Reflections on the Rule - April 2025

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Beginning Again

Dr. Brandon Beck

Lay Chaplain, COHI

Monk, The OOOW

Church of reconciliation, san antonio, TX

Theology Student, Brite Divinity School

Many of us are familiar with the phrase attributed to St. Benedict, “Always we begin again.” Three times a year we “begin again” reading The Rule of St. Benedict as we come to the end of the 73 short chapters, each with a lesson meant to direct Benedict’s monks’ lives. Every Circle of Care meeting is a chance to “begin again.”  Each pastoral care encounter in which we engage is an opportunity for us to “begin again” in “listening with the ear of our heart.”

At the Church of Reconciliation in San Antonio, TX, in the Diocese of West Texas, we are reviving our Community of Hope center after a hiatus; we are about to “begin again.”

On our first day of training, we will read Chapter 69 which is called “The Presumption of Defending Another in a Monastery.” The chapter talks about conflicts in groups, when you break it down. While that might sound harsh, we are all aware of how “taking sides” in a confrontation often divides an entire group. And, as we form a new group, being prepared for potential conflict seems a great way to “begin again.”  Perhaps Benedict’s advice is not a bad idea for a group as it begins its new community.

In Sr Judith Sutera’s commentary, she closes each chapter with a series of questions like those on page 289 of her Inclusive Translation and Daily Commentary (2021, Liturgical Press). Reflecting on the Rule using Sr. Sutera’s guide is a great way to “begin again” with a new Benedictine tradition in the frame of a renewed Community of Hope at Reconciliation.

As we ponder the questions Sr. Sutera asks:

• How defensive am I regarding my own social/religious/political narrative?

• Is there anyone about whom I am overprotective, trying to fight their battles for them?

• Have ties of blood ever complicated my own situation, and was it handled satisfactorily?

Four days after reading about conflict, we will “begin again” after reading Chapter 73 called “This Rule Only a Beginning of Perfection.” The next day we read the Prologue at the start of the book which begins, “Listen carefully, my child, to the instructions of your master, and incline the ear of your heart.” We reread all the Rule and have an opportunity to do better at listening to each other, to new care receivers, to our priest as she guides our service, and to God’s call to us to serve as lay chaplains–always reflecting on our own daily lives in order to remember how to Love God, Love Others, and Love Ourselves.

Reflections on the Rule - November 2024

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What Day is It?

Dr. Brandon Beck

Lay Chaplain, COHI

Monk, The OOOW

Theology Student, Brite Divinity School

“This is the day that the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

— Psalm 118:24 (NRSVUE)

Every day is important and for the Lord in the Benedictine tradition, and so must it be for those of us who have accepted the call to COHI lay chaplaincy. We are called to be present, holding space for everyone to do their jobs and for God to intercede whenever and wherever God needs; God is at work everywhere all the time.

As I’m writing, the day is Sunday; the date is November 17, 2024. I’m sitting in the family minister’s office at Church of the Reconciliation (CoR) in San Antonio, TX, awaiting breakfast before formation hour and service.

Our reading in RSB is about the proper amount of food, and here at CoR we are sharing a month-long theme studying food insecurity in combination with a campaign of service and generosity to provide food for those in need in our neighborhood. The breakfast we serve on Sundays before formation and service is a hot meal open to all, and unsheltered folx from the community enjoy dining with us. We have a little food pantry attached to our little free library that we are stocking regularly; the pantry guild is a new addition to the teams of service for CoR.

As a COHI lay chaplain, learning about food insecurity and sharing in these meals and campaigns of service and generosity require that I prepare my heart and mind before I enter the workspace and after I leave the workspace. I have my own weaknesses, burdens, and sorrows, and I have to attend to them with God and my spiritual director and therapist, in my heart (cell?) so that I can be fully present to hold space for God to show up.

