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Quiet Place by Cassandra Lokker, First Reformed Church, Baldwin WI
My pastor preached a sermon early in 2020 on Mark 1:29-34, adapted from Henri Nouwen’s article, “Moving from Solitude to Community to Ministry,” in Leadership (Spring 1995). He focused on Jesus and his example—how Jesus spent time alone with the Father on numerous occasions, taking time to go to a quiet place early in the morning. After his times of solitude, Jesus would move back into community, calling his disciples and nurturing their relationship with him. Then, moving forward in his ministry, he would send them out in mission—two-by-two, connected in community to share the Gospel.
A disciple’s life begins with solitude and becoming rooted in personal relationship with Jesus, finding encouragement and participating in fellowship through community, and then being motivated to extend community into mission in order to invite others into relationship with Jesus. This journey begins with solitude and then circles back to solitude—a continuing cycle of connection with the Savior
I wrote this song with a hymn-like structure with these core themes: solitude, community, and mission.
Quiet Place
© 2020 Words and Music by Cassandra Lokker
Come with Me to a quiet place.
Seek My presence, seek My face.
This sacred ground where two hearts meet—
Lay your burdens at My feet.
Leave your cares, your fears behind.
Be still and know, renew your mind.
Come away to a quiet place,
A quiet place with Me.
Come together and fill this place.
Extend a hand, a warm embrace.
This offering of praise you bring—
The words you pray, the songs you sing,
Join together with one voice.
Glorify My name, rejoice!
Come together and fill this place.
Come and worship Me.
Go and be sent from this place,
Sharing love with tender grace.
Hear My call and count the cost.
Embrace the hurting and the lost.
I send you out by two, by three
To fish for men, to set them free.
Go and be sent from this place.
Come and follow Me.
Come with Me to a quiet place.
Seek My presence, seek My face.
This sacred ground where two hearts meet—
Lay your burdens at My feet.
Leave your cares, your fears behind.
Be still and know, renew your mind.
Come away to a quiet place,
A quiet place with Me.
Comments
Cassie, I'm so thankful that God gave you this song and that you have shared it with the world. Every time I listen I worship. I appreciate that you move from the quiet place with Jesus, to worship with fellow Christians, to the call to love in all our lives, which includes self-sacrifice (count the cost) as we follow our self-sacrificing Lord.
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