I saw it advertised a few months back. A quiet day during Lent at St. Mary's Sewanee. That's only about an hour and 15 minutes drive, the cost was affordable, the place is beautiful, and I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to experience a quiet day.
This past Friday (March 1), on a cold morning with snow flakes falling from the sky, a friend from church and I headed up I-24 to St. Mary's. When we arrived, folks were busy doing last minute cleaning activities. The room was set up and the fire place was lit. All the paperwork we received said 9am. The schedule we received upon arrival said 10am. Oops. We were going to have plenty of time to walk around and settle in. ☺
Since it was my friend's first time to St. Mary's, I showed her the prayer chapel inside St. Mary's Hall. Then we went outside to look out over the bluff. It was a little foggy in addition to cold and snow flaky. Some snow flakes were sticking to the rocks, but not to the ground.
We had been told that the new residence hall would be opening that day and we could check out the rooms. So we did. The new building is next to St. Mary's Hall and looks out over the bluff and the woods. It is rustic and woodsy looking on the outside.
The rooms are ample space, cozy. The one we looked in had twin beds, a reading/writing desk, and bathroom facilities. Oh, and it was warm inside. Perfect on this chilly day. But, we moved on. The building is larger than it looks from the side. They are building a meeting room too. Rooms are supposed to be ready now for use, but the meeting room is still in progress. Besides the new building, there are plenty of other places to stay on the property that are still adequate, though not new.
Others began to arrive. Bishop Parsley arrived close to 9am and decided we would compromise the start time and begin around 9:15am. Regardless, it was all good. A day and time set apart to allow God time and space into one's life... it didn't really matter when things got started. Though in the beginning I was wishing I had brought required reading materials. I dropped that thought fairly quickly and settled in to attempt to be present to whatever was at hand.
We gathered in the room with the fireplace. Chairs were set up in a semi-circle (or "U" shape). On a table next to the leader's chair was a singing bowl and a candle. The fireplace was blazing in the background. I sat on the side across from the windows so I could look out the windows and at the bluff.
There were 16 participants and the leader, the Right Reverend Henry Nutt Parsley. Bishop Parsley is currently Bishop-in-Residence for St. Mary's, a new idea that they have begun this year. He lives in Birmingham, AL.
The schedule for the day was three meditations anchored around Lent:
- The Movement of Stillness
- The Movement of Repentance
- The Movement of Hope
Between the 2nd and 3rd meditation we had lunch in the cafeteria. A silent lunch. I had never experienced a purposeful silent meal before. At the Academy, our meals are fellowship and talking times (thankfully) and a break from the other quiet times of the day. But, I was glad for the opportunity to experience a purposeful quiet meal time. We all attempted to quietly scoot our chairs in and out on the floor. We attempted to not make too much noise with our silverware as we ate our soup and salad. We nodded a greeting when someone sat down to join us at our table. In the silence, I heard all the noise. It was a tad awkward, but it was peaceful too. As we got our dessert, the Bishop stood to read some Wendell Berry poems for reflection.
This post contains the outline, the mechanics of the day. My thoughts and reflections and notes are not included here. I may include them later. The meditations were great and the Bishop did a wonderful job in leading us through this time of Lenten reflection.
It was a wonderful blessing to have that time apart. And, even though we didn't really get to know one another, we were a community for the time that we were together. I did get to speak with the person next to me when it was over and find out that she knows my spiritual director and my associate pastor. Small world.
Taking time for quiet and reflection is important. Whether you can get away to a special spot or you have a special spot in your home..... whether you are able to take a few moments, a few hours, or an entire day.... Whatever you are able to do, do it.
May you be refreshed, renewed, energized, and encouraged by the time that you take for this.
Blessings on your journey!
Debra
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