Free & Fit NYC - Urban Pilgrimage "Silence & Solitude" - An Anglo-Catholic Penteco
Free & Fit NYC - Urban Pilgrimage "Silence & Solitude" - An Anglo-Catholic Pentecostal Spiritual Practice - by Peter David Zafonte
Participant’s Reflection on Urban Pilgrimage “Silence & Solitude.”
‘On Saturday November 9th, 2019, I participated with Tim Cheux on a "Silence and Solitude" event in New York City. It is something I was interested in because I am in a season of wanting to be more intentional about practicing spiritual disciplines, and I have a heart for the city. It was a welcome experience to participate in something that was ecumenical/interdenominational. Having been discipled in an evangelical tradition, it broadened my horizons. It helped me understand more of what could draw Christians together rather than in the present landscape, driving them apart. We gather in four spaces that were representative of the praxis of four different traditions.
The four were: the ACE Hotel Lobby Bar as the Pentecostal praxis, a Catholic chapel within the Pauline bookstore, an Episcopalian sanctuary, and a reformed church's prayer room. The thing that was impressed on me the most was the historical value placed on silence and solitude and the spaces made available for that on church property. From my perspective, it is far less valued within contemporary worship as a result of the extreme busyness of people, coupled with always being tethered to technology.
Whatever the case maybe it seems apparent that the church has historically placed emphasis on silence and solitude that seems a bit lost today. What I learned and what is truly beautiful is Christians of all backgrounds can take advantage of these spaces right here in the city. I did not know these spaces existed, and now as part of my practice, I can utilize them for purposes of spiritual discipline. I most preferred the prayer room and the sanctuary. Both had materials for guided prayer, and both were an environment that reflected the beauty of Christ, the sanctuary being more elaborate, and the prayer room was more unadorned.’
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