Going Benedictine

Several years ago I went away to attend a Benedictine Experience. It was a peace-filled week spent in community where we found a balance of time together and time alone; time for silence and time for conversation; time for prayer, for work, for study, and for rest.

While this retreat was literally a mountaintop experience, held at Kanuga in the Blue Ridge mountains of western NC, the Benedictine Life can be an every-day sort of thing. It is an alternative way of being in the world that seeks to embrace the rhythm of the day and the seasons that God has given us for our own restoration, health, and wholeness. Based on an ethos of balance, moderation, and reasonableness, it is in a word, 'Salvation.'

But Salvation must be chosen. Benedict's way of living does not come naturally to us who are socialized to be hurried, harried, achievement and reward driven consumers. We must be intentional about embracing and protecting that rhythm if we are to continue in the dance.

As I begin a new pattern of life, I have decided to intentionally recover those Benedictine practices that keep me grounded, whole, and sane. After first being introduced to St. Benedict's Rule, I learned that it was possible, even in the hectic metro DC area, to live the Benedictine life. But it is also easy to lose touch with our very lives as we seek to chase after future goals and ambitions that may or may not have anything at all to do with our life in Christ or with Salvation.

My mantra continues to be: Secrets are the seeds of dysfunction.

My prayer for today comes from St. Benedict's Prayer Book, Morning Offering for Monday, week one: "Father, we offer to you this day all our thoughts, words and actions, all our sufferings and disappointments, and all our joys. And we unite our lives with that of your beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Amen."

Time to Get Back to Blogging

For every thing there is a season, and a time for every matter under Heaven. So says 'Kohelth', the writer of Ecclesiastes in Chapter 3, vs. 1. That pretty much describes where I am right now - reconciling myself to the fact that I am entering a time for a change of season. Maybe it is entirely appropriate that life events would shift in the way they have in the midst of winter. Sitting here in the darkest season of the year with a layer of ice-covered snow on the ground seems just about right. But what that means is that it is also a time for nesting with my family, for sitting and thinking, and for giving great thanks every time the sun comes out with strength and begins the process of melting the snow and ice - even if it leaves things a bit muddy in the meantime.

Spring will come. For now the seeds sit in the dark soil of the earth, waiting.

My new mantra: Secrets are the seeds of dysfunction.

My prayer: God I know that this matter is 'under Heaven' and that as your light shines brighter, your truth grows stronger. Be with me in the darkness and cold. Help me to remember and more deeply know the truth of your Gospel: "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it." Neither shall the darkness overcome your light now. Amen.

Kanuga helps me know what I think

Baptism and Preaching at 5pm...Mission Committee meeting at 6pm...hitting the road to drive to NC at 7pm...a stop for Five Guys just before 10pm...and checking in at the Kanuga front desk at 3am....and yet -

Nothing beats the fresh mountain air and someone else having cooked a full-on breakfast, complete with the inimitable Kanuga toast at 8:45am!

A day of respite here is like a week of 'days off' at home. No one needs a darned thing from me and I can focus on a single endeavor and hopefully see it to completion.

My goal: To get a full draft done - maybe even edited - on a paper for continuing ed. But the paper is only the vehicle for exploring in depth something that we're about to launch at Christ Church.

The working title is "Soul Food" - for the paper and for the 'thing.' The idea is that on Wednesday nights at church we will have a community worship/meal to help launch us into our evening programs.

Granted, for many Wednesday night church is not a new concept. As a matter of fact, what we're hoping to accomplish is as old as THE church itself. Based on early house church models of a Eucharistic Agape meal, what we plan to do is to nourish folks, body and soul, around common tables in a communal fellowship. I'm seeking out lay preachers from within the parish and the clergy will be on rotation to preside at the Eucharist...I think. But that uncertainty is exactly why, my friends, I must get to the paper writing. As E. M. Forster wrote, "How do I know what I think until I see what I say?"

All's Well That Ends Amazingly!

