FALL A.D. 2004
XPAX
In the Acts of the Apostles St. Luke describes how the Apostle Peter was imprisoned and then miraculously delivered. “An angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter on the side and woke him saying, ‘Get up quickly.’ And the chains fell off his hands.” The angel led Peter past the guards and out of the prison, the gate opening up to them of its own accord. We are told St. Peter “did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.”
In listening to this story read at Vespers recently the thought occurred to me that this is an image of how we Christians often think of our faith, not as “real” but as only some sort of “vision,” a mental image or attitude. This vision may be comforting and offer reassurance from time to time, but it is not put on the same level as the “real world.” Faith is only a virtual reality running along side the genuine thing. The only connection between the two is the one we ourselves make in our minds. While the real world has clout and confronts us forcefully, the faith world is modest in its influence and demands and can be engaged at our convenience. Such a separation of faith from real life leads to the so called practical atheism of our day. People say they believe in God but then live as if He did not exist, as if the doctrines of the Christian Creed have no down to earth applications in real life.
Like Peter we need to wake up, come to ourselves and discover once again that the things taught by our faith are true and therefore a solid part of our “real world.” The word “vision” can suggest a dream, illusion, fantasy or even a hallucination. It was in this sense that Peter first took to be his deliverance from prison. The word, however, can have an entirely different meaning. A true vision is an insight or penetration into deeper reality. It is a revelation, an uncovering of truths not readily seen. When Peter “came to himself” he realized that what he thought was only wishful thinking was in fact a very real action of God on his behalf. Angels and gates opening of themselves are certainly mysterious apparitions but they had left him standing safely outside the prison and on solid ground. This was no empty vision but one that had effected a new reality in his life.
When we speak of spiritual realities we must not allow the word “spiritual” to enfeeble the reality part. Spiritual is not a synonym for dreamy or insubstantial. In speaking of the Holy Spirit I have sometimes tried to make this point by saying that we are walking on the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God is the ground of our existence. It is by His Spirit, the breath of His mouth, that God has created and preserves all things.
If the earth we walk on is a spiritual reality, then we should take the more mysterious things of the Spirit—life, love, faith, hope—with as much seriousness as the ground on which we stand.
Now the season of fall and the end of the Church Year brings to mind what are called the last things. In the solemn words of the creed we believe that Christ “will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.” We “look for the resurrection of the dead, the life of the world to come.” This majestic vision is set in the future, but it is present and effective right now. Already it is the hidden truth about human life and is the meaning and goal of creation. These are facts around which we can and should be ordering our life now. “The real world is the world of which Christ is King. In signaling that truth, the Church makes its most important and most distinctive contribution to the here and now” (R. J. Neuhaus).
St. Peter “came to himself” in the street and realized that the “vision” of his deliverance from prison was real. For many of us the definitive awakening to the profound and effective reality of our salvation may not take place until heaven. But in the meantime to the degree that we can realize now the truths of the Christian faith we can already begin to live lives less fearful, more confident, more joyful in obedience, and more generous in love.
Sincerely,
Fr. Richard G. Herbel
News & Notes
Getting a good night’s rest is important for a retreat. Toward that end new mattresses were purchased for the guests rooms. Perhaps this will even increase attendance at Vigils!
For nearly a year Isaias Beh Ramirez from Mexico lived with us as a student of monastic life. In July he departed to return to his homeland. There he will complete the requirements for ordination and hopes eventually to establish a form of monastic life. He was a wonderful addition to our family here and we very much miss his faithful participation in our prayer and work. Local friends of St. Augustine’s House gave him a farewell picnic complete with a mariachi band. It was a wonderful party, a demonstration of the affection in which all came to regard our “Mexican Monk.”
Also in July our Long Term Guest Christopher Crandall departed to return to his home in Oregon. We are thankful for his contributions to our life during his seven week stay. Long Term Guests spend up to six months in residence and are expected to share fully in the monastic life. Please inquire for more information.
This summer our resident associate member, David Blythe experienced increasing trouble with his legs. Eventually he was admitted for four days to the hospital with a diagnosis of cellulitis. We are happy to report that he is progressing well and he is able to resume his normal activies.
The middle of August the Gazebo for the meditation garden on the north side of the new church was erected. The labor was donated by Richard Dixon and his sons Ted and Walter in memory of their wife and mother Mabel Dixon. The cedar Gazebo stands on the floor of the old Quonset hut chapel over the place were the altar formerly stood. It is a beautiful and fitting addition to our grounds.
On Sunday afternoon the 22nd of August the church was filled with music lovers for the first (annual?) Bach Festival. Guinevere Toney was the director for the program which featured the music of Bach for organ, flute, piano, and voice. Following the concert an outdoor reception was held around the newly constructed Gazebo.
The following Friday evening music again filled the church as Dr. George Weckman led a “Chorale Compline” service. Hymns sung by the congregation were substituted for parts of the monastic office of Compline. The organ was used extensively in providing preludes, interludes and postludes from various composers.
The annual Fellowship Day fell this year on the actual Feast of St. Augustine, August 28th. The day featured the celebration of the Holy Eucharist in the morning. The speaker this year was Bishop Donald McCoid
of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod of the ELCA. He spoke of his personal journey of faith and of the need for faithful and obedient discipleship in the Church. We do not make up the Christian faith but have received it and are to conform our lives to it and pass it on.
It is time to consider reprinting the books containing the psalms and hymns used for the Daily Offices here at St. Augustine’s. Since many guests have expressed an interest in owning a copy of our Office Book we would like to get an estimate of how many extra copies to print. Small runs are expensive and the cost per book could be between $30 and $40. Please notify us if you are interested.
Readers in Michigan and surrounding states may be interested to know that St. Augustine’s House is now a beneficiary of the Meijer Community Rewards program. Registered shoppers at Meijer stores can have a percentage of their purchase totals donated to St. Augustine’s. Please inquire for more information or register at your local store using our organization number: 234415.
Chapel Sponsor
A gift of $1000 supports our use of the chapel by paying the mortgage for a month.
DOROTHY E. BIGELOW
naomi bohlin
ALBERT R. HERBEL
mabel dixon gerald gallagher arthur carl kreinheder olive shay angela stevens and in honor of warren f. best edwin h. holmberg |