Discernment

Rachel OlsonLiving in Community, Sojourner diary 3 Comments

Week 26 As I head into my final weeks as a Benedictine Sojourner at Holy Wisdom Monastery, two quotes keep coming to mind. One of them is an inclusive language version of Greek philosopher Heraclitus that says, “No woman ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and she’s not the same woman.” The other is from novelist Thomas Wolfe who iconically asks, “Don’t you know you can’t go home again?” Perhaps you are sensing a theme here. There are a great many things I am unsure of at this moment, but there is one …

Preferring Christ

Rachel OlsonLiving in Community, Sojourner diary Leave a Comment

Today begins my 23rd week as a Benedictine Sojourner. Where did the time go? In the beginning, six months seemed like forever, but the time has passed much too quickly and I feel like there is so much to say about my time here. I’ve been having some amazing and transformative experiences which is incredibly exciting, but at the same time, it has also proven to be a significant challenge to pin them down and turn them into brief, winsome blog posts on a regular and timely basis. I’ve discovered that it can be difficult to grasp and articulate the …

Sojourner Diary—embracing simplicity

Rachel OlsonLiving in Community, Sojourner diary 4 Comments

Week 17 (of 26) I have a confession to make. Some days I really miss my highlights. When I started this journey, I was a golden, sun-kissed blond. For most of my adult life I have been one of the countless partakers of the multi-billion-dollar beauty industry that (sometimes) lets us reclaim what nature so heartlessly steals from us as we age. In our youth-oriented and appearance-conscious culture, the chance to look bright and fashion-forward can be an almost irresistible temptation. But, since moving in with the sisters, I’ve gone au natural, which sometimes leaves me feeling as drab as …

Sojourner diary—hopeful expectations

Rachel OlsonLiving in Community, Sojourner diary 2 Comments

Advent is a season of hopeful expectation. Nowhere is that more clearly illustrated for us than in the Gospel stories of mother-to-be Mary as she surrenders herself to God and then patiently waits for the Divine plan and purpose for her life to develop and emerge within her. I’m guessing from my own childbearing experiences that it wasn’t always easy or comfortable. For Mary, saying yes to the Spirit was risk. It was a guarantee that her life would change and that some of that change would bring pain. But, say yes to God also meant that she would be …

Sojourner diary

Rachel OlsonLiving in Community, Sojourner diary 1 Comment

Sojourner Diary Day 6 of Week 9 Today is the sixth day of the ninth week of my Benedictine Sojourner experience. I’ve been living in the community for two full months now, which isn’t all that long in the grand scheme of things, but somehow it feels like a great deal has happened to me in that time. Many things have changed and I can’t help feeling that once my sojourn is over, no matter what the future holds, I will not be quite the same person I was before I came here. This is a good thing. In my …

Sojourner diary

Rachel OlsonLiving in Community, Sojourner diary Leave a Comment

Monday, October 15 Dear Reader(s), Back when Sisters Joanne Kollasch and Lynne Smith were in the process of discerning with me about becoming a Sojourner, I suggested that I should keep a journal as part of my three-month monastic experience. At the time of that well intended suggestion, I was envisioning myself being rested, relaxed and in a reflective state of mind. I imagined that I would be sitting serenely in some sunny corner of Bingen House with my journal in front of me and a pen in hand. I pictured having time to freely open my mind, spread out …