Christmas Feast

After Matins, we gathered in the Refractory (dining room) for an incredible feast of roast beef, turkey breast, a carrot dish, potatoes, and another incredible green salad.  The room was splendid, complete with tablecloths, and we had a fabulous bread pudding (as well as wine and some leftover eggnog).  What a meal!

A great meal requires recognition... Edward (I hope I have his name right, he's the chef) and Laurie (she is also the guesthouse manager, but today her title was "Queen of Desserts") were the masters of the feast and the room broke into applause as they appeared.

So that's Christmas the Monastery Way.  What an experience... try it if you can.

I have a quick blog entry, then some packing and driving and a chance to rest before invading the nieces and nephews tomorrow. 

Merry Christmas everyone and thanks for a wonderful time!

Matins on Christmas Day

At 11:00 this morning we had Matins (Morning Prayer). It was a pleasant experience to have worship on Christmas Day.

Back when the kids were little, we used to go to the local LCMS Lutheran church in order to get a Christmas Day service (they were the only church to have one). I always liked doing that because too frequently Christmas Eve is about God, and Christmas Day itself is mostly about things, food, and possibly family. Attending worship on Christmas Day helped us keep the reason for the day front and center.

(Sorry the photo is blurry... I had a nanosecond from when they lit the candles until the first person entered the Chapel. My iPhone wasn't fast enough.)

Lots of prayers this morning

I came across the Pritchard Stand as I entered the Chapel. Usually only a few candles are lit. Today it was quite crowded there.

Getting ready for a feast!

I went down to drop off my coffee cup before Matins. It appears they're getting ready for quite a feast!

Christmas Merriment

Last night I arrived in the Chapel around 10:15 and the place was already full.  I don't know the attendance figures, but the place comfortably seats around 50 and I would guess there were probably 80 or 90 people there.  There were still a few seats available but not many.

Music started at 10:30.  They had a harp, some flutes, some light percussion instruments and maybe a guitar (along with the organ).  It was a nice way to fill the space while we waited and meditated.  All the guests were there and a fair number of people from the local community... a few had traveled some distance to go to the monastery for Christmas Eve worship.

The service was an enhanced Eucharist with all the bells and whistles you'd expect on Christmas Eve.  The hymns were glorious.  It appears that many of the people who visit a monastery are singers.

Afterward, we all retired to Pilgrim Hall for the "Christmas Merriment" portion (started around Midnight... I left around 1:00 AM).  There we had Eggnog with Rum, Hot Spiced Cider, any kind of hors d'oeuvres you can imagine... cheese stations, Italian-style anti pasta, shrimp, some sort of Spanish almonds that were incredible and I'm sure I probably missed some things (as you can see it was a bit tight in there and hard to move around). 

It was interesting talking to some of my fellow travelers... what brings a person to a monastery for Christmas?  The answers varied... some were no longer connected to family, some were seekers, others couldn't get into offerings by the institutional church, and a few had been doing this for years.

There were two clear differences from a typical Christmas eve at a local church.  First there was a lack of children.  There were a couple who showed up to help trim the tree and one or two families at the midnight service, but by and large this was an adult event.  The second was the sense of community.  The brothers went out of their way to ensure everyone felt welcome... I was watching a few of them reach out to a few of the people who didn't seem connected to the place.  Even at Midnight after a whole day's worth of activities they took the effort to ensure people didn't stand alone for too long.  I don't remember exactly, but think that's one of Benedict's rules and it was nice to see they lived it.

I can tell you the Eggnog with Rum was incredible... and I ate too many of the Spanish almonds.  I'm sorry if the photo above isn't the clearest one I've ever captured.  ;)

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Christmas Eve evening

So after Supper, I decided to get out the good camera (everything so far has been with my point and shoot or with my iPhone)... mostly so I didn't bring it up here for nothing.  Here are a few shots of the greenery.

I wandered into the chapel where they already have set it up for the midnight mass.  And I FINALLY heard the organ!  One of the sisters was practicing - there's a group of sisters from one of the Episcopal orders down in the city joining us this evening.  The instrument is a Rodgers and she really didn't open it up, but it seemed to have a nice tone.  She was having trouble figuring out how to work the capture action and I was able to recall enough from my Allen days that we were able to figure it out together.  I look forward to hearing it during worship tonight.  Judging from all the extra chairs that were set up, and from the fact that most of the guests here seem to be musically inclined, it should be a grand evening.

After taking a few photos, I joined Br. Scott and many of the guests in Pilgrim Hall.  Scott had a wonderful and challenging meditation on "Room at the Inn" and as part of that we got to sing a couple of Christmas Carols by the Christmas Tree.  Once he got us in a nice and sentimental mood, he then shattered that pointing out how many of the details about the Christmas story are about the huge injustice in the world - both 2000 years ago with Jesus' birth, and in our world today.  It led to some really thought-provoking discussion.

Normally we would be going to bed shortly (it's approaching 9:00 PM as I write).  But tonight, we have hours to go before we sleep.  Music starts in the chapel around 10:30 with Mass at 11:00 (and expect that will last a bit).  I saw signs on a table in Pilgrim Hall pointing to the place where the container of "Eggnog with Rum" will sit later for the "Christmas Merriment" portion of the evening.  Perhaps there's a reason why Matins will be at 11:00 AM tomorrow.