Cowley Magazine - Pentecost 2005

Volume 31 • Number 3

Pentecost 2005

Cover photo: Br. Roy Cockrum, the monastery guestbrother, is pictured in the monastery cloister with Br. David Allen, the assistant guestbrother, and Michael Rodriguez, a doctoral student and long-term guest at the monastery.

Br. Roy made his Profession in Initial Vows on March 6th, joined by family members from Tennessee and Florida, many other friends, and his SSJE brothers.

Br. Roy is a native of Knoxville, Tennessee, and graduated from Northwestern University, majoring in theatre. He earned membership in the Actors’ Equity Association and the Screen Actors’ Guild, where he was active for 22 years prior to coming to SSJE. He lived in New York City and worked Off Broadway and in regional and stock theatres throughout the States. He has also toured worldwide.

Br. Roy is a gifted preacher, retreat leader, and spiritual director, and is also technologically savvy, all of it very helpful.

It costs SSJE $20.00 annually per subscription to produce and mail four issues of Cowley. We would welcome a tax-deductible contribution to our community’s ministry, which would help defray this expense and ensure continued delivery of our newsletter. Checks should be made payable to “SSJE” and sent to the monastery at 980 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA. ©2005 by The Society of Saint John the Evangelist, North America

A Letter from the Superior Dear Members of the Fellowship of Saint John and Other Friends, Curtis Almquist, SSJE

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e look into God’s future with a sense of eager anticipation and generous availability. By God’s grace, we are “here for the long haul.” Some characteristics mark our resilience and identity as monks.

For one, monks have traditionally been rather eccentric. I’m not speaking about quirks or oddnesses… though that could certainly apply to some of us.

Rather, I mean eccentric in an etymological sense, as in the Latin eccentricus, meaning “having a different center.”

Some of this is how we constellate our values, seeing praise, and presence, and service of God at the center. Everything else is like a concentric circle in some nearer or farther proximity to this center. Whether we are preaching a sermon, or washing a window, or pulling a weed, we are learning to “pray our life,” to use a phrase from our Rule of Life. I would call us “eccentric” also in the sense of being “liminal.” I’m not saying “limited,” though this life brings its own share of limitations and, if it fits, it brings freedom in the context of those limitations. I’m not here saying “limited,” but rather that word’s cousin, “liminal,” that is, at the limen, at the threshold. We brothers have our feet firmly planted on this earth and our eyes clearly looking to the glory of God. The Society of Saint John the Evangelist

It’s a kind of both-and existence.

We sometimes chuckle about living in such close proximity to Harvard Square. Here we live. We go off for a walk in our surrounding neighborhoods and we look like normal guys (especially if we aren’t wearing our habits).

We read the newspapers, and take occasion to travel, and have a great many conversations of depth with other people. We know what’s going on in life… but I would say it’s knowing life from the inside out. The trends, the

Brs. Mark Brown and Timothy Solverson stroll in JFK Park, straddling the Harvard and monastery properties in Cambridge.

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fads, they come and go. We do have to be conversant and well informed if we’re to be translators of the gospel, if we’re to speak the languages that surround us… yet this life really invites us to plumb the depths, and intensely.

We don’t live on the surface of things.

A second quality of our resilience and identity is detachment, the sometimes-quite-painful detaching of our personal identity from our own superego. The primary pronoun of the religious life is “we,” not “I.” Here, identity is found in the context of a body. To use the language of Saint Paul, “If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.” This is a shared life, enormously costly, equally remunerative. The “sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving” involves a great deal of giving up most every day: giving up, not in the sense of throwing something away or forgetting it. Quite the oppo-

The entrance to the monastery guesthouse.

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site. Giving it up like we “give up” the bread and wine to be consecrated at the altar, that it become even more real and more revealing of the real presence of Christ.

A third quality of our life is all about the love of God. If this life is being lived authentically, we are being carried by love with love for love. One of our predecessors writes, “The great religious…[are] the great lovers, the intensity of whose love would be a danger to themselves and to others if it were not consecrated and canalized… and whose power to arouse love in others would impede the service of God if it were directed to them personally….” There’s an old adage that goes, “a habit does not a monk make.” I would say that for the monastic habit to have authenticity and integrity, it needs to be an outer sign of our being “clothed in love.” The habit is a complement to this informing quality of love that permeates the life.

Monasticism is a very curious life to follow. It is now, and always has been.

For those of us whom it fits, it’s marvelous; it’s the best… most days. Some days, it’s not. Clearly. Whatever… if not a day to lift our voices in joy and praise, then a day to bow our heads and bend our knees and recognize, anew, our deepest dependence on God, the giver of life, this extraordinarily wonderful life. A number of other brothers give voice to their own sense of vocation in this issue of Cowley.

Among them is Br. Roy Cockrum, who made his Profession in Initial Vows on March 6. A profession is an occasion of great joy and wonder as we witness how God has shaped and formed a man’s training, talents, and needs to meld into our life. Br. Roy is a gift to us and to many.

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have listened deeply in our prayer, to one another, and to many of you, our friends. We are bringing our life together into greater focus so as to have a greater formative impact on our church and our world, for the love of God. We both welcome and need your companionship along the way. We ask for your prayer on our behalf. We also ask for your financial support to enable us to meet our needs and grow into God’s future.

Br. David Vryhof and Phillip Petree, who worships with us regularly.

What immediately follows is our newly-honed Mission and Vision Statement. During this past year we

Faithfully yours,

Curtis G. Almquist, SSJE Superior

Sunrise at the monastery.

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Monks of the New Century Offering silence and sanctuary, Guidance in prayer and spirituality, And a vision for wholeness.

Our Vision We are a community of men giving our whole selves over to living the gospel of Jesus Christ. Rooted in the ancient monastic traditions of prayer and community life, and critically engaged with contemporary culture, we seek to know and share an authentic experience of God’s love and mercy.

