In the second half of Chapter 58, Saint Benedict describes the liturgy in which a man becomes a monk. The ceremony in which I made a promise to enter a year’s time as a novice oblate contains some of the elements in this liturgy. I signed my name to a written promise and placed it…

Earlier this month I marked the twentieth anniversary of my ordination. Of that time, I spent about five years in parish ministry, half that time in visitation and hospice chaplaincy, just under ten years in communications with a church agency, and the rest of the time on leave from call. My most recent leave from…

Someone taught me that Johann Sebastian Bach wrote “SDG” at the bottom of his musical scores. Those three letters were an acronym for Soli Deo Gloria, meaning “To the only God be glory.” I’m reminded of this by the quotation from 1 Peter 4:11 that Benedictine monks and oblates lift up as a byword for…

When Anne and I were planning our wedding, we selected a non-traditional Gospel text. Non-traditional for weddings, but one that has served as a guide to us, off and on, since that day. It’s a text that reminds me, every time I hear or read it, of God’s generous care for us, and of the…

Over the last week or so, as the weather has taken a turn for the heat and humidity, I’ve moved the focus of my time on work projects from landscaping to some neglected rooms in our home. Last week I spent a day facing and taming the utility room, the repository of the clutter and…

In today’s world, many monasteries are renowned for offering retreats and for their gracious hospitality. Showing that kind of welcome to guests is one of the fundamental marks of a monastic community and is the theme of Chapter 53 in The Rule of Benedict. The Saint’s statements are powerful and moving. He writes: All guests…

One of the differences between a gadget and a tool is that a gadget tends to be a Hydra with many “heads”—the BrewButler 8000 Millennium Edition not only makes the perfect cup of coffee, it is a fully functional alarm clock and digital personal assistant. But when I think of a tool, I picture a…

Sometimes as I read chapters in The Rule of Benedict, the cultural and historical differences between the sixth and twenty-first centuries seem especially pronounced. Chapter 51 provides one of those times when the distinctions assert themselves. It’s a brief chapter, so it’s worth reading as a complete unit: If a brother is sent out on…

For some reason, modern English has grown enamored with the term center. One of the places this word now appears is in reference to worship center, meaning the place in a parish’s building where the community gathers for worship. An older term is sanctuary, which carries with it some resonant and tender associations. Another—perhaps still…