01 Aug July 2025 Digest
Welcome back to another busy month here at Mucknell. The kitchen garden and the orchard are officially exploding with produce, and the estate is very full of life and greenery too. Several guests have recently had the joy of spotting our local deer, including a doe with a couple of fawns, the swallows continue to amaze us with their acrobatics; in short, there is much to rejoice in and be thankful for as we look around us. Read on to see what else we’ve been up to…
Welcoming Friends
On Saturday 5th, we held an afternoon tea for members of our Friends Association. It was lovely to welcome familiar faces, and meet some new people too. Everyone enjoyed the time together to chat, catch up on news, and enjoy sandwiches, scones, cream and jam. If you’d like to know more about our Friends Association, including how to join, then click through here: Friends Association.
Out and About
We have links with various local church groups, and it was delightful to be invited to Little Malvern Priory on Sunday 13th as part of their programme of events to celebrate their 875th anniversary. We were there as part of their Benedictine Afternoon; Abbot Thomas gave a short talk on the history of the Benedictine Order, and the history of our community, followed by time for questions, answered by a variety of community members. It was great too to have Abbot Brendan and Fr Thomas from Belmont Abbey with us. After the Q and A, we sang Vespers, and then enjoyed some refreshments before heading home. The church was absolutely full for the event, which was a great testament to the ongoing interest in the monastic life among the wider church.
Reflection from Sarah
You may recall hearing in last month’s blog about Sarah, from Hamilton in Canada, who spent 5 weeks with us on sabbatical; she has very kindly written the following reflection on her time here, and has also shared some of her photography:
“It’s been about a month since I left Mucknell, first to visit friends in the UK and then to return to Hamilton, Canada. Friends and colleagues have been really intrigued by the idea of staying in a monastery for 5 weeks. Even though life with the Community is simple, it’s attractive, precisely for its simplicity. At least that’s what I’ve been missing most.
Working outside in the kitchen garden or on the estate requires physical effort. But it’s work humans were built for. The Community members would thank me profusely whenever they found me weeding in the courtyard. But I was more thankful for the mental space that this work creates for prayer. Mucknell taught me the importance of prioritizing outdoor work for the sake of my soul.
Of course I also prayed in the Oratory. I liked simply showing up to each office, knowing that all I needed would be provided in a binder or booklet. What a gift to be called back to God throughout the day, no matter how it was going! Mucknell taught me the value of letting prayer and Scripture interrupt me, and trying not to let other things interrupt them.
I came with only a carry-on. I figured the Community wouldn’t mind if I wore the same outfit every day, since this is already their habit. Back at home, I was surprised to feel overwhelmed with how much stuff I had. Throughout my time at Mucknell, I had been confronted with Jesus’ teachings on material wealth—in lectionary readings, in library resources, and in the Community’s example. But I had also tasted the goodness of his instructions; I’m intrigued to see where they take me.
I’ll be wrestling with the outworking of these lessons (and many others!) for a long time. But the inward healing I experienced at Mucknell has already happened. Thanks be to God that in a chaotic world, there are still people creating places stripped of distractions, that we might notice God with us.”
How Does Your Garden Grow?
As mentioned above, the kitchen garden is producing abundantly; cucumbers and tomatoes are still coming thick and fast, and are being joined by courgettes and the first runner beans. The squash plants are launching their customary bid for world domination (or at least, domination of their corner of the garden), and the leeks and sweetcorn are well on their way.
Rocky Remains!
I have singularly failed to get a photo of Rocky this month, but he is still very much around. He seems to have taken up semi-permanent residence in Br. Stuart’s room, retreating to the cool of the basement when the summer heat gets a bit much for him. He also left us a “present” in the boot room, which took a few days for us to locate, and was rather…ripe by the time we found it. He has been asked to leave any future such gifts outside!
And finally…
I recently spent several days staying with my sister, her husband and their three children, aged 14, 12 and 10. Amidst all the anxiety surrounding excessive screen time for children, it was a real delight to spend plenty of time outdoors with them, enjoying their enjoyment both of their environment, and of time spent playing together. It reminded me how much is to be gained by looking for the good around us; it would be easy to get caught up in, and anxious about, their sibling arguments and their love of a bewildering variety of games, whether on their devices or on consoles. Instead, though, I chose to look for the moments of joy, of sharing, of laughter and of beauty, and found that there was much to see, much to enjoy and and much to give thanks for. I pray that, whatever our circumstances, we too may be able to lift our eyes to see the goodness of God manifested around us in all sorts of surprising ways.