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In counting up the years recently I have realized that I have lived longer here in Michigan than any other place including my boyhood home in Oklahoma. For some twenty-two years this part of the world has been my primary experience of the heavens and the earth of God's creation. The Sun's journey between these horizons have defined for me the great primordial divisions of day and night, which govern the liturgical sanctification of time that is such an important part of the life here.

In monastic practice there is a vow or promise of stability. This is understood primarily as a spiritual disposition of fidelity and steadfastness, as perseverance in discipleship. But it is not completely emptied of its literal meaning. Remaining physically in one place can also be an important spiritual exercise. If at the first sign of discomfort we run away seeking some other place, we may never learn to be at peace in any place. We must learn not to wait for changed circumstances before we seek God. As a monastic writer has put it, "The reason for stability? God is not elsewhere."

As I work on the property surrounding our buildings and even more when I am in the woods walking the trails or inspecting the perimeters I am reminded a little of Middle Earth, the imaginary place created by J. R. R. Tolkien for his novel The Lord of the Rings. This world contained all the varied topography that was necessary for the remarkable adventures of his characters. It was also a relatively small and manageable world, and the characters could travel about it on horseback or even on foot.

Our 42 acres here is even smaller, but it could still be the "world" for an exciting adventure. The buildings are located on the relatively flat part of the land and are surrounded by small meadows and grasslands. These "inhabited lands" contrast with the wilder, more rugged woodlands, which prevail to the north and west. Here one can find miniature mountains and valleys. The hilltops offer modest vistas and lowlands greater seclusion and silence. We have no lakes or seas but we do have some wetlands. Three of these are shallow ponds, and ducks sometimes take to flight when they are approached. Two others are only vernal pools that for a couple of months in the spring are home to mating frogs. There are a few hostile patches of thorn bushes that reach for the legs of passersby. On the other hand a hiker can occasionally be pleasantly surprised to come upon wild berries or edible mushrooms. The oldest and largest hardwood trees become familiar landmarks and seem as if they should have personal names. The rows of pine trees Fr. Arthur planted many years ago now stand like pillars in some grand hall.

There are "ancient" ruins here too that hint mysteriously about earlier human inhabitants. The hand dug, stone walled well must at one time have been an important feature of some early family dwelling. Then there are the stone rows that cross the property. They are mostly fallen now, low and overgrown. They serve no purpose these days, but I marvel at the hard and sustained labor of the "giants" who piled these stones. Like Tolkien's Middle Earth this land has an interesting history as well as a diverse terrain. One could live an exciting make-believe life here-or even a real one.

Years ago when I was in Sunday school in Oklahoma I remember being surprised to learn how small the Holy Land is. From Bible stories I knew that that land was a very important place. It loomed large on the wall maps and filled whole pages in textbooks. Yet the teacher said it was really only about the size of the Oklahoma Panhandle. It seemed astounding that all the great events in salvation history could take place on so small a stage. I did, however, enjoy the comparison being made between the Holy Land and the exact place where I was living.

I had hit upon something with that thought. Wherever we live is for us a Holy Land. It is the stage on which our personal story is unfolding; it provides the concrete geography for our journey to God, and that is always a great adventure. Like the original Holy Land the place may be a wilderness of trial and testing or a land flowing with milk and honey. Most likely it is something in between. But it is here and no other place that our real life-and therefore our spiritual life-is unfolding. It is a place where we are being called to live a holy and moral life and so glorify our Father in heaven.

To discover this is a great revelation. The words of the holy patriarch Jacob come to mind. Between Beer-sheba and Paddan-aram he encountered God and exclaimed, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." Perhaps it will only be in retrospect, but we too can be awestruck by and thankful for those places where our footsteps have fallen in our journey to God, those places in which, even if with some effort, we have claimed the Lord's promise, "Lo, I am with you always."

The beautiful word "abide" captures this idea well. It implies an unhurried, deliberate and reverent staying or living in a place. This concept is an important one in the Gospel and letters of St. John, where it is used in relation to Christ and His Word and Sacrament. Let us abide in whatever place we are and not simply pass the time there in an empty, neutral sense. Let us abide with the other inhabitants of the place and not just cohabit accidentally and unengaged. Above all let us abide in the Lord and in the love of His Father and so discover the particular fruit that we can bring forth in whatever place we are.

Sincerely,
Fr. Richard G. Herbel

News & Notes
Incremental improvements continue to be made in the Retreat House. New coffee and end tables now compliment the new seating in the common room. The eleven bedroom windows are in the process of being replaced with windows that will help keep out the cold in the winter and open to allow for generous fresh air in the summer. For those who may wish to contribute a window to the project, the installed cost of a single window is about $750.

The beginning of April our area suffered a damaging ice storm. It left us without power for five and a half days. Our grounds were littered with fallen branches but fortunately there was little damage to any of our buildings.

The old Quonset Hut Chapel was dedicated in 1958 and served as our house of worship until two years ago when we moved into the new Chapel. It was used for the last time on Palm Sunday. The Liturgy for the day began there with a prayer commemorating it's sacred use and remembering Fr. Arthur. After the Palms were blessed we went in procession to the new Chapel for the Holy Eucharist. A few weeks later the building was demolished and cleared away. The concrete floor, however, was left and will be developed as part of a meditative garden.

The first Saturday in May the members of Boy Scout Troop 108 worked for the better part of the day to clear away fallen branches from the ice storm and to clear and rake the hiking trails. We also owe thanks to a local restaurant, Red Knapps American Grill for providing free pizza at noon to feed these hungry, hard working boys.

The annual chapter meeting was held here the evening of May 12th. Some sixteen members were in attendance. New associate members were received: Ernie and Mary Lou Baker, Vincent Johnson, Thomas McElwey, David and Charlene Palmer, and Dennis A. Smith. There was no business requiring action by the chapter, but reports were received and there was useful, informal discussion.

The end of May Fr. Richard and Fr. Thomas traveled to Grand Rapids to see the Dead Sea Scrolls on exhibit there. It was a moving experience to see the great reverence for the Word that marked the life of the quasi-monastic Essenes. It added another dimension to our praying of the Psalms today. While in Grand Rapids we met our associate Donna Engstrom who gave us a tour of Covenant Village, a retirement community where she works as a marketer.

The Fellowship Day this year will be August 30th. This is the Saturday of the Labor Day weekend, which we usually avoid, but thought we would give it a try this year. Retired Bishop Paull E. Spring has agreed to be our speaker. More information will be coming around the beginning of August. 

CHAPEL SPONSORS
APRIL by Helen M. Herbel in memory of her husband Albert R. Herbel and son Charles A. Herbel.
MAY by Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Detroit, Michigan in thanksgiving for the blessings the Lord has given her during more than 120 years of ministry.
JUNE by Pastor John R. Cochran in memory of his mother Dorothy Cochran.

Gifts are gratefully acknowledged in memory of DOROTHY COCHRAN MONETTA DORAU ROBERT CARL FACKLER ELDORA GOWEN ALBERT R. HERBEL CHARLES A. HERBEL ARTHUR CARL KREINHEDER JOAN W. MILLER WILLIAM V. MONTGOMERY EMMA VIRGINIA LESTER PINKS

Quonset Hut Chapel
1958 -- 2003

Pictures: Blessing of the Palms in the old chapel; the Procession from the old and into the new; at the altar during the Holy Eucharist; demolition of the Quonset Hut and its removal; the cleared floor and foundation awaiting transformation into an outdoor meditative area.

(Please click on image for a larger view, which may take a while to download.)