Every other
January thoughtful learners and I head to Conception Abbey for a weeklong
immersion in Benedictine spirituality.
Always made welcome by the monks, we will share times of prayer, table
fellowship, lectures, respectful conversation, and the Great Silence each
evening at bedtime.
Most will
get up earlier than usual and, thankfully, be able to go to bed earlier. We will linger over meals getting to know one
another better. We will be shepherded
kindly (with much humor) by Brother Cyprian, guest master. He will help us find our way through the
worship books and the practices of the community. He will make sure we don’t sing too loudly
during the liturgy of the hours, duck when the holy water comes our way, or
sneeze when there is incense—sure give aways that Baptists are present.
Usually we
are blessed to have a personal conversation with Abbot Gregory, the spiritual
father of the monastery. He embodies the
graceful presence of Christ in winsome ways and engages our seminarians with
tenderness and care.
I have
often been asked what prompted me as a Baptist theologian to design this
learning opportunity among Benedictines.
Why have I made a pilgrimage there with Central students for nearly 18
years now?
It is
because we have so much to learn from the common pre-Reformation heritage of
the church. Ancient rituals call us to
depth, and the wisdom of our spiritual forebears is enduring.
Something
inviting happens as we open ourselves to the presence of God as we chant the
Psalter. Something transforming happens
as we experience being received as Christ. Something healing happens as we offer the hospitality of attentive
listening to fellow learners. Something
liberating happens as we observe life loosened from grasping consumerism. [The monks do not worry about what they will
wear on a given day!] These are holy
happenings.
While
there, we will study the Rule of St.
Benedict, a guide to humble living in community that has lasted over 1500
years within monasteries. Its principles
have also proven useful outside the cloister for persons desiring to follow its
pathway. Known for its brevity and
clarity, it encourages such behaviors as listening, service, seeking counsel,
and the humility of obedience.
One of the
main goals of the time at the Abbey is to cultivate attentiveness—to Scripture,
to the voice of God who breathes Holy Spirit through us, and to the insight
that comes through others. Often persons
find greater clarity in vocational discernment because of the rhythms of
worship and prayer; even more often spiritually weary persons find Sabbath and
refreshed perspective for healthy balance in their lives.
We will
sojourn at the Abbey during the season of Epiphany, a time of reflection on the
beginning of Jesus’ ministry. The texts
call us think of his baptism and his first miracle at the wedding of Cana,
which signal God’s delight in the Son, the instrument of grace for the
world. I look forward to this time of
personal renewal in which the summons to follow Jesus are heard afresh.
Molly T.
Marshall
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more about Central as a formative, creative, and progressive seminary, continue
visiting our website.
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