Hello Blog readers, wherever you are.
I'm working on being retired, while I wait for my next appointment or church opportunity. This has given me a chance to do a lot of praying, about all kinds of things. It has given me my first break from the day to day work of a pastor for a very long time. My last Sabbatical was in the early 2000. Maybe God is giving me another one, unofficially.
Any way, I've been reflecting on what would I like to do, but more importantly what would God like me to do. We Methodists with strong Wesley connections are used to quoting the prayer from the covenant renewal service about our work. "Put me to doing, put me to suffering. Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee," so this comes with our territory. So now I'm seeking God's direction for what's next.
One of the ideas I'm wrestling with is the powerful influence that St. Benedict has had for me with his little book on Rules, that shaped the monastic movement in the 5th and 6th centuries. It has been proven to help in a variety of situations since then. Any time there has been a need for renewal in the midst of great challenges, this could certainly be one of those. St. Benedict stressed the importance of prayer so that we could love more fully, the way Jesus loved. There are several St. Benedict books in my Kindle at the moment.
I was thinking with zoom capabilities, we could so a zoom version of the small support group idea behind the monastic movement, but allow us to stay where we are and do what we've been doing. There have been several versions of that kind of support system created over time. Maybe this is our time.
If nothing else, I strongly urge you to explore St. Benedict. A book that pushed me in that direction, The Benedict Option by Rod Dreher, got me started. St. Benedict's Toobox by Jane Tomaine, was a book I used with a study group in my last church and it is an awesome introduction. The Rule of St.Benedict in English is a good read just for the basic introduction. It's not that long. Joan Chittister has a couple of books about him too, The Rule of Benedict: A Spirituality for the 21st Century, & Wisdom Distilled from the Daily: Living the Rule of St. Benedict Today.
So, if nothing else, pray for me to find a good way to encourage others in this direction. You can always connect with me as well, if you have questions. macpastor@gmail.com
Blessings
Jeff Jones