Silence and Sanctuary We offer our monasteries as places of silence, sanctuary, and simple beauty, renewing them to meet changing needs. At home and wherever we minister, we accept and welcome all who come, including them in our worship, meals, and fellowship.

Guidance in Prayer and Spirituality We offer guidance through preaching, teaching, retreats, workshops, and spiritual direction. We are especially available to students and others at critical stages of life formation, and to those whose vocation is the formation of others. Through COWLEY PUBLICATIONS, we encourage people to think and pray in new ways about spirituality, reconciliation, and the future.

A Vision for Wholeness We serve a wide spectrum of people, from the disempowered and marginalized to the influential and privileged. We are ministers of reconciliation, hope, and transformation. Our work helps people uncover their deepest desires, live with authenticity, and discover their place in the heart of God.

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The refectory at the monastery.

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It’s Not About Me Br. Roy Cockrum

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ome of us brothers have a phrase we like to use from time to time to help each other keep our lives here in perspective. We say, “It’s not about you.” Whether things are going very well or not so well, whether as a cantor or in the kitchen or with my computer, sometimes it’s helpful to hear a brother remind me that “it’s not about me;” to remind me that our life together is about prayer. Our life in community is about the glory of God; it’s not about us.

Yesterday, Br. Timothy turned that phrase on its head while discussing preparations for my Profession. He said, “This time, Roy, it is about you!” I found this quite startling. It took my breath away. I suppose when it comes to the reception and other events surrounding my Profession, Br. Timothy is right, of course. It will be about me to a

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certain degree. But when it comes to me standing or kneeling alone before the altar and making my vows, once again it’s not about me. It is all about the glory of God. Jesus told the disciples over and over again exactly what was going to happen when they got to Jerusalem. It was going to be awful, painful, humiliating. And over and over again they chose not to hear it. They were seeing only visions of personal power and looking fine in the eyes of other people.

God’s truth or, as our Br. Paul so eloquently puts it, “living into all truth” ultimately will prevail and did prevail.

In the end the disciples’ grandiose fantasies and egocentric schemes were simply irrelevant. It wasn’t about them; it was about what God was doing in and through and around them.

I have stood here and said this before, and I will remind myself of it again as I approach my Profession: We pray at least five times a day the words, “your kingdom come; your will be done.” We do not pray, “my kingdom come; my will be done.” If we mean it when we pray “your will be done,” then we are on the path with Jesus to Jerusalem. It is Jesus who said, “The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” His very life. A ransom for me. A ransom for you. No, when I kneel before that altar to make my vows, it’s not about me. God is doing the work at that point. It’s about a path of service and the glory of God. 9

What God Chooses “You did not choose me, but I have chosen you.”

Br.Timothy Solverson

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adopted kid, whom no one really likes because he is different, reluctantly is chosen, last of all.

Our lives are filled with events, all of which affect us either negatively or positively, depending on the way we choose to respond. Prayer offers us a time for self-reflection on our choices: Which ones have led us to life? What have we chosen to do that has taken us away from life? What will we do to repent or turn toward life in the future?

It is all choice and it seems like it is all up to us, yet often the pressure to choose can be so debilitating that the choice never gets made and we become stuck in the quagmire of indecision.

What do we do? Where shall we live?

Whom shall we vote for? Who is really on our team?

The good news for today is that in the economy of the kingdom of heaven, God is the team captain and God chooses. God chooses us to lead us to life, to give us life. The pressure is not on us to decide for God because God has already made the choice. We have come here, come to Jesus, because of God’s choice, a choice which shows us the true nature of our souls and converts us into lovers, lovers of God and lovers of our neighbors. God takes us and shapes us into God’s Holy Ones, chosen and blameless before God’s throne. “You did not choose me, but I

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would like to tell a story about being chosen. This is a story about a young boy living with a family in southern California, who overhears an adult conversation and comes to the realization that he is somehow different because he is adopted. He understands that his family isn’t his own, he begins to notice physical differences, and he becomes isolated because he is not really part of the family – at least this is the threat, the fear; and he wonders what he did wrong that his real family didn’t want him. He learns self-doubt.

He feels abandoned and insecure and this colors the way he makes decisions the rest of his life.

His mother gently tries to tell him the story, and shows him a card which assures him that he was “selected, not expected,” She shows him pictures of him being loved and cherished as a baby, and this helps for awhile. The insecurity subsides until he goes to grade school.

The boy, now too tall for his age and awfully awkward, is “playing well with others” until it comes time to pick teams for softball, or dodge ball, or some other team sport. The team captains are chosen and then all the children line up to be chosen for the team. One by one they get picked until there is only one left. Our awkward, too tall, too skinny, too pigeon-toed,

chose you.” Perhaps through prayer we can learn to look not to ourselves and our own choices, but to God and God’s

choice. For God loves us and redeems all of our choices in his heart.

Gary-Andrew Smith

The monastery gardens are abloom!

Consider Becoming an SSJE Brother!

“COME AND SEE” December 8-11, 2005 & June 8-11, 2006 A weekend program for men interested in exploring religious life at SSJE. Men between the ages of 21 and 45 who are interested in learning more about a vocation with SSJE are encouraged to join us for this program. Participants share in the monastic rhythm of worship, work and meals; receive instruction on the history and mission of SSJE; and meet with brothers individually and in groups to talk about our life. There is no charge for this program beyond the costs of traveling to the monastery.

For more information, please contact our Novice Guardian, Br. Geoffrey Tristram, at the monastery. Email: noviceguardian@ssje.org

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at Canterbury Cathedral Br. Geoffrey Tristram, preaching at Canterbury Cathedral.

