I'm not going to do a recap just yet but bear with me a moment.
So thus far my Lent has been frustrating. I've felt restless and antsy as of late. Part of it is I'm going home in less than two weeks. I've also had a hard time settling into Lent. I find myself trying to hide but from what I'm not sure. I haven't been able to stick to anything really, although I did put my schedule into my phone to better organize my time, which has proofed helpful.
I tried something this morning though that I really seem to have connected to, praying with prayer beads.
I've had this set since my Freshman year of college and have experimented with them off and on through the years but have just wanted it to work better. I stumbled upon a kindle book last night that I really like. It's called Praying With Beads- or something like that. The great thing about it is that there's structure to it. The book follows the church year with three different prayers for each week but with some for special days, Christmas, etc.
The prayer has a prayer for the cross, invitatory, cruciforms, weeks, the Lords prayer for the invitatory bead then another for the cross at the end. Mthe cruciforms are bits of scripture- today's was John 3:17, the week beads were psalm 33:20. I found that I'd get into a rhythm with the weeks then the cruciform would snap me back out so my mind couldn't wander too far. That was disconcerting at first but after my first time around the rhythm of each 7 week beads then the cruciform became a rhythm of its own.
I discovered I like to hold it between my thumb, index, and middle fingers but I also realized a set of larger beads, even different shapes and textures is appealing, it's just too similar and honestly I'd rather have a crucifix rather than just a cross. Had a conversation the other day while preparing lunch about blank crosses vs crucifixes. I like the idea of being reminded that Christ wasn't Just divine he was a person too and he died as a person too, it makes him seem more relatable to me.
So I'm going prayer bead shopping - online, and see if there are options like that. As I was praying I even thought that river rocks sounded appealing too, to be connected to God's creation.
-topic change-
I tend to 'bounce' so thought I'd warn you!
I spent a little time with the Bishop this past week. I was really nervous the first day or so and when I'd get nervous I found myself looking at him, for approval perhaps, I dunno.
I was ordered by the Superior to "leave him alone". Of course that was my plan to begin with but when the Superior says so, you take it to heart, or I did anyway.
I saw him mostly in the guesthouse kitchen, unsurprisingly. He gave me a book his last day here, Henri Nouwen's Praying with Icons. He asked me about lighting the candle that sits next to the icon of Jesus in the Holy Spirit Chapel and after telling him where the matches were, sitting atop the fire extinguisher cabinet, I mentioned my not understanding the purpose of icons. He asked me if I'd read the book and after I said no, that was sort of the end of it.
He's a really neat guy, we chatted with him a bit after 2nd Evensong on Sunday, he's got great stories. I bet he was an awesome parish priest, I can see it.
Another interesting note, last Friday I was in the Scholla again but this time rather than chanting the psalm in my octave I did something called a drone. The reaction of the congregation was amazing, you'd have thought I'd never chanted before! Even the Brothers! They were all very complementary, apparently I'm going to be doing something like that during Holy Week. We've been practicing for Tenabrae during our weekly choir practice and it gets better and better each time. We did a really awesome hymn for the Phos this past weekend, a mix of Greek Orthodox and French motifs. It was absolutely amazing.
Ok, so I'm out of things to say, two weeks from yesterday I'll be home, andSunday is my birthday. I'm looking forward to a good
week.
Until later,
Nancy
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