A number of you are regular readers of L. L. Barkat’s blog. Yesterday, she posted concerning her recent trip to Laity Lodge (Thursday – Saturday). I was at the Wayfarer’s House (also referred to as the "Quiet House"), which is a part of Laity Lodge (Monday – Wednesday). So, we agreed to post regarding the experiences at Laity Lodge that week. (While you are reading L. L.’s post, by the way, be sure to make your way to Marcus Goodyear’s blog for a nice post about Laity Lodge as well as Tod Bolsinger.)
While at the "Quiet House" for three days, I read, prayed, and thought. These three days were refreshing. In particular, I was refreshed by:
- Reading Scripture.
- Hiking on a few of the trails and praying aloud.
- Reading Scot McKnight’s book A New Vision for Israel.
- Watching the deer eat, just feet from the door.
- Hearing a chorus of birds as they ate from the bird feeders.
- Thinking about things that matter.
Just before bed one night, I picked a book that interested me out of the library. The book was entitled The Father and the Son: My Father’s Journey Into the Monastic Life by Matt Murray. Murray, one of the editors of the Wall Street Journal, wrote about his father’s journey into monasticism. What interested me as I read the book was Murphy’s discipline. What fascinated me in the book was Murphy’s description of the dynamics of his family.
More later …