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ur brother Geoffrey Tristram had the honor of being invited to be chaplain to the community of Canterbury Cathedral during Holy Week and Easter. The beautiful new International Study Centre, built within the Precincts, and overlooking the cathedral, was home to about thirty pilgrims from the UK, the US, South Africa, Russia and Australia, all of whom had come to share in the life and worship of the ‘mother church’ of the Anglican Communion. “It was a great privilege”, says Geoffrey, “to get to know this international group of men and women, and to share with them in celebrating the events of Holy Week and Easter in this holy place.”

During the week Geoffrey gave a series of three day-time lectures open to the public, entitled Praying the Way of the Cross. On Maundy Thursday he celebrated the Eucharist in the eleventh-century Undercroft. Then on Good Friday, he preached the ‘Three Hours Devotions’ from noon until 3:00 p.m. “It was”, says Geoffrey, “a tremendous experience to be preaching from the pulpit in that magnificent cathedral, which holds such a special place in the hearts of Anglicans throughout the world. As the sun streamed through the medieval glass on to the ancient Chair of St. Augustine, I reflected on my own personal journey.

This was the first time I had exercised public ministry in England since 1999, and here I was back in the Church of England, no longer a parish priest, but a monk of the North American congregation of SSJE. By God’s grace it felt absolutely right!”

We brothers greatly value our links with Canterbury Cathedral, and especially our friendship with Dean Robert Willis. We are particularly grateful for the gift from the Dean and Chapter, of a lovely painting of the The Most Rev. Rowan Williams cathedral by David Arbus, which we and Br. Geoffrey shall greatly treasure.

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Canterbury Cathedral.

Canterbury print, a gift to SSJE from the Dean and Chapter.

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FELLOWSHIP OF SAINT JOHN

Coming Home

By Anne Shelburne Jones

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n invisible, bottomless old basket waits beside the gate at 980 Memorial Drive. In it rest the wants and needs, the questions, the anguish, the suffering, the passions and joys of countless guests. In God’s bountiful grace, all these are gathered and blessed and heard and celebrated and honored within the walls of the home God makes for the brothers of Cowley and those who visit them.

Anne Shelburne Jones, in the monastery refectory.

I come home there as often as I can.

I come for joy! For the sheer pleasure of being with some of my favorite people in the whole world...for the smiles of welcome, for the hugs, for the laughter, for the delight of good company.

I come for rest. For the deep rest of this place where someone else locks the door, answers the phone, pays the bills, fixes the roof, has the piano tuned...makes the place work.

I come for quiet. For the deep quiet provided, where nothing and no-one will interrupt me, where quiet is the rule, the offering, the gift, the norm.

I come for worship. For the transparent, broken, shimmering promise of every liturgy, every hour of prayer...for time to look at God. I come for food! For the garlic, the spinach, the rosemary, the cheese, the olives, the bread, the soup, the pasta, the basil, the anchovies, and the chocolate.

I come for clarity. For the way forward, the way out , the way in, the way in the dark, the way, the way, the way.

I come for the garden. For the weeds, the vines, the dirt, the tools, the water, the plants, the seeds, the broom, the spade, the leaves and bushes and grass.

I come for the music. I come to sing, and to be sung to, and to sing with. I come to wait with bated breath for the second verse, when we all sing in harmony. In harmony!

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I come for love. I come to be cherished and cared for and reminded of who I am and Whose I am.

Thank God for the hospitality of this home away from home. Thank God.

The Fellowship of Saint John (FSJ) is comprised of nearly 1,000 men and women throughout the world who desire to live their Christian life in special association with the Society of Saint John the Evangelist. They have a vital interest in the life and work of the community and support our life and ministries with their prayers, encouragement and financial gifts. The brothers of the Society welcome members of the Fellowship as partners in the gospel life, and pray for them by name during the Daily Office, following a regular cycle. Together with us they form an extended family, a company of friends abiding in Christ and seeking to bear a united witness to him as “the Way, the Truth and the Life,” following the example of the Beloved Disciple. For more information, please contact Br. Jonathan Maury, the Director of the FSJ, at the monastery.

The Chapel of the Transfiguration at Emery House.

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SSJE brothers Sunday and Feast Day sermons are now available on the web. Visit the site at www.ssje.org

The doors of the monastery chapel in Cambridge open before Morning Prayer and most days remain open until after Compline. This sanctuary is available to you for your prayers. You are always welcome to join us as we pray the Daily Office and celebrate the Eucharist. For a service schedule, please visit our website at www.ssje.org or call the guesthouse office at 617-876-3037.

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Join the SSJE Brothers in Jerusalem The Palestine of Jesus 14-day Pilgrimages to the Holy Land hosted by St. George’s College, Jerusalem

August 2 – August 15, 2005 Brs. David Vryhof & Kevin Hackett

An overview of Jerusalem.

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HE PALESTINE OF JESUS course combines study with spiritual pilgrimage, an occasion to learn and pray amidst the sacred landscape where the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ unfolded. Course members visit major sites connected with the Gospel accounts: Bethlehem, Nazareth, the Jordan River, the Sea of Galilee, Mount Tabor, the Judean Desert, and others. After focusing on the Galilean ministry of Jesus, the course traces the Passion narratives through visits to Bethany, the Mount of Olives, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Church of the Resurrection (Holy Sepulchre), and on the devotional Way of the Cross. The final day of the course celebrates the resurrection and the challenge of discipleship with a journey to Emmaus and a festive celebration of the Holy Eucharist.

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COMMUNITY NEWS prayer. Br. Charles also led a retreat for Saint John’s Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square, Washington, DC, April 1-3. He focused on the Beloved Disciple as an icon for listening to the heartbeat of God, and he also led a workshop on spiritual discernment.

Waiting for you!

