For once, this is pretty easy. I love the time before sunrise. I wake up early and just sit listening to the birds outside. The silence is so real at that time of day. And the solitude.
I normally say Morning Prayer at sunrise (or just before). And my day starts.
It is complex to attempt to distil his teaching as so much of it was an exploration, a moving towards, rather than a fixed position or theology. He believed in the work of the Holy Spirit and that the work of the contemplative was not to seek what he or she asked of God but rather to wait upon God. The monk or nun could only rid themselves of distractions and obstacles which interfere with the bestowal of spiritual gifts from God, not seek the gifts for themselves. It was this sense of patience and humility that flowed through William’s witness and made him so authentic to those who met him. He was not putting forward a spiritual plan or teaching others a technique of prayer. He advised and encouraged the clearing away of the emotional and spiritual debris that cluttered the individual soul, this being achieved through a path of repentance and forgiveness; then to await the gifts of God through prayer and silence. It was a challenging path, yet a simple one in its approach unhampered by mystical complexity.
Father William’s Baton, by Peta Dunstan, in Stephen Platten. Oneness: The Dynamics of Monasticism . SCM Press.
I am a little “aimless” at the moment. (Not to be confused with “harmless” which I am all the time.) I have dipped in and out of various books without much purpose. I found the above and thought it was worth sharing. “To get ready to wait on God”.
I recently decided to follow a vegan diet. No meat, no dairy, and no eggs – no animal products. I live alone so it is pretty easy to control what I eat. And often I slip and forget to check! The “anchorite” tradition is vegetarian but my system does not like dairy so I thought I would go all the way.
I do not have a favourite recipe. I have enjoyed trying new things with tofu. And I have discovered Dahl. Sometimes I miss a food – burgers – but I have found vegan alternatives that taste much better. I miss some of the things I used to mindlessly eat – potato chips and chocolate. But I feel better for my choice.
It is all about a book. I found a book online – a book I desired for a long time. A book that I believed was unavailable since it was a limited run. This book arrived! And I was excited.
The book is a 1961 edition of the Directory of Anglican Religious Communities. It smells of incense and is packed with information about monasteries, friars, and other houses of religious life. It is old-fashioned in its language and has no pictures.
To be honest, I would not! I have little practical skills and designing anything is not my thing.
I would, however, suggest to the individual who is designing the future city to include lots of parks and libraries. And, maybe, some coffee shops.
My parents. And, to be honest, I have never particularly liked it. I think it sounds a little childish. But that is my name, that is how I am known, and I guess I will keep moving on.
Nothing deep or meaningful. What motivates me is to be present in the moment. I do not have a grand goal for world domination. I simply want to completely present to the people that I encounter in the moment that is now.
To be honest, I cannot name ten movies. I tried to remember some this morning and I remember about three. Not that I do not watch movies or TV. It just generally does not have a great effect on me. It wastes time – fills in dead space. But is not a life-changing thing.
So, what?
What do you enjoy most about writing?
Being me for a moment. Not hiding to make other people like me. Allowing “me” to connect with another “me”.
I live in a place that is named, “The Anchorage”. And the short answer is, “I love everything about this place”. The location is great, the house is the right size for me, it is the right “style”, and I feel called to live there. This house has a place for my books and a special place where I pray. It is close enough to everything that I do not need to drive but can walk.
The longer answer: I think (hmmm?!) I have a vocation to the “enclosed solitary life”. That is, I live my vocation in one place. Enclosure can be understood very legalisticly – a border that I cannot cross. Or it can be understood as the place where a vocation is. This house is my vocation. And I love that!!!! I do not need to go outside to fulfil my vocation – my vocation is not elsewhere. I am called to be here.
a fool and his prayer book 