But first, Chop Wood, Carry Water

Mealtimes at CR Monastery are a bit different than those at the College

There are usually many visitors, guests and retreatants with the occasional VIP

After the meal everyone pitches in to help clear up

With much hustle and bustle, the brethren get the job done quickly and efficiently



Fr. Crispin rolls the dish trolley to the kitchen, ready for the washing up

Even Fr. George (Superior) does his turn

Quite a different scenario from his daily administrative duties, as head honcho of CR

As an example of the vast array of their tasks, Fr. John,was in charge of fundraising activities and held an auction in Nov, which  raised over £50,000 for their CR Church Renovation Project.



Besides being Musical Director, Fr. Peter is also Principal and teacher at the Ordination College

As well as overseeing several extensive libraries, Fr. Thomas is also in charge of the CR fruit orchards. (And makes the best jams and jellies I've ever had.)

Brother Jacob is in charge of various church related duties. Here he is, putting away the main altar cloth after a special service

But Jacob is also CR's technical wizard guy- seen here helping set up my final presentation

At CR, even what looks like idle chat is deceiving. Here, FF Anthony and Oswin (Priory) discuss ideas for future workshops

Interesting educational workshops on various topics are regularly held at the Mirfield Centre

Brothers Dennis on the left, runs the Retreat facilities which has over 30 rooms. Daniel, is the CR Webmaster

But, at the end of the day, this is the schedule that the brethren adhere to, without fail.

The daily services and prayer is the backbone and lifeblood of the Community of the Resurrection

The brethren's commitment and dedication is strong and inspiring to see. (Btw, Fr. Peter is not reading text messages...he's transposed the liturgy onto his hi-tech gadget.)



The brethren wear many hats in the course of a day. Here's Fr. Nicolas - who also manages CR's South African concerns - preparing the small altar for midday Mass.




And here he is, getting beamed up. I knew there was something special about CR!



"Chop wood, carry water" is an old Zen saying, that basically means giving yourself fully to everyday mundane tasks. It's about being fully present in every moment. This is the state that the brethren at CR live in, 365 days of the year. 

I have been asked many times about what the monks actually do. These pictures are my way of answering that question although a lot has been left out. Remember, the brethren are also ordained Anglican Fathers, so you can add all sorts of priestly duties to the list above.

 

Perhaps now you get an inkling of the sheer discipline and energy required for the running of a modern working monastic community.

 

I've come to the conclusion that the brethren run on a different kind of energy source to the rest of us.....

They run on God-powered batteries.