SSJE brothers and friends continue to travel to Israel/Palestine, where brothers are serving as chaplains in the two-week “Palestine of Jesus” courses. These pilgrimages are hosted by Saint George’s College, Jerusalem. Theological students and lay and ordained church workers are eligible for scholarships.

Come join us! Brs. James Koester and Robert L’Esperance were chaplains March 30 – April 12; Brs. Geoffrey Tristram and Roy Cockrum were chaplains June 17 – June 30. The next pilgrimage is August 2 – August 15, led

by Brs. David Vryhof and Kevin Hackett. For more information and to register visit: www.stgeorgescollegejerusalem.org or email: registrar@stgeorges.org.il Br. Charles LaFond led a Lenten program March 12-13 entitled “We Are the Clay, and You Are Our Potter” (Isaiah 64:8), hosted by Christ and Holy Trinity Church, Westport, Connecticut.

Clay was used as a metaphor symbolizing our life in God’s hands. Participants worked with clay as they meditated on their availability to God’s formation of their lives through conversion and 18

Br. David Vryhof

In April, Br. David Vryhof co-led a weekend program on Group Spiritual Direction with Judith Oleson, Director of “No Ordinary Time,” a ministry with young adults in the Diocese of Massachusetts. The program was part of the Pastoral Excellence Project, an initiative of the Episcopal Divinity School that aims to provide “under-served” dioceses with resources and training.

The conference took place at the Barbara C. Harris Camp & Conference Center in Greenfield, New Hampshire.

Br. Rufus VanHorn

Br. Rufus Van Horn met with a group SSJE

of Boston University students on April 13, hosted by the Episcopal ministry at BU. He spoke about discernment, including his own call to the monastic life, and also about making other significant life decisions. The weekend of April 15-17 he led a retreat at Emery House for a group of 18 confirmands from Christ Church, Exeter, New Hampshire.

Br. Gerald Beauchamp, our newest brother, and Br. Bernard Russell, one of our senior brothers.

CAROA, meeting in April at SSJD in Toronto, Ontario.

In mid-April Brs. Eldridge Pendleton and Roy Cockrum traveled to Toronto to represent SSJE at the Leaders’ Meeting of the Conference of Anglican Religious Orders in the Americas (CAROA). Representatives from 20 religious communities from all over North America gathered to share experiences of life in community, hosted by the Sisterhood of Saint John the Divine. A highlight of the week was the installation of Sister Elizabeth Ann Eckert, SSJD, as the new Superior of that community. CAROA delegates were also treated to tours of SSJD’s new convent and also Saint John’s Hospital, a rehabilitation ministry begun by the sisters.

Br. Gerald Beauchamp was clothed as a novice on April 24. Br. Gerald came to SSJE, having been ordained as a Church The Society of Saint John the Evangelist

of England priest for twenty-four years.

He has previously ministered in London, England, and Johannesburg, South Africa. For eight years immediately prior to his arrival in our community, he served as vicar of St. Mary the Boltons in London. He has a particular interest in apologetics and spiritual direction.

The monastery’s multiple arches, overlooking the cloister garden.

April 6-7, Br. Kevin Hackett served as a panelist/respondent in a symposium sponsored by the Boston Architecture Center. He and four others (a sculptor, a neuroscientist, a landscape architect, and an architect) responded to the BAC’s annual endowed lecture, entitled this year, “Spirit and Matter.”

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Brothers now in residence at Emery House (left to right) Thomas Shaw, John Goldring, James Knutsen, Robert L’Esperance, Charles LaFond, and David Vryhof.

At the “Pathways to Ministry” weekend (left to right) Alina Somodevilla (Pathways Intern), and the Revs. Christie Olsen and Mark Anschutz (members of our FSJ), with Brs. Kevin Hackett and Curtis Almquist.

April 14-17 Brs. Curtis Almquist and Kevin Hackett were hosted by Saint Michael and All Angels parish, Dallas, Texas. They met with many friends of SSJE, led a staff retreat, and were leaders in the “Pathways to Ministry” weekend program. “Pathways” draws highschoolers from all across the nation who have interest to explore ordained ministry in the church.

Many friends joined the brothers in a spring Work Weekend at Emery House April 29-May 1, cultivating our gardens, moving firewood, clearing the woodlands, and enjoying wonderful fellowship and terrific meals.

The Rev. Joseph Asselin, member of the FSJ and rector of St. Cuthbert’s Anglican Church in Oakville, Ontario, and Br. Jonathan Maury, Director of the FSJ.

Br. Eldridge Pendleton

April 22-24 Br. Eldridge Pendleton led a weekend parish retreat and preached at Grace and Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Richmond, Virginia. The retreat theme was “Another Look at Mary.”

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Consider becoming a member of the Fellowship of Saint John (FSJ).

Members of the FSJ keep a Rule of Life in harmony with the brothers’, and join us in friendship, prayer, and financial support. Many FSJ members gathered at the monastery on May 7, for our annual patronal feast day. Dr. Fredrica Thompsett of the Episcopal Divinity School was our guest preacher. For more information, contact Br. Jonathan Maury, Director of the FSJ, at the monastery.

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Brs. James Koester and James Knutsen

Brs. James Koester and Jamie Knutsen were on mission to the Monks of New Skete in Cambridge, New York, May 1215. This is an Orthodox monastic community, well known for its raising and training of dogs and for its acclaimed books on caring for dogs. They are revising their Typikon, a document regulating monastic practice roughly analogous to a community’s Rule in the western Church. They wanted to learn from SSJE our own experience in rewriting our Rule of Life in the 1990s, and then living under it. Br. Jamie has visited New Skete several times in recent years, visiting his friend Br. Ambrose Miles who was a classmate at the Episcopal Divinity School in the 1980s.

