Trav Wilson's Blog: September 1-3 - The Abbey of Gethsemani

Our pilgrimage to Gethsemani Abbey was very helpful.

I am usually not one for monkery. I have this strange notion that Methodists should act like Methodists and not trifle around doing poor imitations of Episcopals or other high-demonations. We are a simple worshipping, evangelical people with a social justice streak a mile wide; we are "both liberal and conservative" as Adam Hamilton would say.

However, there is something to be said for a even simpler weekend, in silence, in prayer, and in pondering. Some people reflect. I don't reflect. I ponder. I remunate. I pray. Reflecting is for people enslaved to their past. The other activity are for people who live in the present and pray for the future.

And so this weekend we prayed. I was in silence for 24 hours, before a classmate of mine and I broke down and had lunch in the talking dining room. Yep, that's right ... two silent dining rooms, one talking. I do not recommend it as a lifestyle, unless you are going to help others who live in a busy, hurried and noisy world to hear the still soft voice of God. After 24 hours of silence, I began to feel sad; must be my extrovert side coming out.

My main prayers were for Becca, the future of our ministry and the people to whom we would minister. I also did quite a bit of reading for a class that begins on September. We have to write the equivalent of a 36 page relfection paper on the 6 books that we had to read for the class.

Here are some pictures of the area around the Abbey:
1. The Abbey itself ...