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IDEAS FOR A MORE INTENTIONAL NIGHT TIME & EARLY MORNING


Have you heard of 'greater silence'? It's very common in religious communities for 'greater silence' to be kept over the final hours of the day and the first hours of the following day.  'Greater silence' usually begins around 8:00pm or 9:00pm, and ends around 9:00am the next day. During this time nobody speaks or watches TV or plays music etc so that everyone can give more attention to God during these particularly special times of day.

The night-time service, called Compline, marks a transition. It formally marks the end of the day's work, tasks and conversations. It puts everything and everyone into God's hands, and it signifies the beginning of this profound 'quiet time with God'. When those in religious communities come out of Compline they walk out in silence. This last part of their day (and the first part of the next day) is reserved for conversation with God.

Not speaking during these hours works for monks and nuns but wouldn't work if you had a spouse or family. The 'not talking' isn't the main point of the greater silence. Giving God more attention last thing and first thing is. There are various ways in which you might be able to observe your own version of 'greater silence' in order to be more attentive to God at the start and end of your day. Here are just a few ideas:

You might have a certain time in the evening after which you don't look at any screens (this is better for our sleep and health anyway).

You might have a certain time in the evening after which you don't do any work or household tasks or check emails or notifications. If things you need to do or ideas tend to run through your head, you might keep a notebook to jot them down in to look at them tomorrow. That way your mind can be more quiet during the 'greater silence' time.

You might have a certain time in the evening at which you put your phone in 'flight mode' or switch it off altogether.

If you find that reading or listening to something Christian on your phone etc before bed actually helps you focus on God at bedtime, it might be that after a certain time in the evening you decide you won't read or watch anything that isn't Christian.

Like with the 'greater silence', you might find that it helps you to continue across the first hour or two of the morning the same 'practice' that you choose to be part of your evening healthy discipline.

In religious communities, the short night-time service of Compline formally ends the day and introduces the 'greater silence'. You might find that having a tiny ritual to introduce your 'greater silence' helps you. Just before you enter into your own 'greater silence', you might find it helpful to have a short time of prayer, or you might formally switch off or close your devices, or turn out the main lights and switch on lamps instead, or you might light a candle at a certain time each evening, or write in a journal, or shower or change to mark the beginning of this quiet period.

These are all just ideas. You will know or will figure out what works for you if experimenting with some kind of 'greater silence' in your own life appeals to you.

The main things to experiment with and decide on are:

What time will you aim to begin your 'greater silence'?

What time in the morning will you continue your 'greater silence' until?

What won't you do during your 'greater silence' period?

Is there a mini ritual that will help you enter into your 'greater silence' period?

Behind all these questions is the question, "What will help me give God more of my attention last thing and first thing?"