Cancel the Noise Discussion Guide - Part 1

Welcome
Have you ever dreaded going to a family function because of that one aunt who’s a little too real or honest, as she puts it, about everything going on in your life and the world? Maybe it’s a coworker that sends off bad energy. The kind of people who always find something wrong with the situation, the day, or you. The type of people who seem to fill the space with a lot of negative noise. The Bible calls these people critics, scoffers, and cynics. We all know them; sometimes, it’s even us, the voices that get into your head and drag you down. What does our faith teach us about tuning out those hostile forces?  


Prayer Practice
During this series, we will be encouraging groups to spend some time in silence together. This can be awkward at first, even uncomfortable, but it can also be a valuable spiritual practice for us to embrace. For today, let’s start with just 30 seconds and see how it goes.

To begin, set a timer for 30 seconds. Encourage each person in the group to find a comfortable position, take a few deep breaths, and bring themselves more fully into the present moment. Start the timer and simply be silent together. When the time is done, have one person read the opening prayer out loud together.


Opening Prayer
Creator, thank you for this time together. Thank you for bringing this group together to dig into these questions about life and faith. Please help us to discern which voices are for good in our lives and which voices are negative noise. Let us find a balance in the chaos to hold space for quiet and clear our minds. Amen.


Ice Breaker
Are you the kind of person who enjoys silence and stillness or would you rather fill your space with noise and movement?

For example, how was the prayer practice above for you? Could you have been silent together for a lot longer? Or was your skin crawling after just a few seconds?


The Head
The Bible is full of verses warning us against people referred to as fools, scoffers, or critics. We are warned against falling in with them and listening to their loud voices. Sometimes, these warnings can feel harsh or even eccentric in the way the “fools” are described. But how can we see past that and notice where our own world falls in line with these warnings?
 
Proverbs 1:22 (NRSV)
How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing
    and fools hate knowledge?

• In the past week, where have you noticed people delighting in their scoffing?
• Some versions of this verse use the word “mocker” instead of “scoffer.” Where do you notice your own thinking tending towards mockery? 
• Do you think the community around you hates knowledge? How so?

 
Proverbs 29:8 (NRSV)
Scoffers set a city aflame
but the wise turn away wrath.
 

• Is it social media, the radio, or the news? What voice is the loudest in your life, leaning towards negative energy and setting the city on fire? 
• In what ways do you crave the energy of the loud, negative voices? Do you seek it out? 
• What prevents you from turning away from the wrathful voices around you? 

The Heart
We’ve jumped into where these voices come from and the ways we encourage them in our own lives. But what does the Bible say about the opposite? What wisdom does it share that leads us to a different life experience? Can spirituality help us, or are we victims of the world we live in?

Psalm 1:1 (NRSV)
Happy are those
   who do not follow the advice of the wicked
or take the path that sinners tread
   or sit in the seat of scoffers.

• How do you think a “happy person” avoids the traps of cynicism? 

In 1699, a Quaker named William Penn said, “True silence…is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment, and refreshment.” The Quakers practice silence in ways most in American culture would find unsettling. They gather together, sit facing one another, and hold space for silence for long periods. After careful contemplation, they may share the insights they feel the Spirit has led them to.
 

• How do you think this type of practice of silence would alter your mindset? 

Constant noise can cause a number of health problems, including stress and sleep disruption. Noise can also impact your mental health, making it harder to concentrate and communicate.
 

• How does all the noise in your life impact your body and soul? 

The Hands
How did people and communities in the Bible react to critics? What are the different ways in which we can respond? We know we won’t ever stop the noise completely, but how can we move towards a more balanced life? Read the following scriptures for some ideas.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 (CEB)
So continue encouraging each other and building each other up, just like you are doing already.

Ephesians 4:29 (CEB)
Don’t let any foul words come out of your mouth. Only say what is helpful when it is needed for building up the community so that it benefits those who hear what you say.

• What is one way you can try to quiet or silence some noise in your life this week? 
• Who is someone you can listen to more to help balance the critics in your life? 
• How can you offer more peace to the world around you? 

Closing Prayer
Creator, thank you for the discussion, the challenge, and the community we have shared today. Be with us as we leave this place. Please help us to see you in the silence and calm we find this week. Amen.


Additional Resources
QuakerSpeak is a weekly video series highlighting the stories of modern Quakers. Check it out to learn more! YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/quakerspeak


From Pastor Charity
You’re invited to try on a new way to pray at the Hope & Healing Service on Tuesday, January 14 at 6:30 p.m. at the McCausland site.

This meaningful evening will include worship and guided experiences designed to help you center yourself and embrace the hope and healing of Jesus in the New Year. Workshop options include singing Lectio Divina (divine reading of scripture), art and prayer, listening and prayer, as well as yoga and prayer.

This is a unique time of worship and reflection you don’t want to miss! Sign up for your workshop here: https://gatheringnow.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/779/responses/new