What I Have Discovered
My First Trip to a Monastery -- Dr. Mary Hulst, Assistant Professor of Preaching, Calvin Theological Seminary
What I remember most clearly are the bugs. It was mid-June in mid-Michigan and the black flies were swarming. I ventured out from the well-tended grounds of the Episcopalian monastery where I was staying to a lake in the woods that surrounded the buildings.
The path had been mowed, but it was not regularly trod. One of the monks was an angler who spent his free time casting for bass, but his steps hadn't smoothed the way. I was a bit surprised that more feet hadn't gone that way since it looked so lovely. But just a few yards down the path I discovered why so few had made the journey. The buzzing overtook me. I thought I had stumbled onto a nest or a mating ground or the annual fly convention and ran on a bit. It didn't help. The bugs stayed with me. I was sweating now, jogging down the path and waving my hands over my head. If I stopped to catch my breath, they descended like biblical locusts. It was my own little plague!
I bailed on the walk to the lake and sprinted back to the manicured
lawns and air-conditioning.
Monastery Lesson #1: Bring bug spray.
The second strong memory is another guest whose visit overlapped with
mine. Anytime I went near the common room he would find me and begin an
involved theological discussion of some sort or another. Having come to
the monastery to escape exactly these types of conversations, I found
myself hiding in my room, peeking around corners, and listening for footsteps.
I was thankful for the silent meals, quiet hours, and the arrival of another
guest-who became his next target.
Monastery Lesson #2: If you're looking for silence, you may need
to speak up to get it.
Thankfully the bugs and the garrulous guest did not ruin my stay. Along
with my Bible, prayer book, and journal, I had packed a copy of Anne Lamott's
Traveling Mercies. I spent many hours sitting in the monastery garden
giggling my way through her story of faith. I still remember sitting there
in the middle of a quiet afternoon and letting go of a belly laugh that
echoed off the walls.
Monastery Lesson #3: Bring a good book. Preferably one that will
make you laugh!
I came home from the days away with a few bug bites, a deeper appreciation for silence, and a new friend-via-memoir. My exposure to the rhythms of the monastic life was helpful and illuminating. All in all, a worthwhile trip. Next time I'm going to go in autumn, and see if I can make the walk bug-free all the way to the lake!