Beloved of God,

The invitation to retreat to desert places for rest and renewal is as old as the scriptures. So, too, is the testimony that in places such as these one might expect to encounter the Sacred and discover one’s true vocation. While the invitation to deserted places may be daunting to the “extroverts” among us whose spirits are fed by interactions with other people, for those of us who are “introverts,” the lure of a quiet place apart has innate appeal. So when my in-laws spoke of an orthodox monastery in the desert east of Phoenix we ought to visit, I immediately was intrigued.

Our first attempt to locate the turnoff for St. Anthony’s Greek Orthodox Monastery southeast of Florence, Arizona, was thwarted by conflicting directions. But after a quick stop at a Pinal County Sheriff’s substation we found our way there and spent the better part of the day strolling through the grounds and marveling at the resplendent chapels, the old world icons, and the resolve of the monks who, in seventeen short years, had transformed this desert wilderness into an oasis and a destination for Orthodox pilgrims from around the world.

The six monks who arrived in the Sonora desert from Greece in 1995 on a mission from Elder Ephraim to establish a new monastery surely must have wondered how, exactly, they would accomplish such a feat in an environment where summer temperatures routinely exceed 110º F. But experiencing the harsh realities of desert life while laboring to build a sustainable and sustaining common life was nothing new for the members of this ancient order. They carried with them both a deep faith in the abiding presence of Christ and the sacred heritage of the Holy Mount Athos, in Greece, whose monastic spiritual foundation was in turn traceable to third century desert Father St. Anthony. This deep tradition would see them through; and indeed, as we observed, it has. Today, the monastery has seven distinct chapels, each with a different architectural style, each populated with icons from Greece and imbued with the aroma of incense and the aura of chanted Word. To enter them was to enter another world; which is precisely the point.

There are many ways we can live as Christians in the world. The community we visited that April morning is one of them. I have nothing but profound respect for the discipline and commitment such a life requires. But my call is different than theirs: to be part of a community that finds its primary vocation not in withdrawal from the world but in engagement in the world in the name of Christ and for the sake of the neighbor. Still, deserted places and wildernesses play an important role in sustaining me for ministry. One such place where some of us will be heading soon is Holden Village, a place apart where a rich and complex experience of community and individual solitude are both possible.

When the “sent ones” (apostles) returned to Jesus after their first mission, Jesus recognized the excitement in their voices as they shared their stories. He also recognized how important renewal would be for them if their efforts were to be sustainable over the long haul. So he issued them an invitation: “come away by yourselves and rest.” We all need to heed that invitation.

For a good number of us, summertime is when that refreshment happens and often it is accompanied by sojourns to new and/or familiar places that allow us the space and silence to hear our own heart beat and enter into a rhythm of renewal. Where will you find your rest this summer; your oasis? Whatever forms your quest for renewal takes; wherever these weeks find you, know that you do not travel alone. Christ goes with you. And calls you, and calls me, to come back to the places and patterns that will refresh us and revitalize us; giving us life.

With you on the way,

Pastor Erik