A view of the church. Photo: Interesting Times Bureau.
‘There were delightful moments, like when we all said the “Our Father” in our home language.’
Just the second Quaker to join, Gill Sewell gathered with Spiritual Directors in Europe (SDE) in Romania
I have now been accompanying people on their spiritual pathway for more than four years. Most of them I meet on a monthly basis (although the ‘meet’ happens by Skype with half of the eight). This means I am connected in stillness with individuals in India, Palestine, north England and London. The listening is paired with a teaching ministry, sharing ideas, questions and resources that might or might not be useful.
I was encouraged to join SDE by two people I knew and that made the journey easier. The April evening was cold when I arrived at the Romanian monastery in Snagov, but I was warmly welcomed. The four resident Carmelite monks were all Italians who had learned Romanian. Over fifteen years they have built a modern monastery and a church with amazing mosaic walls. The church is simple in parts with honey-glowing wooden timbers and vibrant mosaics. A cross hangs over the nave, and the marbled floor, with zebra stripes from dark to light, stretches from the entrance to the altar. It certainly created awe and wonder!
For our first evening act of shared worship we each lay an item from our ministry on steps leading to a stage – like a flow of lava comprising candles, icons and, in my case, a silk finger labyrinth. These objects remained together for the duration of our stay.
We began every day with (optional) qi gong and then a shared act of worship, incorporating dance, music and meditation. There were delightful moments, like when we all said the ‘Our Father’ in our home language – a babble of community and faith. There were also Taizé chants and singing in Latin. Given that the gathering was run in English this experience of unknown languages and verses was a great leveller.
One of my most moving worship experiences was when we sat with our eyes closed and hands out. We were told that some of us would receive gifts. We each sat still, quietly listening to footsteps. My thinking brain thought there was no gift for me so I did some quick processing to quell my disappointment – ‘Oh well, today the gift is for someone else.’ Imagine my humility then when I opened my eyes to find five small feathers in my outstretched palm. Oh ye of little faith, Gill! That is, I guess, what my relationship with the divine is like at times.
The event included a visit to a working Romanian prison where we saw cells that had been used to house political and religious prisoners during the communist regime. It was salutary to think of that occurring in my lifetime. We also visited a Romanian Orthodox church where every inch was covered with paintings of biblical scenes and the path to salvation (and damnation).
A silent day fed my tired soul and the three daily worships enriched my sense of belonging. I was anointed with nard, given blessed oil and had my hands washed. We also gave and received spiritual direction – an Irish Roman Catholic sister was a generous listener to my Quaker practice, while a Belgian monk shared his story with me.
I return renewed and refreshed and very grateful to Francis Camfield’s Trust, which supports my ministry.
