July 2023
Special Butterfly Edition
At times . . . if we look in a new way, see in a different light, what was formerly unseen opens before us in a kaleidoscope of color. John O’Donahue writes about opening our hearts to wonder . . . the possibilities are endless.
Friends,
Living in community and welcoming others each week here in Community of Peace is a great teacher. There are things I would never learn if I were not living in intentional community seeking to follow Jesus each day with others. One of the great learnings has to do with listening. Monks are called to listen. We listen each day to our own hearts. We listen to God. We listen to others. We listen to the manifold sounds of the forest and the animals here.
When we listen to others we listen for the desires, the hopes, the struggles of the person. We listen with compassion and with affection. No judgment. Specifically we sometimes listen to the question or questions of their heart. What do they really seek? What do they most deeply desire? What fear? What wound? What are they saying without necessarily saying it?
We are not here to give answers. We are here to listen. And very often as the poet says, the questions and wonderings of those we listen to become for us a kind of gift. An unexpected answer that helps us all.
So here is the poem sent recently by a dear friend for us all to hear. May we hold those around us gently and listen well to their heart.
A Gift
by Denise Levertov
Just when you seem to yourself
nothing but a flimsy web
of questions, you are given
the questions of others to hold
in the emptiness of your hands,
songbird eggs that can still hatch
if you keep them warm,
butterflies opening and closing themselves
in your cupped palms, trusting you not to injure
their scintillant fur, their dust.
You are given the questions of others
as if they were answers
to all you ask. Yes, perhaps
this gift is your answer.
Peace in the midst...
Br. Stefan
Save the Date: Creation of our labyrinth begins in earnest the weekend of July 29 - 30. We welcome the assistance of labyrinth expert, Tom Nann from California. Come join the fun.
Seeing Beautifully
‘When we remember to look beautifully, we see beauty everywhere.’
My daily encounters with nature remind me to look in beauty. At a glance, I can see just a bug, or just a plant, the same old black butterfly. But I can always look again and see the beauty of it, then I see its iridescent colors shining. And this transfers to remembering to look again at all the persons in my daily encounters – and see the beauty of the Life they are. And seeing the beauty in another person seems to call it out in them, so they enjoy shining. It’s just a little choice, but it turns my entire day into a day of joyful wonderment with everything and everyone.
Tim
Now I am a butterfly which came out of the cocoon, similar to the colorful butterflies on the Nature Trail.
Last night’s meditation helped me to sleep like a baby, forgetting all my personal issues.
I love the music here. I started learning the piano. I have more time than usual because I am not doing any unwanted surfing on the web.
Manyam
Beloved
The way I hear John’s Gospel; everything that is, was spoken (or sung) into being, and is perhaps a timeless symphony of love. I recall the regions of this earth I’ve been blessed to walk and observe directly, seeing the intricacies that make up the whole of anything; and I can only conclude that it’s a spectacular creation right down to the smallest cell. In my deepest heart, I’m certain only Love can accomplish such wonders; Love on a cosmic scale and an all-sustaining love closer to me than my breath. Are we, unconditionally beloved of the one who is Love?
Did the one we call Jesus walk on this planet more than 2,000 years ago? Did he call the creator “Abba” and did he teach us and show us how to be? Did he hand over his life to death with great anguish and with even greater love? Did he live again and lives still? Evidence of eternal love?
When I hear the Gospel stories; when I consider his life, his death, his living still; when I see my own living, suffering, loving, in the context of his life and teaching, I can feel that love now, even in times of deep darkness.
I don’t know the future. I’m not sure what hope means or what faith is. Yet I can say with confidence that whoever we are, whatever we’ve done or said or thought - we are, every one of us, beloved, completely and unequivocally by our maker, our Beloved. That confidence gives me courage and desire to share what I’ve been given and to extend a loving hand to my neighbors on this planet; ALL my neighbors.
Barb
The Antics of Baby Cow
MightyMouse and Curley are smart. They’ve found a way to escape the electric fence that is used for holding the cattle in a particular area for rotational grazing and fertilizing the field.
Every night I visit my lovely cow family. Most times the girls are eating but on hot afternoons I almost always find Faith and Athena cooling under the brush in the wooded area. Mouse is often knee high in a pool of water. When I get close to the pool, I see frogs jump in to keep her company.
Last time I visited, MightyMouse was lying next to the pool near a blackberry patch. She let me rub her belly. She’s soft. I could hear her gentle breathing.
Most times I visit I have to hike into the woods to find Curley. There he is! His black curly headed face is brown from dirt and his lovely white belt is now gray. He found a puddle of water to roll in. The brown dirt on his face is perplexing though.
I hear a small mooing behind me. When I turn around, MightyMouse is galloping and calling to Curley to take her for a walk. I’m standing between them. Little one is to my left and Curley is to my right. He nods his head and saunters reluctantly out of the watering hole.
At first he walks with her past me a very short distance. Then he turns around and crosses the stream bed. As I watch, I’m amazed. MightyMouse gallops towards him and I can almost hear him tell her to get on home. She runs up and head butts him. He pushes her back. She crosses to the other side of the stream. I follow laughing.
This goes on until they reach the other cows. I see Curley stomp his foot and nod and under the fence the little girl runs. Curley stays nearby grazing in the woods.
Claire
Photo with Gumby, one of our cats napping on a prayer cushion. It was a good time that offer Gumby a comfy pillow.
Changyeon
EVENTS
“A Pilgrimage of Peace” began July 15, (see flyer below-left).
“The Wisdom of Wilderness” is happening - Come and camp with us for the rest of the summer or part of it, (see flyer below-right).
Now that our barn has a new floor we are looking forward to hosting our first BARN DANCE - coming in September.
“Contemplative Nature Walks for all ages” - during the summer we are offering Contemplative nature walks led by Tim every Saturday at 11:00 am followed by lunch at noon and Sung Prayer at 1:00 pm. 2 - 4 pm is free time to walk, explore . . .
Full day Contemplative offerings facilitated by Barb and Tim - dates and times TBD
More outdoor experiences - evenings around the fire circle are being planned. We will let you know as they are scheduled.
Monthly drum circles continue on the third Saturday and you are always invited to share our daily sung prayer morning (8am), midday (1pm) and evening (7pm).
We are now listed on the HIPCAMP website www.Hipcamp.com. Bring your tent or borrow one of ours. Camp in our beautiful forest, walk the trails, explore or relax by the pond. Enjoy the deep peace of being in the wilderness. Campers are welcome to join us at sung prayer 8am, 1pm and 7pm or our occasional gatherings around a lovely fire for story telling, music and sharing at our fire circle near the pond.
If you have questions or to schedule a time to visit us or a time for Br. Stefan to visit you (flyer below), email us at communityofpeaceva@gmail.com.
We hope to see you soon.
