Monastic Retreats for Dummies III - A Visit in the Monastic Locker Room

I felt like I was in a movie. My monastic IQ was pretty low as I drove on the grounds at Mepkin Abbey. A few things from church history class at Milligan College came back to mind. The name St. Benedict rung a bell. So, I wanted to get the back story here. I wanted to see up under the hood of monastic life.

On day 2 I hit that monastic jackpot. I was prowling, wait no, I was enjoying the chapel during non-prayer meeting hours. I started opening doors. You know, no harm intended. I walked into a side room off from the main chapel. I saw an easel pushed away in the corner of what looked like a classroom. Page after page of notes were scribbled on the easel pad. Private notes.

Looks like the abbot (head monk) needed to have a "come to Jesus" meeting with the monks. You mean, Baptist churches are not the only places that have those kind of meetings? What I found on the pages of the pad, on the easel, was gold to me.

The issue seemed to be that some of the monks were struggling with keeping their mouth shut. Okay, now it was starting to feel creepy Baptist. My struggle with keeping my mouth shut is one thing. My tribe's well documented talking issues are another. But . . . these guys . . . those who had given their lives to silence and solitude?

What I read on the proceeding 10-12 large, ruled pages, scribbled with a marker, was in a word, revolutionary. So revolutionary that I have decided to do my first cliff hanger blog in history.
See you Monday. In the mean time . . . keep your mouth shut.

Monastic Retreats for Dummies II - Silence Every Voice

I think my uncle was right. We need to be over matched to grow. Yet, people (my pastor, Bill Howard, told me this) have perfectly good reasons for doing what they do. I will never grow with the Lord if I avoid environments that make me feel awkward, silly, and inadequate. My sense of adequacy or even superiority freezes me in time. But they are so comfortable. They are so reassuring and dependable.

Why would I go on a retreat at Mempkin Abbey? I confessed earlier this week that solitude and personal retreats have never been a priority. I knew at this point I needed more. I needed deeper. I needed quiet. Yet the prospect was awkward.

Wayne Cordeiro 's book, Leading on Empty, was recommended to me in March. Perfect timing. In the midst of Wayne's valley he withdrew to a monastic retreat. As he unfolded the story, the following caught my attention:

During my time of solitude, I asked God to silence every voice but His own.

That was a hammer for me. All the voices in my head needed to stop. From Fox News to ESPN; to the Internet to the latest book; from the recorded voices throughout my lifetime; even from the dark side, Satan himself, something had to stop the voices. Thus, getting away from them was the only way.

The monks had committed their lives to silence. This particular order had gone contemporary. I hope they never contemplate taking abbey out of the name of Mepkin Abbey. I hope they never show a movie clip in vespers. But, for a few hours a day, while they worked, they could talk to each other. Don't know when and why they changed, but they did. For some reason. Essentially it came to around 12 on 12 off on the talking thing.

I wanted to ask them questions. I would have loved to interview one of them for my blog. But . . . no talky. Not many voices there on the Ashley River. Not many at all. Not any place for me to say: bed hard; food cold; or I quit. Just a place for all voices to stop. It took awhile, but I think it happened, except for one voice. More on silence coming.

Monastic Retreats for Dummies - Prayer, Solitude, and Silence for the Rest of Us

Mepkin Abbey turned out to be more significant than I thought. Don't get me wrong, the minute I pulled out of my driveway in West Columbia to drive that way, it was huge personal win.

I left two hours later than I should have. That was normal. Check-in at MA is 1-4 in the afternoon. I left around 1:45 but had two stops due north of my destinations so . . . I did not get there until about 4:20.

I already felt spiritually over matched. Around 22 monks live at Mepkin Abbey. Some are in their 80's and 90's. I am not sure if any of them have sinned very much. I mean, there was no internet, no cable t.v., or anything that might cause a person's mind/heart to steer off course. Here are guys, who have been at this prayer, silence, and solitude thingy for as long 65-70 years. Their first daily prayer meeting is at 3:20 a.m. Those who had not figured it out were long ago court marshaled or had faced a firing squad.

My beliefs about God are different than those guys at Mepkin Abbey. But to totally dismiss their experience with God because of the apparent theological flaws might cause me to miss something. I do believe in theological non-negotiables. However, my list has shrunk over the years. I confess.

So, the journey to M.A. began with a profuse apology to the monk in charge of check-in. The only thing that made me comfortable was his baldness. Little did I know that God had me right where He wanted me. Apologetic and spiritually over matched.

I remember what my Uncle Harold told me years ago. I was a highly motivated, sixth grade basketball player. "Always play with people that are better than you." That is a great principle in spiritual growth. I will talk to you more about why I shy away from Uncle Harold's advice tomorrow. Maybe you will see why you do too, if you do.

My World - Monastic Retreats for Dummies

Could it really be all about me? Tune in next week and follow my mystical journey to Mepkin Abbey www.mepkinabbey.org . Most of the experience was far too personal -- or could smell a bit self-promoting to tell the world about, yet there are parts you won't want to miss.

Feel no pressure of a "this is how spiritual I am" web log. In my years on the spirtual journey, this was the longest personal retreat by far (3 Days). My previous record was 24 hours, with an exhaustive list of cancellations. I don't think my experience at the abbey will intimidate.

I guess it might be best to call this "Monastic Retreats for Dummies" or "Silence, Prayer, and Solitude for the Rest of Us."