It's late and like the little rose in the photo at left, I really want to go to bed. However, I would be remiss if I didn't at least mention a couple of things about our last full team day here in Honduras.

First, we had a rare opportunity as a mission team when this morning some of our team members became Godparents for some of the OLR girls! It was a very moving service, so make sure you check out the 'Honduras II' photo album at left to get a sense of the spirit of joy and celebration that started off our Sunday. [Warning: Album photos have not been edited yet so there are some really poor quality shots floating around there.]






Second, we partied like it was 1999 tonight at the 'Disco des las Rosas' complete with loud dance tunes, a disco ball (spun ably by Tall-Man-Ted), and confetti eggs. What a great end to a wonderful trip. As we had our final team circle time tonight back at the hotel, the question shifted from "Where did you see a glimpse of the Kingdom of Heaven in the day?" to "Where did you sense God at work in YOU?" We have all had profound experiences of being part of something greater than ourselves, of reaching out with love we don't always realize we have in us, and of moving in new directions and being stretched in new ways.






This trip team has really been fantastic and we all gave prayerful thanks that God called us here together and bound us with one heart and mind to serve God, serve the people of Honduras, and serve each other. Thanks be to God!



Peace Out.

SABBATH

Today was beach day. A bus load of girls from OLR and our two vans of team members headed out this morning for a lovely coastal resort where we played in the sand and surf, had a great lunch on the veranda, and then spent the afternoon at a water-park-like pool. Here are the pictures to prove it:

FIESTA!

Today was another one of those long and yet wonderful days, where at the end of the day we're tired, and sweaty, but feel like the girls really had a great day...and so did we! They never cease to amuse us with their creativity, energy, and antics.

Part of our group did another round of pool ministry, while the rest of us treated the girls who didn't go to the pool to a "Spa Day." We did pedicures, manicures, hair-do's and makeup. Of course the girls wanted to get in on the action and try out their creative skills on us. For some reason, all the guys on the team opted for the pool ministry. Hmmm... Nevertheless, you can see by the pics that there was some real creativity involved in this activity!

Tonight we hosted a Fiesta for the group. Turns out that our highly informed guide and driver, Julio, is also an excellent chef. That was some of the best potato salad and pork chops I've ever had! Ron ran the grill while the girls ate healthy portions of everything topped off with their favorite - watermelon!

But before we got to that portion of the meal, we shared Eucharist in the pavilion around tables arranged in the shape of a cross. Several of the girls participated in leadership roles - their English skills are very impressive. One of them acted as my interpreter as I gave an introduction, instructions, and the homily. You can see in the picture how we morphed the holy table into the family table.

Tomorrow we head to the beach for a much needed Sabbath day with about 50 of the girls! Sabbath? Well.....it may not be the ideal, but it will be a joyful one.

Peace Out.

Dropping like flies

Two down today - team members that is. According to our fearless leader, Ron, this is the point in the trip where people usually start to feel sick - partly from being tired and the stress of being with a group in another country and culture - and partly because immuno-defenses are down from being tired and stressed and so the microscopic critters have more power.

Why would we be stressed in a place like this, you might ask? Well, the drive back yesterday through land-slide damaged roads and crazy lane changes (are there lanes?) might have something to do with it!

On the bright side, Jay (a.k.a. "Jota") joined us today, arriving safely and encountering a wait at immigration very similar to ours (see first post from this trip). Also on the bright side, we finished painting the interior of the house and several of our group led the girls in singing, in making tie-dye t-shirts, and in dying their pinatas. The girls really got into these activities - and so did our team members.

Tomorrow is another round of pool ministry and a 'spa day' activity for the girls. There will also be a surf party in the afternoon with a Eucharist and dinner prepared by our team for the girls in the evening.

Pray for better health for Jared and Ann Ra. Pray for continued blessings and glimpses of the Kingdom of Heaven for our team. And give thanks for the dedication and beautiful spirits of those who have come here on behalf of Jesus and his church to love and serve the girls and staff at Our Little Roses.