May 16-17, Br. Kevin Hackett traveled to Manhattan to represent COWLEY PUBLICATIONS at the regular meeting of the Episcopal Publishing Ministries, a consortium of publishers who provide resources for Christian formation and living. May 30 – June 4, Brs. Kevin Hackett and Timothy Solverson, together with Editorial Director Michael Wilt, represented Cowley The Society of Saint John the Evangelist

Brs. Kevin Hackett and Timothy Solverson, with Michael Wilt, Editorial Director of Cowley Publications.

Publications at the Religious Booksellers Trade Exhibition in Chicago.

Brothers in our novitiate (back, left to right) Charles LaFond, Rufus Van Horn, James Knutsen, and Gerald Beauchamp, with our postulant Alan Cooper, and Geoffrey Tristram, Novice Guardian.

Come and See! A group of men interested in exploring life in our community joined us for our bi-annual “Come and See” weekend program June 2-5. This four-day program, offered at no cost or obligation to the participants, gives men an opportunity to join in worship, meals, and work, and in group and individual meetings with brothers.

Our next two “Come and See” weekends are scheduled for December 8-11, 2005, and June 8-11, 2006. For more information contact our Novice 21

Guardian, Br. Geoffrey Tristram, at the monastery or by email: noviceguardian@ssje.org

Gary-Andrew

Brs. David Vryhof and Curtis Almquist

Brs. Curtis Almquist and David Vryhof are walking and praying the Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Spain June 4 – July 6. This 500-mile journey follows a pilgrimage route, dating back to medieval times, to Santiago de Compostela, believed to be the burial place of Saint James the Greater. They also will spend time in Toledo, Spain, in the precincts of Saint John of the Cross.

June 24-26, Br. Kevin Hackett spoke on discernment at the “Am I Called?” conference in Los Angeles, California, a vocations conference for young people of color exploring a call to ordained ministry. He worked alongside Bishop Gayle Harris, with Bishop Barbara Harris, and the Rev. Karen Montagno, Dean of Students at the Episcopal Divinity School, and members of the Fellowship of Saint John.

Throughout this past academic year, Brs. Geoffrey Tristram and Mark Brown have traveled on a regular basis to Berkeley Divinity School at Yale University to offer spiritual direction to seminarians, many of whom have also visited us on retreat.

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The monastery tower.

We depend on your financial support to help us meet our current financial obligations and enable us to be a sustaining witness to Christ in the years ahead. We are grateful and interested to speak with you about your support of SSJE through cash donations, real estate, or stock. Please remember SSJE in your estate planning.

SSJE continues to be active in ministry in Canada, and members of SSJE’s Canadian Corporation met in Cambridge on May 27 for the annual board meeting. Members of the Fellowship of Saint John and other friends in Canada making a financial contribution to our Canadian ministries may send cheques payable to “SSJE” to Scotia Trust Co., ATTN: Charitable Trust Services, 4th Floor, One Financial Plaza, One Adelaide Street East, Toronto, Ontario M5C 2W8. The Scotia Trust will issue a receipt and inform us here in the States so that we may personally thank you.

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Retreat Programs and Workshops: The Society of Saint John the Evangelist Monastery Guesthouse, Cambridge, Massachusetts Emery House, West Newbury, Massachusetts

Summer 2005

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he brothers of the Society of Saint John the Evangelist have for years offered hospitality to those seeking a place of quiet and renewal. At the monastery in Cambridge, Massachusetts and at Emery House in West Newbury, Massachusetts, we invite you to find space to pray and renew your spirit. We are pleased to welcome you to these sanctuaries of beauty and reflective stillness.

Generous gifts of land and money from Isabella Stewart Gardner, Elbridge Gerry, and the family of then-SSJE member and later superior Spence Burton enabled the Society to begin developing the property along Memorial Drive.

Today’s guesthouse, designed by the famous twentieth-century American architect, Ralph Adams Cram, and built in 1924-1928, was the original monastery building. In the mid-1930’s, Cram designed the chapel and monastery buildings.

Built at the height of the Great Depression, the buildings, completed in 1936, are another legacy of the Burton family’s philanthropy. The renowned American landscape designer, Fletcher Steele, designed the guesthouse garden in 1934.

The monastery is located along the Charles River, near Harvard University and the Episcopal Divinity School. Guesthouse facilities include large and small meeting rooms, chapels for private and corporate prayer, a library, garden, and single bedrooms, each with its own sink; showers and toilets are nearby. Linens and towels are provided. Guests join the brothers for three meals daily, eaten communally and normally taken in silence, accompanied either by a brother reading aloud or recorded music.

Emery House and its 120 acres of undeveloped meadow and woodland were gifts to the Society from the Emery family, who homesteaded the property in 1641. Over the past two decades, we have been joined by generous benefactors and friends in our efforts to conserve the house, woodlands, and meadows as a beautiful sanctuary for retreat.

Emery House is located in West Newbury, Massachusetts, about forty-five miles north of Boston and is adjacent to the 480-acre Maudsley State Park. Emery House features spacious and fully-equipped “hermitages,” period guest rooms in the 1745 main house, two rustic wood cabins, and three meals daily, taken communally in the main house. Guests are welcome to join the brothers in daily monastic worship.

Emery House is easily accessible by public transportation. Out-of-town guests may board regularly scheduled buses leaving from Logan Airport and South Station, Boston for Newburyport.

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If you would like to visit us or attend one of our retreats or workshops: Please contact the appropriate guesthouse brother: The Guesthouse Brother Monastery Guesthouse 980 Memorial Drive Cambridge, MA 02138-5717 Email: guesthouse@ssje.org (617)876-3037 x0

The Guesthouse Brother Emery House 21 Emery Lane West Newbury, MA 01985-1333 Email: emeryhouse@ssje.org (978)462-7940 x10

The monastery guesthouse and Emery House are open to guests seven nights a week.

