Above all, trust in the slow work of God.
We are all, quite naturally,
impatient in everything to reach the end
without delay.
We should like to skip
the intermediate stages.
We are impatient of being
on the way to something unknown,
something new,
and yet it is the law of all progress
that is made by passing through
some stages of instability-
and that it may take a very long time.
And so I think it is with you.
Your ideas mature gradually –
let them grow,
let them shape themselves,
without undue haste.
Don't try to force them on,
as though you could be today
what time (that is to say, grace and
circumstances acting on your own good will)
will make you tomorrow.
Only God could say what this new spirit
gradually forming within you will be.
Give our Lord the benefit of believing
that his hand is leading you
and accept the anxiety of
feeling yourself in suspense and incomplete.
(Attr to Teilhard de Chardin)
So, my physical pilgrimaging being finished for a while, this week has seen makynge lyke an snaille of a more spiritual nature as I and others from our course took part in a Week of Accompanied Prayer No need to hie one to a nunnery for the duration, the beauty of this week is that you remain home-based, and make a focussed attempt at bringing all the stuff of your daily life, work, play, anything and everything into your time of retreat, whilst commiting to 30 minutes in prayer and a meeting each day with a companion or prayer guide.
'We can never know God as an idea, but only in and through our concrete encounter with others in our life in the world.' John D Godsey The Theology of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, SCM Press 1960 describes it beautifully, (Thank you, A Man Breathing, that was a brilliantly- timed post).
So how was it for me personally? Looking back - I'd say in turns, good, challenging, supportive, a struggle, surprising, at times boring, others unexpectedly uplifting; that's daily life for you, warts and all! Even, dare I say it - fun! I'll spare readers' blushes - and mine - and not relate the incident of the free-range 'samples,' (the first half of the week co-incided with a GP's request for more tests; talk about from the sublime to the ridiculous - God's sense of humour knows no bounds...not). Well, maybe, sometime. If you bribe me.
I felt there was a new dynamic apparent in being guided in this way Even though I'm a fair old veteran of residential retreats and spiritual accompaniment it was good to have a different take on what was going on (or not going on!) from somebody who doesn't know me at all. I've learned that I'm not the spiritual snail I thought I was, more a Zebedee. Note to self: Why do I always spend the beginning of any retreat bleating at the poor guide "But I thought I had slowed down!" The Chardin quote which we used in the closing group worship session today says it all, really. "Where is God for you today, NOW, this minute?" Standing there patiently peering into the dust cloud thrown up by my well-intentioned attempts to beat my own record at the 100 yard sprint, that's where.
Never mind. One step at a time. During this morning's service we each placed our 'foot,' and those of our companions down in the centre of the worship space to symbolise our continuing journeys,wherever they might lead. Bunions and all.
Then, with the theme of travel fresh in my mind, I spent a pleasant hour or so pottering round the shopping centre and waterside, discovering to my delight (shame! ) that the place was abuzz with handsome young men, warships (well, one actually) and all sorts of exciting events as part of the Sea Cadets Festival. So I lingered over a cup of tea and a sandwich on the terrace of the Spinnaker Tower cafe. Brisk sea breezes and enough blue sky to make a pair of sailor's trousers - albeit Action Man sized; what better way to round off the week.
* I had thought of entitling this post "All The Nice Girls Love a Sailor" but thought discretion was the better part of valour and all that.
Comments
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.