If you choose simply to conclude the evening with a time of silence, you will need to think through how the silence ends. You want people to know what is going to happen so they aren’t distracted by uncertainty. And you want to draw your time together to a close in a way that brings you together.
Before your time of silence starts, you might say something like “I’m going to suggest we conclude our time together with about X minutes of silence. So let’s find the right posture, and then we’ll just be quiet and listen, and at the end I will draw us together again by …”
And then you need to decide what.
A Taizé chant would be great, if you as leader feel confident to start the singing. If you go this way, a couple of good simple ones are “Wait for the Lord” and “Bless the Lord, my soul” – many other resources are on the Taizé website.
Or you could have a form of words. The Grace is always good. If you think everyone will know it you could suggest everyone joins in. If so you may want to preface it with a few informal words so people are ready to join in: e.g. so now… may the… Grace of our Lord…
Or you could pick a suitable collect which you can pray and everyone can say “amen.”
Or your own form of words. So long as it is prayerful, reasonably gentle, and everyone knows what to expect, you should be fine.
Season of Silence 