Guests may arrive from Monday afternoon through Saturday morning. Resident guests may choose to stay in the Monastery guesthouse on Sunday night. Public worship is not offered, nor are any meals served from Sunday Evening Prayer until Monday Evening Prayer (the community’s Sabbath time).

Parking at the monastery: Parking at the monastery is extremely limited; we encourage guests to use public transportation if at all possible. Space cannot be guaranteed, and guests requiring parking must call ahead to check availability. A $10 per day parking fee will apply after June 1, 2005.

Please note: The Society reserves the right to decline applications for retreats or place applicants who have made a number of retreats with us in the past on a waiting list. Brothers may also exercise discretion over admissions based on other priorities. Deposit checks are returned to applicants in the event they are wait-listed or declined.

We depend on your help to make this ministry possible.

The brothers of the SSJE offer hospitality to guests regardless of their ability to pay. We offer reduced fees to full-time students. But fees cover only about 50% of actual costs. We depend on guesthouse income to support our life and ministries.

Published fees are suggested amounts. Individuals with limited resources are asked to give as they are able; those with ample resources help us continue to offer reduced rates to those who cannot afford to pay by increasing their giving beyond the suggested fee. Your additional gift may be wholly or partially tax deductible.

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GROUP PROGRAM RETREATS Group program retreats are generally conducted from Thursday or Friday evening through Sunday midday. In addition to joining the brothers for worship and meals, guests attend a series of addresses or meditations offered by the retreat leader, which alternate with time for prayer, reflection, and recreation. It is customary for those on retreat to observe silence.

Suggested fees for group program retreats: Emery House: Monastery Guesthouse: $105.00 per person per night $90.00 per person per night $55.00 for full-time students $45.00 for full-time students Reservations are confirmed upon receipt of a non-transferable/non-refundable deposit equal to 50% of your total fee.

COMPANIONED FIVE-DAY RETREATS Companioned five-day directed retreats provide guests with more ample time to receive the gift of renewed intimacy with God in Christ through silence and sustained prayer. Guests meet individually, once each day, with a director who offers them help in recognizing God’s will and touch in their lives and who gives suggestions for how they might respond to the invitations of the Spirit disclosed in prayer. A team of leaders conducts companioned retreats; leaders include SSJE brothers and, occasionally, other ordained and lay spiritual directors. Companioned retreats are suggested for persons with previous retreat experience. Companioned retreats focus on worship and spending time with God. With their registration, applicants should include a brief (one or two page) spiritual autobiography.

Suggested fees for companioned five-day retreats: Monastery Guesthouse: $85.00 per person per night $45.00 for full-time students

Emery House: $100.00 per person per night $55.00 for full-time students

Reservations are confirmed upon receipt of a non-transferable/non-refundable deposit equal to 50% of your total fee.

NOURISHING YOUR SOUL: INDIVIDUAL RETREATS Individuals may not wish to attend a program retreat, yet desire a time of quiet and the opportunity to join the brothers in worship and silence. Most weekdays and some weekends are available for individual retreats. If you would like to meet with a brother during your individual retreat, please be certain to make that request when you book your reservation.

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Please Watch Your Mail for a Detailed Listing of Autumn, 2005 - Summer, 2006 Retreats and Workshops or Visit Our Websiite at: www.ssje.org Suggested fees for Individual Self-directed Retreats: Monastery Guesthouse: $60.00 per person per night $30.00 for full-time student

Emery House: $75.00 per person per night $40.00 for full-time student

Suggested fees for Individual Directed Retreats: Monastery Guesthouse: $95.00 per person per night $40.00 for full-time student

Emery House: $100.00 per person per night $50.00 for full-time student

Reservations are confirmed upon receipt of a non-transferable/non-refundable deposit equal to 50% of your total fee.

GUEST HOUSE PROGRAMS Cambridge

AUTUMN, 2005 - SUMMER, 2006 For program descriptions of retreats and workshops at the Monastery, Cambridge, please visit our website at www.ssje.org or call 617-876-3037 x0

NOURISHING THE SOUL - individual retreats at the monastery September 2-4, 2005 // September 23-25, 2005 // October 7-9, 2005 // December 16-18, 2005 // January 6-8, 2006 // March 3-5, 2006 // April 7-9, 2006 // May 26-28, 2006 and most weekends in the months of June and July, 2006. (Friday 5 pm – Sunday 2 pm) Enjoy the quiet, nourishing atmosphere of the monastery; join the brothers as they chant the Daily Office; walk along the Charles River – a time for rest, reflection and renewal.

Suggested fee: $120 (half-price for full-time students) THE BELOVED DISCIPLES: John the Evangelist and Mary Magdalene – a retreat especially for members of the Fellowship of Saint John September 8-11, 2005 (Thursday 5 pm – Sunday 2 pm) Led by Br. JONATHAN MAURY, Director of the Fellowship of Saint John Suggested fee: $270 (half-price for full-time students)

