Work and Prayer 05/01/2010
 "Idleness is the enemy of the soul; and therefore the brethren ought to be employed in manual labor at certain times, at others, in devout reading." - Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 48 It has been a long time since I've written here. There is a good reason, and a bad reason for that. Both reasons involve the Benedictine watchwords, "Ora et labora," prayer and work. In early March, I began a full time interim of two yoked congregations. Things have been really busy. That wasn't really a surprise as I knew that being part time pastor for two churches would turn out to be at least one and a half of the work of a full time pastor. What was the surprise was the way it changed my prayer life. Being this busy has made me more intentional about the hours of prayer. And the combination of work and prayer have begun to merge. I think I am beginning to understand, and taking a small step toward the rhythm Benedict intended. But Benedict also preached moderation in all things. And when I saw how long it had been since I posted on this blog, I knew my balance was still a bit off. So Father Benedict, I confess I have let one part of work push out others. I intend to mend that in the future. CommentsKathleen 05/14/2010 15:01
Frank, beautifully written. Thank you. I thought I was completely over the death of my Abby (Abigail Marmalade) who died after fourteen years about a year and a half ago. She is buried lovingly under our Christmas tree which is growing in the backyard of the home we sold and left last August when we moved to a new call. She is succeeded by Ashley Amariah(Ammy), who is a very playful and energetic, very quiet Birman kitten. But your blog brought tears to my eyes even after all this time. Abby died in my arms in the middle of the night after an illness the vet could not quite identify. I just could not end her life, and I don't think she suffered greatly. But I do miss her purr, and her presence right up next to me or even on my hip every night. Leave a Reply |   Custom Search Pastor Frank
My name is Frank Fisher. I’m a native of a small town in Missouri, I spent my adolescence in Madison, Wisconsin, and ever since I entered college I’ve been a resident of Illinois. When I began college, I intended to enter pastoral ministry. Instead, I was diverted into a thirty year career with the Chicago Fire Department. I was ordained to an interim pastorate in the year 2000, and am now serving in my eighth interim. Many of you may wonder about the letters, "Obl OSB" that follow my name. The short explanation is that they mean I'm an Oblate of the Abbey of John the Baptist and Saint Benedict, an ecumenical Abbey located in Bartonville, Illinois. An Oblate is someone who has promised to follow the rule of Saint Benedict in their lives up to the point where their position in life makes following the rule impossible. CategoriesAll ArchivesJuly 2011 |
