Compline? Perhaps.

TL/DR: The night is quiet and I am feeling introspective.

“Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping; that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest in peace.” - from the Compline service, BCP

This is the chapel at Richmond Hill. Sunlight streams in through the stained glass and splashes upon the walls. I love this space.

I am hosting this weekend. We take turns being host to those who come on retreat here at Richmond Hill. Everyone offers hospitality. A couple of us are tapped to host on the weekends. I do love this work. I enjoy meeting the different groups who come to spend time here.

Visit this place, O Lord, 
and drive far from it all snares of the enemy; 
let your holy angels dwell with us to preserve us in peace; 
and let your blessing be upon us always; 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

We are not a conference center, though we offer some of the same amenities. Instead, we are a community at prayer with a very large guest house. This, I believe, sets us apart from a lot of other places. Our mission to pray for the racial healing and transformation of Richmond is primary. When people come to stay with us, we invite them into this rhythm of life.

That’s not as easy to communicate as one might think. Often, people have to come and experience it before they can understand it. A monastery? That runs a retreat center? What does that look like? Well, come and see. You might not get it at first. That’s okay. Sometimes it takes a while. But this place has a way of getting into your bones.

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Some of the Christian Community Development Association leadership cohort are present with us. The CCDA will host its annual conference in October here in Richmond. They are doing good work standing in the gap where tensions between communities are highest.

I’m a little tired. It’s quiet here as the group is meeting outside on the deck to debrief after a full day. So, not surprising, I am feeling a little introspective.

The sun is setting over the city and I am growing quiet at the end of the day.

Keep watch, dear Lord, 
with those who work, 
          or watch, 
or weep this night, 
          and give your angels charge 
          over those who sleep. 
Tend the sick, Lord Christ; 
give rest to the weary, 
bless the dying, 
soothe the suffering, 
pity the afflicted, 
shield the joyous; 
and all for your love's sake. 
Amen.

The Order for Compline feeds me. I love the service from the 1979 Book of Common Prayer.

I turn to it from time to time to remind myself to pray at night. I usually fret at night. Wallow. Spin. Ruminate. Lord, how I ruminate.

They are not helpful spiritual postures as postures go. They are helpful information, however, so I pay attention. But the posture I most need is that of prayer.

Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping; that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest in peace.

Ana Hernández has a lovely setting of that prayer. It echoes in my imagination whenever I pray compline.

I’m just going to sit with that tonight.

Guide us.

Guard us.

May we rest in peace.

Y’all be excellent to each other.