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FIRST TIME IN PRAYER AND QUIET – a weekend retreat for beginners September 16-18, 2005 (Friday 5 pm – Sunday 2 pm) Led by Br. RUFUS VAN HORN Suggested fee: $180 (half-price for full-time students) MONKS IN BLUE JEANS – autumn work weekend at the monastery November 4-6, 2005 (Friday 5 pm – Sunday 2 pm) THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE – a retreat for gay men November 11-13, 2005 (Friday 5 pm – Sunday 2 pm) Led by Brs. TIMOTHY SOLVERSON and CHARLES LA FOND Suggested fee: $180 (half-price for full-time students) ANOTHER LOOK AT MARY Led by Br. ELDRIDGE PENDLETON Suggested fee: $180 (half-price for full-time students) COME AND SEE – a program for men interested in exploring religious life with SSJE December 8-11, 2005 (Thursday 5 pm – Sunday 2 pm) Led by Br. GEOFFREY TRISTRAM, Novice Guardian REDEMPTIVE LIVING: Making the Most of the Past, the Present, and the Future – a retreat for men February 3-5, 2006 (Friday 5 pm – Sunday 2 pm) Led by Br. CURTIS ALMQUIST Suggested fee: $180 (half-price for full-time students) CHANTING: That We All May Be One February 17-19, 2006 (Friday 5 pm – Sunday 2 pm) Led by Br. MARK BROWN, Director of Music at SSJE Suggested fee: $180 (half-price for full-time students) QUANTUM PRAYER March 10-12, 2006 (Friday 5 pm – Sunday 2 pm) Led by Br. ROY COCKRUM Suggested fee: $180 (half-price for full-time students) A COMPANIONED RETREAT – five days for quiet reflection March 13-18, 2006 (Monday 5 pm – Saturday 2 pm) Suggested fee: $450 (half-price for full-time students) continued on page 28

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HOLY WEEK AT THE MONASTERY April 10-16, 2006 (Monday 5 pm – Sunday 2 pm) Suggested fee: $75 per night (half-price for full-time students) MONKS IN BLUE JEANS – spring work weekend at the monastery April 21-23, 2006 (Friday 5 pm – Sunday 2 pm) REDISCOVERING YOUR HUNGER FOR GOD – a week of renewal for clergy April 24-29, 2006 (Monday 5 pm – Saturday 2 pm) Led by Brs. JAMES KOESTER and JAMES KNUTSEN Suggested fee: $525 ($265 for full-time students) SAINT JOHN’S DAY CELEBRATION May 6, 2006 (Saturday, 11 am – 2 pm) COME AND SEE – a program for men interested in exploring religious life with SSJE June 8-11, 2006 (Thursday 5 pm – Sunday 2 pm) Led by Br. GEOFFREY TRISTRAM, Novice Guardian BEHOLD THE BEAUTY OF THE LORD – Icon Writing Workshop and Retreat June 12-18, 2006 (Monday 2 pm – Sunday 2 pm) Led by Br. JAMES KOESTER Suggested fee: $800 for program, room, meals and all supplies (includes a $400 deposit) Suggested fee for full-time students: $400 (includes a $200 deposit)

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COWLEY PUBLICATIONS is a ministry of the brothers of the Society of Saint John the Evangelist, a monastic order in the Episcopal Church. Our mission is to provide books and resources for those seeking spiritual and theological formation. COWLEY PUBLICATIONS is committed to developing a new generation of writers and teachers who will encourage people to think and pray in new ways about spirituality, reconciliation, and the future. Please see our website: www.cowley.org The Society of Saint John the Evangelist

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SATURDAY WORKSHOPS At The Monastery For program descriptions and costs of retreats and workshops at the Monastery, Cambridge, please visit our website at www.ssje.org or call 617-876-3037

Workshops begin at 10:00 a.m. (registration begins at 9:30 a.m.) and end by 3:00 p.m. The fee for a Saturday workshop is $60 (half-price for full-time students), which includes lunch.

To register, write or call the guesthouse office at: guesthouse@ssje.org Tel: (617) 876-3037 FINDING GOD IN SEMINARY – a one-day workshop for seminarians September 24, 2005 (Saturday, 10 am – 3 pm) Led by Brs. KEVIN HACKETT and CHARLES LA FOND

DISCERNMENT IN PRAYER – a one-day workshop October 22, 2005 (Saturday, 10 am – 3 pm) Led by Brs. DAVID VRYHOF and ROY COCKRUM

FORGIVING AND BEING FORGIVEN – a one-day workshop January 21, 2006 (Saturday, 10 am – 3 pm) Led by Brs. CURTIS ALMQUIST and KEVIN HACKETT

OPENING THE BIBLE: Bible Basics for Prayer and Study – a one-day workshop March 18, 2006 (Saturday, 10 am – 3 pm) Led by Brs. JAMES KOESTER and JONATHAN MAURY

GROUP SPIRITUAL DIRECTION – a one-day workshop April 29, 2006 (Saturday, 10 am – 3 pm) Led by Brs. DAVID VRYHOF and MARK BROWN

LIVING PRAYERFULLY IN A BUSY WORLD – a one-day workshop May 13, 2006 (Saturday, 10 am – 3 pm) Led by Brs. MARK BROWN and ELDRIDGE PENDLETON

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RETREATS AT EMERY HOUSE West Newbury For program descriptions of retreats at Emery House, please visit our website at www.ssje.org or call 978-462-7940

NOURISHING THE SOUL – individual retreats at Emery House from Autumn 2005 through Summer 2006 September 2-4, 2005 // October 7-9, 2005 // October 28-30, 2005 // November 25-27, 2005 // December 16-18, 2005 // January 6-8, 2006 // February 3-5, 2006 // March 24-26, 2006 // April 7-9, 2006 and most weekends in the months of June and July, 2006. (Friday 5 pm – Sunday 2 pm) Enjoy the peaceful beauty of Emery House and worship with the brothers during these spacious weekends set aside for personal prayer and reflection.