Chittister tells us that “Benedict of Nursia never takes food away from the community…Everybody needs something in life to make the rest of life doable and uplifting.” (p. 184-185) As we provide for ourselves in our homes (monasteries?), let us also remember to share what we have so that all may rejoice and be glad in it.

Reflections on the Rule - October 2024

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Recovering Humility

Dr. Brandon Beck

Lay Chaplain, COHI

Monk, The OOOW

Theology Student, Brite Divinity School

I love October. It’s one of those three times a year we are privileged to read the Humility Ladder together. As a person in recovery, the Humility Ladder is a source of great joy, as Recoverers who practice the 12-Steps can relate their 12 Steps of Recovery to the Humility Ladder with great ease.

““Now the ladder erected is our life on earth, and if we humble our hearts God will raise it to heaven. We may call our body and soul the sides of this ladder, into which our divine vocation has fitted the various steps of humility and discipline as we ascend.””

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Benedict’s description of the ladder we must set up for ourselves, akin to Jacob’s vision (Gen 28:12), has been oft represented in art and stories. I’ve written to you before of John Edward Crean Jr.’s Benedictine devotional Recovering Benedict in which he reflects on his journey with RSB in conjunction with 12-Step Recovery. His stories and prayers related to the Humility Ladder rival any artwork you might find in emotion and call to compassionate reflection.

As I’ve read Crean again this month, I’ve been renewed and reminded of the amazing work God does every day in providing me with miraculous reminders of why I stay on the ladder and keep climbing.

From Crean’s reflections:

September 26: “Help me remember who I am supposed to be and who you intended me to become.”

September 27: “God is much more focused on my efforts rather than on my successes.”

September 28: “I will trust you, Lord, to provide me with even a few extra moments to consider whether choosing this or that activity will help or hinder me.”

September 29: “You are all Love, Lord.”

September 30: “Cheap thrills don’t last and offer no solutions.”

October 1: “This third step up the ladder of humility requires an open heart.”

October 2: “May the fire of your Holy Spirit prevail over the heat of my own unruly passions.”

October 3: “I cannot reap the full benefits without my humility reaching for that fifth rung, where I conceal none of the evil thoughts that enter my heart.”

October 4: “Lord, please let me just say thanks that I have a job, and then just do whatever I am assigned.”

October 5: “Don’t let me buy into the fantasy that I am large and in charge.”

October 6: “Thank you, Lord, for this one sentence reminding me that humility requires me to adopt, not adapt, twelve-step principles.”

October 7: “Please help me to speak less and listen more.”

October 8: “Lord, please help me to reflect rather than react.”

October 9: “Lord, please make me into a quieter, kinder, gentler, less loquacious person.”

October 10: “Lord, help me to wear humility without being proud of it. Help me to trust you in all things. Help me to be so deeply wedded to your Perfect Love that I may transcend fear and transmit Love. Lord, grant me the gift of humility and the grace to make it my way of life.”

You don’t have to be in recovery to be in recovery and not everyone in recovery does it the 12-step way. Still, Everybody hurts sometimes. We are a Community of Hope steeped in Benedictine spirituality ready to listen compassionately, right?

COHI Hospital Visit

Barbara Swesey

I’m sharing a story that has been another step in confirming that God is with me at all times.

I had been speaking with a lady at a company that has done some work for me.  Our conversations had taken place over a period of about 2 months. Early on she mentioned to me that she would be out of the office for a few days. In later conversations, she shared that she would be out to take her husband to his appointments at a local cancer treatment center. I could hear concern in her voice. I just asked if it would be ok if I prayed for her husband. She seemed so thankful for any extra prayers. I had never met this lady or her husband, so my prayers have been for “Joni’s husband.”

A couple of weeks ago, our Community of Hope group was scheduled to make visits at Baptist Hospital. We were led to the 4th floor and instructed how to introduce ourselves and left to walk down the halls and just select a room at random for what I would define as a “cold call.”

