In the Presence of Your Holy Silence
In the presence of your Holy Silence,
Silence, Silence,
We remember most deeply who we are.
In the presence of your Holy Silence,
Silence, Silence,
Living things all around us speak their name.
In the presence of your Holy Silence,
Silence, Silence,
There’s a revernce within us welling up.
In the presence of your Holy Silence,
Silence, Silence,
We can hear what is missing in our lives.
In the presence of your Holy Silence,
Silence, Silence,
We are longing to reclaim what is good.
In the presence of your Holy Silence,
Silence, Silence,
We’re invited to be made wholly new.
Words and music by Bret Hesla.
© 2015 Bret Hesla. All rights reserved. Use with permission, please.
Licensed via OneLicense.net. Contact: Bret.hesla@gmail.com.
Several years ago now, I read the book One Square Inch of Silence, by Gorden Hempton. Hempton is an audio-ecologist, working to preserve natural quiet places least touched by the blare of encroaching human activity. He talks about the power of silence, and the necessity of quiet spaces for our personal health, for healthy communities, and of course or for other species. Silence has been on my mind ever since. I vacillate between seeking out quiet places, and lamenting its absence. I wrote this song in the spirit of that longing and that quest.
This song works well in contemplative or prayer settings. Try singing it interspersed with some silence between the verses, some simple listening to the sounds and quiet around you. Could be done in the morning. In the evening. During Lent. During Advent. It’s always a good time to listen to silence and the natural world. That listening is a deep prayer.
Thanks to Cooper Sherry of Tacoma, WA, for the lovely piano score!