Green Patches

re-cycled 'Blog of The Week,'

I was tempted to say 'bloggage,' given the  continued attack of writer's block  I mentioned last week.  A quick search on 'retreats,'  shows this is no new thing for me;  it's become a part of the landscape at this time of year for me to emerge from the wilds of the countryside gawping like a stranded guppy. Earlier in the year Opinionated Vicar's  reflections on his IGR at St Beunos prompted me to try to articulate  some thoughts on changes in my own prayer. These changes wove their way almost  effortessly into my own time recently at the same retreat centre and have come out with me as seamlessly. Which isn't to say, of course, that everything was plain sailing. On the contrary,  but underneath the struggles I always had this deep down  sense of 'all will be well.' The nearest I can get to describing my spiritual state is to liken it to a radio: yes, it took some 'tuning in,' and at times I wasn't quite sure which station I was headed for, yet for the first time for as long as I can remember, there was a complete absence of interference, static and crackle.  And a discernible deepening amd moving closer to God which even a hard of hearing Greenpatch was able to pick up on. More than that, I simply can't say. 

Far better to leave you with a picture of the beautiful grounds  surrounding St Beunos; they speak far louder than words.

 

Quiet Spaces

 Spring Has Sprung with a vengeance round here. So today saw me continuing the  resolution I made at the beginning of the year- with another trip over to sunny Salisbury. 

I have actually managed to fit in a couple of 'spaces,' since January; more by accident than design, funnily enough.  February's consisted of a quiet half hour or so in the Abbey Church at Douai, near Reading, prior to the start of a workshop there.  March's  time out, a quiet day with TSSF here, slightly less so; having organised, though not led, the day, I've discovered that an interior quiet doesn't always come about when you have your admin hat on.  

So, back to today, and my jaunt to Salisbury, to stock up on some travel gear for our next trip and to return some books to the wonderful library at Sarum College. What a glorious afternoon. The Cathedral and Close were far more crowded than they'd been  a few months back; naturally, the Spring weather had brought people out, but not opressively so. There was plenty of room for everybody who wanted to sit sunning themselves on the green or to wander round the Cathedral. (I must admit that I did make a point of avoiding the Cathedral guides, helpful though they be, I'm one of those cussed souls who far prefers wandering around by herself.  I guess it's my reaction to school trips as a teenager, being forced to trail round for what seemed like hour upon endless hour  on guided tours of sundry Places of Interest.  I liked  to do my own exploring and imagine folks from centuries past in my own way. There were several large groups of schoolchildren and students going round during the time I was there. I wonder if there were any who felt the same as I used to.

Ah well, at least, as a 50 something year-old, I no longer have to produce an essay on the trip afterwards. Such are the delights of growing older!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stepping aside - A Grand Day Out

 

 

 

Yesterday saw a rather grey January day being unexpectedly brightened, as I headed over to Salisbury; ostensibly to return some library books to the theological college.  But of course, once done there  - who could  resist popping into the Cathedral.  Especially just now, when artist Bruce Munro's two magical light installations, Light Shower and Water Towers are on display! 

William Pye's beautiful font, ( another happy discovery for me back last autumn) I've found to be a place for quiet reflection, so I was pleased enough to find an excuse to return to Salisbury to see it.  And the cathedral creche was still there.  Put together with these wonderful son et lumieres, it was as if all my Christmases, or more aptly, Epiphanies had come along at once! 

Over the last year I've enjoyed reading  Weekend Retreat's blog as she reflects on her experiences visiting a different retreat place each month and feel quite inspired to try something similar. Of course, whilst I don't think upping and offing onc weekend a month would be either possible or practical for me, maybe something like yesterday's trip might be more doable.  A kind of Quiet, or even half Quiet Day.  A few hours out,  not necessarily in conventional retreat places; being open to the unexpected opportunity...that's quite a thought...  

 

 

 

Pray Without Ceasing

 

 - Reproduction of Chartres Labyrinth public domain

It's strange where the proverbial long and winding road takes you sometimes. After my usual weekly jaunt down to Sarum College   I extended my stay there to take in a 24 hour 'mini retreat that isn't a retreat yet is' - the second of their series of 'Pray Without Ceasing, '  'Journeys of Faith'   appealed to me instantly when I saw the ad months back; as readers of both my blogs may have realised by now, pilgrimage  metaphorical, spiritual and physical has become a definite theme in the Greenpatch life, these last few years:

Beginning with our Via Podiensa Le Puy - Conques venture into the famous  Compostela route last autumn... fools rush in... and angels count their blisters. Mr GP pictured below making the final descent:

 Our Easter holiday pootle along the Wayfarers Walk from Winchester to 'Ye Fleshpotes of Hungerforde,'  might not be considered a true pilgrimage by the purists. Still, the intention was there and besides,  it didn't half make a good story! 

I count it as no coincidence either, that my faith journey has involved me joining a different church where pilgrimage has  played a significant role in the life of the congregation for many many years. Travelling through the Cotswolds last year  from Winchcombe to Coventry, ending up at the cathedral, old and new, with their theme of peace and reconciliation  and more recently, from Shaftesbury to Winchester has been great fun.  I don't 'travel light' easily, either physically or more pertinently, maybe, spiritually and emotionally; yet looking back even over the short space of a couple of years, I can see small yet none the less significant -  changes,  in which all these journeyings and explorations have played a part. 

