Psalm 1

This has always been one of my favorite psalms. It was serendipitous that it was one of the readings during the week, as I felt it spoke so directly to the community and the experience.

Psalm 1

Once a year I try to go on a week long retreat
loosely patterned after the rule of Benedict.
It’s an opportunity to step out of the routine of ordinary life,
and take a break from contemporary culture.
I share these seven days with about thirty people
from all over the country,
kindred spirits seeking silence and perhaps a new perspective.
Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked,
nor lingered in the way of sinners

As we arrive that first evening,
we greet one another with tentative familiarity
offering mutual welcome to this time that will hold and shape our week long, intentional community.
With open hearts, and perhaps a tiny bit of apprehension, we get acquainted with small talk, which will soon be set aside,
making space for the deeper conversation that calls and unites us.
Their delight is in the law of the Lord,
and they meditate on his law day and night.

Being here in this beautiful place is certainly an advantage.
There is something healing about spending time in nature--
taking walks across golden hills, trimming the rose bushes, or gazing out over verdant valleys, some striped with vineyards,
Personally, I prefer just sitting beneath the live oaks in front of the chapel, pondering nothing in particular.
It refreshes the soul.
Over time, without my even noticing, something inside begins to shift.
They are like trees planted by streams of water,
bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither
everything they do shall prosper.

I wish that I could say that the doubts and fears that plague me completely disappear
or at least do me the favor of staying home.
But are here with me, my companions of the “should haves” and “what ifs”.
Yet, there is something about the rhythm of being here—
the combination of chanting, prayer, and silence,
that robs them of their power.
I am sure that the combined intention of the other people gathered here doesn’t hurt.
In fact, I believe that it calls forth some ineffable presence against which those inner demons don’t stand a chance.
Therefore the wicked shall not stand upright when judgment comes nor the sinner in the council of the righteous.


So year after year, I return,
never quite sure if I am doing it right
or playing by the rules,
However, I learned just this morning during Sr. Donald’s talk,
that the definition of regula, or rule, is in fact a trellis whose purpose is to guide and support.
It’s not meant to limit or constrict.
This is also a pretty good description of community.
And we all know what happens
whenever two or three are gathered in his name.
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked is doomed.