Where Solitude Meets Community
Without the discipline of community, solitude degenerates into self-absorption and isolation; without the discipline of solitude, community degenerated into co-dependency and enmeshment…
The community of faith is where we learn the language of love. And the church uses two kinds of language—the verbal language of liturgy, scripture, and sermon, and the body language of sacraments, gestures, and social outreach…
Being a part of a life-giving faith community is like a healthy foot getting directional signals from the rest of the body. A life-giving church is one where human brokenness is lifted up like bread and wine to be held, and touched, and blessed—to heal the world.
—Kent Ira Groff, A Spiritual Guide for Men
Solitude and community were never meant to stand alone. Without the discipline of community, solitude can become self-focused and isolating. But without the discipline of solitude, community can lose its depth—falling into unhealthy attachment or distraction. Kent Ira Groff reminds us that a life-giving faith holds these two in tension: solitude nurtures our inner life with God, and community helps us live that love outward in tangible ways.
In the Church, we learn both the spoken and unspoken language of love—through Scripture and song, but also through bread shared, hands extended, and lives poured out. A healthy church doesn’t hide brokenness—it lifts it up, like bread and wine, to be touched by grace. It reminds each of us that we belong, not in spite of our wounds, but even through them. Let today be a call to seek both solitude and community—a rhythm where your soul is nourished and your life helps nourish others.
—David Hoskins, Founder & Care Guide, Sanctuary Clinics