to the more reflective songs. Towards the end, always be flexible about which song would best round off the sermon. We could finish with another upbeat song. After that…

STOP

I have nothing against these activities, and yes, people’s time is precious, and we want to honour that by creating a space where they can encounter God as deeply as possible and also recharge their batteries. But sometimes (not always!) the best way to worship God is simply to be still. Yes, exactly. Silent. Sooo quiet. Not the whole time, but just a few minutes of total silence. No piano, no electric guitar, just you and God. “The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.” (Habakkuk 2:20 – NIV)

But this few minutes feels like it goes on forever! And of course, it’s a real challenge for the band leader to know when the best moment is to start up again. But don’t panic. In heaven, there was – or will be – a full half-hour of silence! (cf. Revelation 8:1).

If silence is introduced effectively, it could be the best thing that has happened to our congregation this week! Silence in worship contains elements of revelation (of who God is) AND of response, explanis Matt Redman in his book “Facedown”. Sometimes we experience God in loud worship, and that’s brilliant. But we shouldn’t miss the opportunity to experience God in the stillness during a time of worship. In His presence, we quiet our hearts and automatically begin to marvel at God’s greatness and holiness (according to Psalm 131).

The silence between songs can be rather awkward and make it difficult to really immerse yourself in worship. But intentional silence can lead you into a deeper level of worship.

Here’s a question I like to ask myself from time to time, which fits in with this: “Is the noise around you quiet enough for you to hear God’s whisper?” For example: sometimes God is found in a gentle whisper, just as in 1 Kings 19:12–13, when God appeared to Elijah.

To sum it up: I’m still against unnecessary interruptions, or awkward silence during worship times, but I’m definitely in favour of deliberately planned and well introduced times of silence during worship sessions.