Now, at last, plans for the Greenpatch big pilgrimage up north are beginning to take shape.

 

So, to 'Pray Without Ceasing,' where a small but determined group of 'pilgrims' explored labyrinths, pondered pilgrimages and exchanged stories, looked at the many ways we can embody our prayer both personally and in the corporate liturgy of the church and finally, walked the road to Emmaus round the stunningly  beautiful setting of Salisbury Cathedral Close.

I'm no stranger to the use of the labyrinth in worship; having first encountered it many years ago, not without mixed feelings, either; I remember 'freezing' and being totally unable to walk it at the time, for reasons which have partly become apparent since; as I said, with some spiritual parallels. Yet, looking back at it now, though uncomfortable at the time, it marked a significant signpost along the way for me, and, only a few years back another labyrinth 'experience' turned out to be an unexpected and powerful time of encounter with God. This time? Well? The fear has gone. Totally. I found myself journeying with it 'in the dark,' literally, (the chapel in which the labyrinth was temporarily installed), was kept open all night, and just before dawn. (Shades of Mary Magdalene here). Did I meet with Christ there, though?  Well, to be honest, it wasn't always a comfortable time for me; there's much I'm working through at the moment. I'd say 'The meaning is in waiting,' and leave it there.

However, I found the quietness, the stepping out of daily life and the safe space (not to mention the college's wonderful food!) has helped me to be more at peace about the place where I find myself, and I've come away with a sense of having been equipped with some valuable tools to carry with me in my virtual backpack as I continue with the journey.

So, thank you, Sarum College. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Silence is golden

At last!  The first episode of the  new documentary The Big Silence, which I blogged about nearly six months ago,  is set to air this Friday on BBC 2. If you live in the UK, that is. I'll be following it with interest, especially in the second programme when, we're told, the participants take part in an eight day silent retreat.

I've   returned from a similar one myself only a few weeks ago, (though mercifully, not accompanied by a camera team!). Mine, too, involved a full eight days more or less in silence; longer than I've been accustomed to before; with a new venue, also, which by its very nature involved a step further into solitude. In a retreat setting I don't have any difficulties with this, seeming to drop into the rhythm of the place quite naturally. The challenges that invariably present themselves in the quietness, however, well, that's quite another matter. They don't always appear to get any easier. Whether or not that's an indicator of greater closeness to God, is open to question. I'd hope the answer would be yes.   And, even as a 'veteran' of nearly seven years to guided retreats,  I still struggle with building those times of quietness and prayer into my daily life.     

So, my sympathies will be with the BBC retreatants and I'm sure I'll find much to reflect on and learn about from their experiences.

Journeying to Simplicity

I've just added a new link to my blogroll.   'Weekend Retreat'  is aiming  to take time out from the  buzz and busyness of life in London by visiting one retreat place each  month.  Drop by here   to read about their latest reflections on simplicity and de-cluttering. It's well worth a look.

Goodbyes and journeying on

More journeyings last weekend as Mr GP and myself travelled down to the West Country for the farewell Eucharist at  the Community of St Francis, Compton Durville, which is closing. Saturday saw  a gloriously sunny afternoon, with over 130 people  visiting to see the place for the last time and say their goodbyes to the community. 

Slow Down - Part Two*

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.

Slow Down - 'The Silence'

Coming soon - if you live in the UK  - to a TV near you, 'The Silence,'
 In a new three-part documentary series, The Silence, five people attempt to put silence at the heart of their everyday, busy lives and learn what to do with it once it's there. The series investigates just why "peace and quiet" is so elusive, and in doing so opens up a debate about why some people try to avoid silence because of the reflection that it may bring. Do people construct layers of noise, or "busy-ness" to dull the anxieties of the modern world? The Silence looks at what might happen to the inner self when people keep quiet. "
Now that we've recovered from our holiday, I've been enjoying the current sunny spell. It seems to have given me an unexpected burst of energy so the last few days have seen me catching up on all sorts of jobs that I'd been  neglecting for ages. One of which was to highlight this upcoming series. From the clip it looks to be along similar lines as the popular The Monastry and The Convent. I'll certainly be watching if I can. Both these programmes, as for many I'd suspect, have had not a little influence on my own journey, both into TSSF and generally. 

My own particular challenge to incorporate silence into my everyday lives is coming up very soon as I take part in a Week of Accompanied Prayer   as part of my course, (I meet my prayer guide on Friday). It'll be a new experience for me, even if I am a fair old veteran of guided retreats by now. Not insignificantly for all of us taking part, it's scheduled just before our final term - an introduction to training for spiritual direction. We received some initial material for the latter last night and I'll admit to a teensiest wobble of self-doubt. 'Be still and know...' is the only way to go, I reckon!

Site makeovers

Do any readers remember my musings on finding God in a Nice Cup of Tea?   Reading  this old post yesterday during a spot of bloggy housekeeping last night reminded me of some resouces I'd come across before Christmas and keep meaning to highlight here.

So, to the Community of St Mary The Virgin, scene of my tea drinking antics, and, a place which has  played a small but significant part in my faith journey over the last ten years or so; more notably by providing me with an (indirect) pointer towards the Society of St Francis. Hearing that they now stream their Daily Office live online, I went to check this out,  to discover not only this, but a whole lot more.  CSMV's website has had a complete makeover. If you should be lucky enough to live near any of their houses, do try and visit, but wherever you come from, do stop by at this address  .