Here we go

On 19th January 2010 a lonely Vicar from North Yorkshire sets off on his first ever sabbatical... and now pauses on night one in a French monastery to reflect.


The plan is to spend a week skiing with 6 other men from Holy Trinity to ease me into the discipline of slowing down, reading, praying, building and writing. Then some time in more French monasteries, to establish a rhythm of prayer in a language which is not my own. I am deeply aware of my own 'over-familiarity with my own idea of prayer' and need to address it.


Familiarity, it seems to me, is much like oxygen. Without it we simply could not survive. Being in France opens my eyes to how much energy it takes to cope in unfamiliar settings. This evening, for example I needed to eat, but arrived at the Abbaye de Saint Vaast after the evening meal had been served. I wandered into the stunning beautiful town centre (see photo) and walked around the multitude of restaurants for ages before feeling sure enough of myself to commit to walking in. Were I with friends, in other words carrying my familiarity with me, I would have chosen quicker and approached with more confidence.


However, familiarity, like oxygen has another side. Oxygen is highly toxic when taken to a partial pressure of more than 1.6. In other words, if you were to breath pure oxygen from a SCUBA tank when you were more than 6 metres under water you would die. It's true, google it and see. Familiarity, similarly, can blind us, cut us off, and inure us to the very things that we would love the most. I am sure, for example, that I noticed more of Arras tonight because I was alone and a little uncomfortable.


When it comes to praying, familiarity, or at least over familiarity should come with a health warning. God cannot and will not be tamed, yet so often my prayer seems to do exactly that. Pray with me, that this time will be a time of breaking out of the mo(u)ld and discovering the beauty, freshness, power and grace of our wild God.