I arrived a few minutes before 11:00 a.m. I was greeted by Blair Anderson, a retired pastor of the ELCA after 40+ years of faithful service to the ministry in the northern suburbs of the Minneapolis metropolitan area. He and his wife, Betty, have made it their mission to provide a place (62 acres) in Central Minnesota for spiritual retreat in silence and solitude.
We enjoyed a cup of coffee and a pleasant introduction of each other. Toward the end of our conversation, Blair asked, “What are your hopes for your time here at Well of Compassion.” The question was somewhat a loaded question that I hadn’t anticipated. My answer was simple however: “A time of silence. A time of peace. A time of rest. And a time to reconnect with God.”
He escorted me to my hermitage, gave me the nickel tour, prayed for me and my stay, and away he went. He said he would return in about 30 minutes with water and a basket of breads, fruits, and cheeses. Before unpacking, I made my way out to the screened-in porch where I sat in silence in awe of this opportunity to become a ‘hermit’ for a few days. Something I have longed for over the course of many years.
It didn’t last long, minutes in fact, for the monkeys in my head to start jumping around reminding me all the things I should be doing. I should be blogging. I should be reading. I should be journaling. I should be resting. I should go for a walk. I should, I should, I should…
Blaire returned with bountiful basket of breads, fruits, and cheeses and wished me well. I was thankful for his return as it distracted me from the monkeys. He graciously invited me for dinner at the lodge with he and the other hermit. I hesitated for a second as I wanted to say no, but couldn’t resist good Christian fellowship.
After pacing for what felt like an hour as I attempted to put the monkeys to sleep, I laid on the bed and began to pray a prayer of thanksgiving for this sabbatical opportunity and this ministry. I awoke several hours later, just in time to head in for dinner. I’m thankful I said yes, as we had a pleasant dinner, just the three of us, and some spiritual direction from Blair. He shared a writing from Christine Valters Paintner about Silence.
As I walked back to my hermitage, The verse “Be still and know that I am God,” encapsulated my thoughts. Do we really know what it means to be still? I mean, do we REALLY know stillness? I know I don’t. Paintner says, “A person can live alone and still experience much noise within and a person can live in the midst of a crowd and have a true sense of silence in their heart.”
Painter goes on to write, “Silence is challenging. We create all kinds of distraction and noise in our lives so we can avoid it.” Do you create distractions to avoid silence?
I spent the next several hours reading “Simplify – ten practices to unclutter your soul” by Bill Hybels with the flickering light of the lantern as darkness fell while listening to the rustling noises of leaves crunching as critters roamed around outside.
Do you know how dark it gets in the middle of a forest with no electricity!?
– Nick