Suggested fee: $150 (half-price for full-time students) THE GOSPEL OF JOHN IN FILM September 9-11, 2005 (Friday 5 pm – Sunday 2 pm) Led by Br. CHARLES LA FOND Suggested fee: $210 (half-price for full-time students) ROCKS, RIVERS, AND TREES – praying with the poetry of nature October 14-16, 2005 (Friday 5 pm – Sunday 2 pm) Led by Br. MARK BROWN Suggested fee: $210 (half-price for full-time students) A COMPANIONED RETREAT – five days for quiet reflection October 17-22, 2005 (Monday 5 pm – Saturday 2 pm) Suggested fee: $500 (half-price for full-time students) REDISCOVERING YOUR HUNGER FOR GOD – a week of renewal for clergy November 14-19, 2005 (Monday 5 pm – Saturday 2 pm) Led by Brs. DAVID VRYHOF and JAMES KNUTSEN Suggested fee: $525 (half-price for full-time students) SPEAK TENDERLY TO JERUSALEM: Praying Advent December 9-11, 2005 (Friday 5 pm – Sunday 2 pm) Led by Br. JAMES KNUTSEN Suggested fee: $210 (half-price for full-time students) continued on page 32

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HIS GARMENT’S HEM: Receiving and Offering Christ’s Healing Touch January 12-15, 2006 (Thursday 5 pm – Sunday 2 pm) Led by Br. JONATHAN MAURY and PATRICIA WARREN Suggested fee: $315 ($160 for full-time students) PRAYING OUR LIVES: Using Spiritual Autobiography as the Door to Your Personal Sacred Story January 26-29, 2006 (Thursday 5 pm – Sunday 2 pm) Led by Br. TIMOTHY SOLVERSON Suggested fee: $315 ($160 for full-time students) COMING HOME TO GOD – a retreat of focused on the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) February 9-12, 2006 (Thursday 5 pm – Sunday 2 pm) Led by Brs. DAVID VRYHOF and GERALD BEAUCHAMP Suggested fee: $315 ($160 for full-time students) CALLED TO SERVE – a retreat for deacons February 23-26, 2006 (Thursday 5 pm – Sunday 2 pm) Led by Br. GERALD BEAUCHAMP Suggested fee: $315 ($160 for full-time students) A Retreat for Group Spiritual Direction Facilitators March 10-12, 2006 (Friday 5 pm – Sunday 2 pm) Led by Br. DAVID VRYHOF Suggested fee: $210 (half-price for full-time students) FIRST TIME IN PRAYER AND QUIET – a weekend retreat for beginners March 17-19, 2006 (Friday 5 pm – Sunday 2 pm) Led by Br. ROBERT L’ESPERANCE Suggested fee: $210 (half-price for full-time students) HOLY WEEK AT EMERY HOUSE April 10-16, 2006 (Monday 5 pm – Sunday 2 pm) Suggested fee: $90 per night (half-price for full-time students) THE WOMEN OF THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOHN April 21-23, 2006 (Friday 5 pm – Sunday 2 pm) Led by Br. JONATHAN MAURY Suggested fee: $210 (half-price for full-time students) continued on page 33

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BEING GAY, BEING IN LOVE, AND BEING A CHRISTIAN– a retreat for gay couples May 12-14, 2006 (Friday 5 pm – Sunday 2 pm) Led by Br. ROBERT L’ESPERANCE Suggested fee: $210 per person (half-price for full-time students) A COMPANIONED RETREAT – five days for quiet reflection May 15-20, 2006 (Monday 5 pm – Saturday 2 pm) Suggested fee: $500 (half-price for full-time students) QUESTIONS JESUS ASKED – a pre-ordination retreat May 25-28, 2006 (Thursday 5 pm – Sunday 2 pm) Led by Br. DAVID VRYHOF Suggested fee: $315 ($160 for full-time students) PRAY, WORK, STUDY – an experience of monastic life June 12-18, 2006 (Monday 5 pm – Sunday 2 pm) Led by Brs. DAVID VRYHOF and ROBERT L’ESPERANCE Suggested fee: $500 (half-price for full-time students)

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Gifts of Stock and other Securities We are dependent on friends and benefactors for the financial support of the life and ministry of SSJE. Please remember SSJE in your estate planning, and share our life and needs with others who may have interest. The brothers are deeply grateful.

Agent Bank: Investors Bank & Trust Company Agent Bank Number: 22319 Agent Bank Clearing Number: 2132 (DTC participant number) Agent Bank Account Number: 45-23072 Agent Bank Account: Society of St. John the Evangelist We need certain information to properly process the stock transfer.This information can either come directly from you or from your broker, but must be done before the actual transfer is made. Please call the Monastery Treasurer’s Office with the following information: a.Your name d. CUSIP number of the stock b. Name of stock e. Company name and DTC number c. Exact number of shares being of the broker transferred f. Intended purpose of the gift For tax purposes, you will be sent an official acknowledgment stating the mean value of your gift.

James Koester, SSJE, Treasurer Society of Saint John the Evangelist 980 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA 02138 U.S.A. 617 876-3037 ext. 16

Members of the Fellowship of Saint John and friends in CANADA who would like to make a financial contribution may send cheques payable to “SSJE” to SCOTIA TRUST CO., ATTN: CHARITABLE TRUST SERVICES, 4TH FLOOR, ONE FINANCIAL PLAZA, ONE ADELAIDE STREET EAST, TORONTO, ONTARIO M5C 2W8. The Scotia Trust will issue a receipt and inform us here in the States so that we may personally thank you.

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SSJE Retreat Registration Form Please return completed form to the appropriate Guesthouse Brother (either the Monastery Guesthouse or Emery House)

Name________________________________________________________________ Street_____________________________________________________________ City___________________________________ State_____ Zip Code__________ Telephone (Home)___________________ (Work)__________________________ E-mail _______________________________________________________________ Retreat dates: From_______________________ to:_________________________ Name of Retreat______________________________________________________ Location:

Monastery Guesthouse

Emery House

Arrrival time:_____________________ Deposit enclosed: $____________________ Visa

MasterCard # ______________________________________

Signature_____________________________________ Exp. Date_____________ In case of emergency, please contact: (Name)________________________________ Telephone (Home)____________________ (Work)_________________________ Fellowship of Saint John member? Yes

No

Please tell us about how you heard about retreats at SSJE. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ The Society of Saint John the Evangelist

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