I had unexpected rest yesterday.  Right after doing the half labyrinth and praying, as I was eating lunch, all of a sudden I felt nauseated, and the next thing I knew I was flat on my back with a stomach bug.  Sadly, I was unable to help Teri with the afternoon WTBG session on The Pastor as one who Plays, and I also was in bed through evening prayers and the outing to the Carrie Newcomer concert.

Today I was able to eat a little, and had enough strength to attend worship, and then to teach the morning session, The Pastor as Friend.  So many great Scriptures about friendship, and we especially enjoyed the study and conversation of the ones about Jesus and his friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.  One of the pastors suggested that the study we did on friendship might be a good one to do with folks new to our parishes; friendship as followers of Jesus is different.

I slept the afternoon away, but got up in time for Evening Praise.  It was a packed because the oblates had joined the Sisters for worship, and a man and a woman were making their oblation today.

Oblates are Christian laypersons who promise to live Benedictine spirituality in their chosen lifestyle, and are affiliated with a particular Benedictine monastic community. As an oblate of Our Lady of Grace myself, I was mindful of how I’ve been falling short in keeping my vows. I even forgot to bring my oblate pin to wear while I’m here at the monastery.

In the same way that each time there are baptisms in a community, it is an opportunity for all of the other baptized to re-up on their baptismal vows, I was reminded today to renew the commitment I’d made to follow the Rule of St. Benedict and particularly to be more intentional in my relationship with other oblates. Today is about the pastor as friend, after all.

A bonus I received at worship tonight was the Magnificat we sang.  According to the Rule of Benedict, the Song of Zechariah is to be prayed each morning and the Song of Mary each evening. Tonight it was my favorite version that we sang.  Thanks, God.

Mary’s Song  by Millie Rieth

 My soul doth glory in your love, O Lord.
My soul doth glory in your love, O Lord.
For you gazed on your servant with compassion,
And you reached out and took me by the hand.

 Great are you, God, and holy is your name.
Your mercy reaches to the end of time.
Ah, the lowly your raise to the heavens,
And the proud-hearted have no part with you.

 Ah, how you fill the hungry with your love.
With empty hands the rich are sent away.
You will always be mindful of your mercy,
As you promised your people long ago.

 My soul doth glory in your love, O Lord.
My soul doth glory in your love, O Lord.
For you smiled on your servant with compassion,
And you reached out and took me by the hand.

It’s Saturday, and the Sisters sleep in.  Morning Praise is at 9 this morning rather than 8 as it is on weekdays. A group of the Women Touched by Grace have left early to run/walk/support the half marathon taking place in Indianapolis this morning.  We rearranged the schedule, and Sabbath time continues because I have the morning off.  This afternoon Teri will lead a session on the Pastor as one who plays.

I’m basking in great joy today because my daughter was awarded the James Beard Foundation journalism award last night for individual food blog.  She has worked so very hard for nearly ten years writing a fabulous blog,  and I am over the moon.  She started writing her blog in the very early days of blogging, and it is a treasure–beautiful photographs taken by her; delicious recipes created by her, inspired by her faraway Texas home; precious stories retold in her wonderful style.  She had already received many professional accolades for her blog, and has gone on to share the joy with two cookbooks inspired by the blog (but with even more new recipes, photographs, and stories).

I’ve spent more time than usual on Facebook reading her accolades, and happened upon the news that today is World Labyrinth Day.  I hadn’t walked the monastery labyrinth since Wednesday (a long time away for me) so wanted that to be part of my Sabbath morning.  Do you know that you get a lot of Fitbit steps in walking a labyrinth?  Woo hoo!

Crushing in almost too little time to walk the labyrinth before noonday prayers and posting this blog, I was met on the way by the unexpected gift of a family of five goslings and their very protective mom and dad.

 I’m told that there were three families of wild geese that nested on the grounds of the monastery.  One of them decided the roof of the chapel was the place to make their home.  Worship has often been punctuated by the loud honks of the mom and dad who stood guard over their babies.

As I continued my walk toward the labyrinth, a safe distance from the goslings (you only have to get too close once to know what it feels like to be attacked by a wild goose), I noticed how very much they looked like the spring grass and dandelions.  Not only protected by their parents, they had the perfect baby camouflage layette.

As I began my labyrinth walk, I noticed that the goose family had kept their saunter across the grounds in tandem with me.  In a parallel fashion, there the family of seven were–doing their own labyrinth in the grass, not twisting and turning, of course, but moving in a steady forward fashion.

My detour of enjoying the wild goose family meant that I only walked the way into the labyrinth center before having to walk straight out to noonday prayers.  This is something I never do.  I always start and finish a labyrinth.  I never take a short cut out.  But today, a pastor who plays, walking the returning labyrinth path steps by praying with the Sisters in the chapel in order to have time enjoy a goose family felt holy indeed.

Today is our retreat day at Regina Retreat Center in Nashville, Indiana. This lovely home on fifty acres was given to Our Lady of Grace Monastery by a local family.  Each time folks gather here we pray with thanks for the Schilling family.

Today we begin: nineteen wonderful women clergy and the Pastor as Spiritual Mentor. Teri, my co-facilitator, led a thought-provoking conversation about pastors as mentors. Referring to Eugene Peterson’s Under the Unpredicatable Plant, Teri reminded us that sometimes we are called to walk with folks in our parishes during extraordinarily difficult times of grief, illness, and hardship.  That time our role may be what Peterson calls messiah (not with a capital M).  Sometimes we are helping keep order in the church, and our role is what he calls manager. But our unique role as pastors is what Peterson calls spiritual director.  This facet of clergy life is what we’re exploring in our understanding of our role as spiritual mentors.

Peterson reminds us that it is not the clergy’s job to mange the Kingdom but to be attentive to God, to be attentive to how God is with people, circumstances and situations, and to call attention to God.  In fact, Teri reminded us that we are often called to step back and do nothing. By doing that, we can listen to the silence between the sounds and discern the Spirit, name God, and open our eye to adoration.