I walked down the hall and just chose a door. I was wearing a name tag, I knocked and was invited in with a soft “come in.” My first words were “I’m Barbara Swesey” and before I could explain my role as a lay clergy in training, this lady walked toward me with tears in her eyes, hugged me, and gave me her name … it was Joni.

I walked toward the patient in the bed to introduce myself, and he smiled and said “I know who you are.”

We had a very meaningful visit and I offered a prayer for both the husband and for Joni. We prayed for healing, comfort, and strength.

Call it a coincidence that I would have chosen that door out of all the doors on the 4th floor … but think again. On my way to the hospital that night, I prayed that God would help me with that night. I did not feel qualified to be talking to people I did not know. There is no doubt God answered my prayer. I learned you don’t have to be “qualified” – you just have to be present and care.

I have remained in touch with Joni and her husband through calls, text messages, and cards. I believe our sharing of our faith and friendship will continue. If you ever have doubts about what God is leading you to do … just ask and then listen.  He will send the answer.

Introducing Trinity's Pet Therapy Ministry

Janie Godbold- Trinity Episcopal Cathedral-Columbia SC

In her 1859 “Notes on Nursing,” Florence Nightingale wrote, “A small pet animal is often an excellent companion for the sick, for long chronic cases especially.” Today, the idea that human interactions with companion animals can result in physiological changes and psychological benefits is widely accepted. Did you know pet therapy visits can even lower your blood pressure?

Trinity Members Sherrerd Hartness and Rusty Miller are both members of our lay chaplain team. Sherrerd and his little dog Joujou and Rusty and his dog Lily (who thinks she is a little dog) have gone through the process of becoming registered pet therapy teams so that we can offer this service to our parishioners. Lily and Joujou are pictured here during a recent visit to the Columbia Police Department.

Grace Episcopal Church Holds Retreat at The Wings Retreat Center

Karen Murphy- Leadership Team Member and Training Coordinator-Gainesville GA

Grace Episcopal Church COHI recently held a day-long retreat at The Wings Retreat Center. Their COHI group had four new folks who had just completed training via Zoom through the S.E. Regional COHI training COHORT. They did their practice visits, had a period of discernment, and were ready to join the Grace COHI Center. 

The Leadership Team planned the following:

• Gather and Mingle (we all wore our name badges-badges as new folks had been ordered in advance).

• Opening Worship was contemplative with prayers, reflections, readings, and a period of silent meditation after each one.

• The group studied the Rule for the day using the 4 A’s method of getting into the text: What Assumptions do you think St. Benedict made? What do you Agree with? What do you want to Argue about? What do you Aspire to act on?

• We spent some time going around to “tell our stories” using jumping-off points to help keep it brief:

• What is your name?

• How did you come to Grace?

• What brought you to COHI? 

• What does community mean to you?

• Keeping this activity “brief” wound up taking a nice chunk of time. (Upon reflection- we all need more time to share our stories!)

• Since this is COHI’s 30th-year celebration, we watched the 19 min. video of COHI History by Helen Appelberg.

• Our priest Rev. Dr. Stuart Higginbotham was our guest speaker on community. He led us through a discussion on community and offered two ways to think about community: a Venn Diagram which separates some groups into the “them and us” or an image of nesting dolls using the concentric rings model where we all can accept each other as humans.

• Wildflower seed packets were distributed with a little reading about wildflowers growing in community.

• One of our members had ordered and picked up lunch for us and folks gathered as they wanted to outside or inside in small groups.

• Since we have four new members, we began some discussion about our Grace COHI Norms for this year.

• We closed with more contemplative prayers, taking a brief time to meditate after each one. We used The COHI Prayer, Blessing of the Hands, washing of hands, and a Survival Kit which is a baggy with scripture readings, a pencil to write your blessings each day, a pack of gum to stick to it when the going gets hard, or a rubber band to be flexible, etc.

We have signed our covenants and will recommission on Sunday, Sept. 8, in front of the congregation.

It felt like a great way to kick off our new year with our new folks as we continue building community!