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An oasis of silence
Posted by: Roger Saner
Part of the Afrika Burns synchroblog, (for all participants see below).
I was unable to attend the inaugural Afrika Burns festival, but not due to lack of interest. I've been following the build-up hype with interest, not only because I'm intrigued by the concept but also because I'm interested to see what sort of people the festival would attract. Green-earth types...in the desert? I look forward to reading through the experiences of the festival goers, and looking through pictures - so I can understand a bit about the attendees.
So while Afrika Burns was in full sizzle, I was at the uMaria uMama weThemba monastery in Grahamstown, fitting into the monks rhythm of prayer, work, meals, rest, silence and solitude. They are Benedictines, meaning they follow the Rule of St Benedict (just like the Pirates Code - more of a guideline than a rule!). Benedict lived in the 5th century AD and while still young became a hermit on the advice of a monk, Romanus. For 3 years he lived in solitude with only sporadic contact with the outside world, and during that time became a man and secured the respect of those around him.
Due to the death of their abbot, some local monks tried to convince him to be their new abbot; at length they reluctantly convinced him. However, after only a little while the arrangement soured so much that the monks tried to poison him! (There's much we can learn from conflict resolution by reading church history!). However, when Benedict prayed over the cup it broke apart. They then tried to off him with poisoned bread. When he prayed a blessing over the bread, a raven swept in and took the loaf away (yes kids, this is why we must say grace! Haha.). He then returned to his cave.
Over time people sought him out to be under his guidance. For them he built in the valley twelve monasteries, in each of which he placed a superior with twelve monks. In a thirteenth he lived with a few, such as he thought would more profit and be better instructed by his own presence. He remained, however, the father, or abbot, of all. It was during this time he wrote his rule for monastic life, a guide for living together and seeking God while submitting to the community.
Benedictine monasteries flourished and became places where learning and writings were preserved in Europe through the Middle Ages. It's interesting to think of monasteries as places to get an education, to learn how to read and write. For a poor young man growing up in, say, 1200 A.D., becoming a monk gave him possibilities beyond what his simple life could have reasonably expected. Now, however, people seek out monasteries for different reasons.
In the BBC reality series The Monastery, 5 men in England were invited to spend 6 weeks at Worth Abbey, a Benedictine monastery in West Sussex, immersed in their daily rhythm, so as to try and answer the question, "Do monasteries have anything to offer modern life or are they outdated?". The Abbot of Worth Abbey says that modern people are interested in monastic life because they're fed up with materialism, consumerism and individualism. Monastic life offers an alternative to these soul killers.
The highest goal of monastic life is simply living together in community with the other men who have made a vow to do the same (lifetime vows vary among monastic orders; the 3 vows taken at Profession for the Order of the Holy Cross monks in Grahamstown are stability, conversion to the monastic way of life, and obedience). This only requires a little thought to see why this is tough: living with others, being in their space (and having them in yours 24-7) is not easy, which is why monks talk about having your "rough edges" made smooth by simply living with and forgiving each other (daily!). The work that the community is called to is prayer, and they pray together a number of times a day (5 times in Grahamstown, 6 times at Worth Abbey).
Tony Burke, one of the men who volunteered to spend 6 weeks at Worth Abbey (and who was at the time was filming ads for a sex chatline), writes
At uMaria in Grahamstown we start the day with Vigils at 6am - around 35 minutes of slowly speaking the Psalms communally, giving them plenty of space to "breathe", along with a few chants. Breakfast is at 7:15 and Lauds/Eucharist is at 8am. We chant the Psalms this time, listen to Scripture being read and meditate in silence. A Gospel reading follows, which welcomes us into communion, where we share the body and blood of Christ with each other, a powerful ritual. At 8:45 we are then free to begin our day.
Midday prayer is a short chant ("Lord, come to my assistance. Oh Lord, make haste to help me.") followed by 20 minutes of silence, which is a counter-cultural practice directly confronting a workaholic work ethic. In the monastery there is always enough time.
Lunch is at 12:30, after which we have the afternoon free, until 5:30 which is Vespers. Again, we chant the Psalms and allow space in between stanzas to let them breathe, and to let God speak.
After dinner (at 6:30pm) we'd chat a bit and then meet in the chapel for Compline (night prayer), which involves some singing, chanting and 15 minutes of silence, preparing for the night. After compline has ended we depart in silence - the Great Silence - which ends after breakfast the next morning.
For some people this silence is terrifying, pointless and almost sadistic. "I'm made for relationship - why can't I talk to people?!" I found the silence to be welcoming, restoring and necessary - something I enter into far too seldom and something which is difficult to do on my own. So it was a relief for me to have this welcoming quiet as part of my daily rhythm, even if it meant going to bed at 9pm.
So what relevance to daily life? Personally, I'm still open to exploring the vocation of monastic life. I'm drawn to the daily rhythm and to the balance it espouses. I see it counteracting the busyness of Joburg life - without a decrease in productivity. I like the re-appropriation of time, and the lack of rushing to do things. I like that the search for God is a communal search. I like that, in the middle of so many words and podcasts and rss feeds and iPods and TV series and white noise, I've found a desert in the oasis of life.
