In response to the fact that my last post (“To London”) only takes about one sentence to describe what the Community of St Anselm is, I thought I’d check in on this front and provide a more in-depth description of what my “Year in God’s Time” will be.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, began this community two years ago (I will be in the third group) to draw together young Christians from all over the world into a common life of prayer. He opened Lambeth Palace to these folks so that they could live a monastic life right in the heart of London, while reaching out to serve those in the city who go unseen or are under-served. There will be 16 of us living at Lambeth Palace, in what is called the residential program- we’ll be eating, praying and studying together all the time. Nonresidential members already living in London will join us in the rule of life and way of prayer.

Our days will consist of communal and personal prayer, Bible reading and lecture, serving vulnerable populations and sharing reflections in groups, meeting with spiritual companions and taking retreats. Our schedule, our meals, the way we interact- all these will be held in common. It will be intense, and I’m sure it will be a time of growth for all of us.

Our monastic life will draw on ancient and new traditions. We’ll be looking to the examples of St Benedict, St Francis and St Anselm, those who have gone before in pondering how community life can be a source of glorifying God and uplifting one another. Some of our prayers will give us the freedom to sink into words centuries old, the texts of the daily office. Other prayers will give us the freedom to spontaneously lift up the situations and people who come into our hearts today. This community is built at the crossroads of old and new, at the intersection of all the different church backgrounds we will bring.

While there are countless reasons I resonate with the mission of this Year in God’s Time, and many more I’m sure to discover over the year, here are a few for starters:

1. I believe community is where we learn to become ourselves. I believe that we are created to live and serve together. My identity and my gifts aren’t mine to define in an isolated way- they exist in relationship to the community in which I live. We all need each other.
2. I believe that my life, and the time and energy and resources I have, are gifts. But I often don’t act this way. I’m often stressed about how to use my time, or what to eat, or where to go. This year, I want to learn more about living into this belief I have- the time is God’s, the plan is God’s, all the gifts I have are from God. I don’t need to live out of fear, but out of a sense of abundance.
3. I believe that through prayer time, we become more open and vulnerable to the Spirit. I hope to learn how to better listen: to others, to God, to myself. I hope to be able to trust enough to lay down my worries and my preconceptions and be open to the still, small voice.
4. I believe that we are strong in diversity. I believe we all have something to learn from one another. As Brother Roger of Taize has said, if Christians want to affect change toward a more loving and united world, we must be that way with each other. This doesn’t mean leaving behind our deep roots and traditions, but it does mean truly meeting one another and learning from the stories and ideas that every church has to share. I’m passionate about ecumenism.
5. I believe this is where I’m supposed to be for ten months, and we’ll see where the Spirit takes it from here.

As always, words of support, prayers, and any financial donations toward St Anselm are welcome! Look on my “links” page for the youcaring link. I’ll be headed to London in just over two months!