The day after I turned in the first draft of my
dissertation, I went to stay with the monks at the Society of Saint John the
Evangelist monastery in Cambridge for two days of retreat.
The practical conclusion to my writing is that we should
value fully embodied discipleship and formation practices as much as we value
those which engage our intellect. One of the fully embodied practices I talk
about is spiritual retreats.
As a part of my writing rule of life, I included
participating in practices of Christian formation, for the purposes of rest and
restoration throughout the writing process.
Going to SSJE is was about rest, restoration, putting
into practice what I am writing about and to be a reminder that in the midst talking
about God, in my writing, that it is important to remember to talk with God as
well.
I arrived at 11:30 on Thursday an hour before noonday Eucharist
which was followed by a noonday meal, thus I began by joining the brothers at the
Lord’s table, as well as around the supper table.
Once I arrived the only words I spoke were the words
of communal worship and prayer.
I left my computer at home and only turned on my phone
in the morning and the evening.
So my days were structured around communal worship and
prayer, morning prayer, noonday Eucharist, evening prayer and compline.
I spent the other hours of my days reading,
praying and resting. Some of the ways I prayed were traditional, laying on the bed talking
to and listening to God. But I also prayed while putting together a wooden
puzzle of “The Girl with the Pearl Earring,” drawing, painting, and
journaling.
How does one describe connecting to God, listening to
God, being in the presence of God? There is nothing more precious than the
quiet presence of God. There is no sweeter joy than hours spent with God. This
time can be found anywhere on any day, but when time is set aside, and an appointment
is made, God is there waiting for you, ready for you, longing to be with you,
just as you long to be with God. When you slow down enough to catch up with
God, when you quiet yourself enough to hear God, when you are still enough you
are better able to be with God. God is there. God is speaking. God is with you in
the stillness, in the quiet.
This is what I did last week. I had an appointment
with God and unsurprisingly God was there.
So I went on retreat, where I rested, was restored and was renewed,
in the presence, by the presence of God through two days of silence during
which God was not at all silent.