This is my highest hope for the emerging church in consumerist, materialist, individualist urban contexts:
Freedom can be described as doing whatever I want to when I want to. Freedom can also be described as being able to refuse your own impulses and urges, because there is something greater beyond them. Western capitalism provides sickly nourishment - on demand, when I want it, whenever I want it - an oasis overflowing with sweet offerings. Being able to be free of that nourishment, to walk out of the oasis and into the desert...is the harder choice, but one which draws me to it more than the first. For it is in the silence of the infinite horizon of the desert that I find God.
As we journey together, then, I offer you this blessing, as prayed over Tony Burke by his mentor, Brother Francis. May it help sustain you in the desert.
I was unable to attend the inaugural Afrika Burns festival, but not due to lack of interest. I've been following the build-up hype with interest, not only because I'm intrigued by the concept but also because I'm interested to see what sort of people the festival would attract. Green-earth types...in the desert? I look forward to reading through the experiences of the festival goers, and looking through pictures - so I can understand a bit about the attendees.
So while Afrika Burns was in full sizzle, I was at the uMaria uMama weThemba monastery in Grahamstown, fitting into the monks rhythm of prayer, work, meals, rest, silence and solitude. They are Benedictines, meaning they follow the Rule of St Benedict (just like the Pirates Code - more of a guideline than a rule!). Benedict lived in the 5th century AD and while still young became a hermit on the advice of a monk, Romanus. For 3 years he lived in solitude with only sporadic contact with the outside world, and during that time became a man and secured the respect of those around him.
Technorati Tags: Afrika Burns, Benedictines, monastic life, monks, Order of the Holy Cross, Pete Rollins, South Africa, St Benedict, The Monastery, uMaria, Worth Abbey
Due to the death of their abbot, some local monks tried to convince him to be their new abbot; at length they reluctantly convinced him. However, after only a little while the arrangement soured so much that the monks tried to poison him! (There's much we can learn from conflict resolution by reading church history!). However, when Benedict prayed over the cup it broke apart. They then tried to off him with poisoned bread. When he prayed a blessing over the bread, a raven swept in and took the loaf away (yes kids, this is why we must say grace! Haha.). He then returned to his cave.
Over time people sought him out to be under his guidance. For them he built in the valley twelve monasteries, in each of which he placed a superior with twelve monks. In a thirteenth he lived with a few, such as he thought would more profit and be better instructed by his own presence. He remained, however, the father, or abbot, of all. It was during this time he wrote his rule for monastic life, a guide for living together and seeking God while submitting to the community.
Benedictine monasteries flourished and became places where learning and writings were preserved in Europe through the Middle Ages. It's interesting to think of monasteries as places to get an education, to learn how to read and write. For a poor young man growing up in, say, 1200 A.D., becoming a monk gave him possibilities beyond what his simple life could have reasonably expected. Now, however, people seek out monasteries for different reasons.
In the BBC reality series The Monastery, 5 men in England were invited to spend 6 weeks at Worth Abbey, a Benedictine monastery in West Sussex, immersed in their daily rhythm, so as to try and answer the question, "Do monasteries have anything to offer modern life or are they outdated?". The Abbot of Worth Abbey says that modern people are interested in monastic life because they're fed up with materialism, consumerism and individualism. Monastic life offers an alternative to these soul killers.
The highest goal of monastic life is simply living together in community with the other men who have made a vow to do the same (lifetime vows vary among monastic orders; the 3 vows taken at Profession for the Order of the Holy Cross monks in Grahamstown are stability, conversion to the monastic way of life, and obedience). This only requires a little thought to see why this is tough: living with others, being in their space (and having them in yours 24-7) is not easy, which is why monks talk about having your "rough edges" made smooth by simply living with and forgiving each other (daily!). The work that the community is called to is prayer, and they pray together a number of times a day (5 times in Grahamstown, 6 times at Worth Abbey).
Tony Burke, one of the men who volunteered to spend 6 weeks at Worth Abbey (and who was at the time was filming ads for a sex chatline), writes
The overwhelming sense of devotion and service of God which brings these men together for the six daily services is an overwhelmingly powerful force and one that cannot be contrived or created artificially.
Standing in the Lady Chapel at night listening to Salve Regina being sung en mass in Latin enveloped me like a potent elixir and drove away any cynicism or doubt of these men's integrity and intent.
And within a few days I was engaging in the Monastic process from the heart, inspired by this intangible and inexplicable thing which is faith, and love of God, expressed through prayer and community living.
But these men aren't gods themselves. They're men. And they're human beings, and they're not perfect.
And that's what makes them as people. Because like us five participants, they had all come from different, varied and interesting lives. And from that came their humour, wit, intelligence and insight, and most importantly their humanity and individuality as people.
At uMaria in Grahamstown we start the day with Vigils at 6am - around 35 minutes of slowly speaking the Psalms communally, giving them plenty of space to "breathe", along with a few chants. Breakfast is at 7:15 and Lauds/Eucharist is at 8am. We chant the Psalms this time, listen to Scripture being read and meditate in silence. A Gospel reading follows, which welcomes us into communion, where we share the body and blood of Christ with each other, a powerful ritual. At 8:45 we are then free to begin our day.
Midday prayer is a short chant ("Lord, come to my assistance. Oh Lord, make haste to help me.") followed by 20 minutes of silence, which is a counter-cultural practice directly confronting a workaholic work ethic. In the monastery there is always enough time.
Lunch is at 12:30, after which we have the afternoon free, until 5:30 which is Vespers. Again, we chant the Psalms and allow space in between stanzas to let them breathe, and to let God speak.
After dinner (at 6:30pm) we'd chat a bit and then meet in the chapel for Compline (night prayer), which involves some singing, chanting and 15 minutes of silence, preparing for the night. After compline has ended we depart in silence - the Great Silence - which ends after breakfast the next morning.
For some people this silence is terrifying, pointless and almost sadistic. "I'm made for relationship - why can't I talk to people?!" I found the silence to be welcoming, restoring and necessary - something I enter into far too seldom and something which is difficult to do on my own. So it was a relief for me to have this welcoming quiet as part of my daily rhythm, even if it meant going to bed at 9pm.
So what relevance to daily life? Personally, I'm still open to exploring the vocation of monastic life. I'm drawn to the daily rhythm and to the balance it espouses. I see it counteracting the busyness of Joburg life - without a decrease in productivity. I like the re-appropriation of time, and the lack of rushing to do things. I like that the search for God is a communal search. I like that, in the middle of so many words and podcasts and rss feeds and iPods and TV series and white noise, I've found a desert in the oasis of life.
This is my highest hope for the emerging church in consumerist, materialist, individualist urban contexts:
For too long the Church has been seen as an oasis in the desert - offering water to those who are thirsty. In contrast, the emerging community appears more as a desert in the oasis of life, offering silence, space and desolation amidst the sickly nourishment of Western capitalism. It is in this desert, as we wander together as nomads, that God is to be found. For it is here that we are nourished by our hunger.
- Pete Rollins, How (not) to speak of God, p42-3
Freedom can be described as doing whatever I want to when I want to. Freedom can also be described as being able to refuse your own impulses and urges, because there is something greater beyond them. Western capitalism provides sickly nourishment - on demand, when I want it, whenever I want it - an oasis overflowing with sweet offerings. Being able to be free of that nourishment, to walk out of the oasis and into the desert...is the harder choice, but one which draws me to it more than the first. For it is in the silence of the infinite horizon of the desert that I find God.
As we journey together, then, I offer you this blessing, as prayed over Tony Burke by his mentor, Brother Francis. May it help sustain you in the desert.
May your soul calm, console and renew you.
May the light of your soul guide you.
May the light of your soul bless the work you do with the secret love and warmth of your heart.
May you see in what you do the beauty of your own soul.
May the sacredness of your work bring healing, light and renewal to those who work with you and to those who see and receive your work.
May your work never weary you.
May it release within you wellsprings of refreshment, inspiration and excitement.
May you be present in what you do.
May you never become lost in the bland absences.
May the day never burden.
May dawn find you awake and alert, approaching your new day with dreams, possibilities and promises.
May evening find you gracious and fulfilled.
May you go into the night blessed, sheltered and protected.
Afrika Burns Synchroblog participants:
- Photographs on Signs of Life : Rob Mills and Mike de Freitas
- John W Morehead on Moreheads Musings : Afrika Burns Synchroblog: Burning Man Regional Burn
- Tim Victor on Tim Victors Musings : Afrika Burns
- Ant Paton on CapeConversation : Wondering about the wilderness, by Ant Paton
- Rob Mills : Signs of Life
- Emerging Africa : Afterburn: A Karoo Flowering
- Mike de Freitas on CapeConversation: Afrika Burns, a Christian response, by Mike de Freitas
- Nic Paton : a baptism of joyful fire : Afrika Burns synchroblog
- RuZl on Liquid Light : a desert underground
- Roger Saner on Future Church : An oasis of silence
Other writings of note:
- From the mouth of the Man himself : What is Burning Man?
- John W Morehead: Burn, Baby, Burn, Christendom Inferno: Burning Man and the Festive Immolation of Christendom Culture and Modernity
- John W Morehead: Apocalyptic Man Ablaze: The Hope of Burning Man’s Effigy Fulfilled in the Risen Holy Fool
- Overtone Music blog : Afrika Burns: Backwater Art Back In Fashion
Comments
"Brother" Burning Dog
A wonderfully complimentary weekend to ours. The disciplines you talk of are key in this age of abundance.
I will read this again (when I have more time!), digest it, and comment further.
Wonderful reflections, all part of where I would like to be...
reply to this commentAn excellent overview of St Benedict's life - more in depth and interesting than my synopsis - is available at Monastic Musings.
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