Prayers and Reflections

The Rt. Rev. Brian N. Prior MDiv, DD, PCC

Prioritize Coaching, LLC

These are prayers and reflections offered by Bishop Brian Prior at our annual Community of Hope gathering earlier this year in May at Camp McDowell, Alabama.

Opening Prayer: 

Gracious and life-giving God, 

You call us away from noise and hurry into the stillness of your presence. As we gather as the community of Community of Hope International,  breathe anew upon us with the power of your Holy Spirit. 

Renew what has grown weary within us. 

Restore what has been wounded. 

Rekindle in us the joy of compassion, the courage of hope, and the peace  that comes from abiding in you. 

Like the disciples gathered in the upper room, open our hearts to receive  your Spirit afresh. 

Break down every barrier of fear, exhaustion, or doubt, and remind us that  we are not called to serve alone, but together as companions in Christ. 

As Saint Benedict taught, “Listen carefully… with the ear of your heart.” Give us hearts that listen deeply to You and to one another. May this retreat become holy ground — a place of renewal, healing, laughter,  discernment, and grace. 

We pray for every conversation, every silence, every prayer, and every  moment of rest. 

Shape us again into people who carry Your love into a hurting world.

Come, Holy Spirit. 

Renew us by Your presence. 

Renew Your Church by Your love. 

Renew the world through Your people. 

In the name of Jesus Christ, who makes all things new. Amen. 

—

There are seasons in every life when the soul becomes tired. Even those  devoted to compassion and caregiving can find themselves depleted by  grief, uncertainty, conflict, or simply the weight of continual service. 

Yet throughout scripture, God continually renews weary people. The prophet Isaiah writes: 

“Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, 

they shall mount up with wings like eagles.” 

— Book of Isaiah 40:31 

Renewal in the Spirit is not merely rest from work. It is remembrance. Remembering who we are. 

Remembering whose we are. 

Remembering that the Spirit of God still breathes life into dry bones and  tired hearts. 

In the Gospel of John, Jesus says:

“The Advocate, the Holy Spirit… will teach you everything and remind you of  all that I have said to you.” 

— Gospel of John 14:26 

The Holy Spirit renews us by reminding us that God has not abandoned us,  even in seasons when we feel diminished or uncertain. 

Saint Benedict understood this deeply. His Rule was never simply about  discipline; it was about creating a rhythm of life where the soul could remain  awake to God. In the opening line of the Rule, Benedict writes: 

“Listen carefully, my child, to the master’s instructions, and attend to them  with the ear of your heart.” 

The “ear of the heart” may be one of the most beautiful images in all  Christian spirituality. Renewal begins when we stop striving long enough to  truly listen — to God, to one another, and to the quiet movements of grace  within us. 

Grace matters deeply for a community devoted to presence, caregiving, and hope.  The Spirit renews us not only in solitude, but also in sacred companionship. 

The theologian Henri Nouwen once wrote:

“Compassion asks us to go where it hurts, to enter into places of pain, to  share in brokenness, fear, confusion, and anguish.” 

But Nouwen also understood that compassion without spiritual renewal  eventually becomes exhaustion. We cannot pour from an empty vessel.  Retreat is not escape from ministry; it is part of ministry. 

Likewise, Howard Thurman wrote: 

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go  do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” 

That is the invitation of this retreat: not simply to learn something new, but to  come alive again in the Spirit of God. 

And perhaps that renewal begins simply — with breathing deeply, praying  honestly, listening carefully, and trusting that the Spirit is still moving among  us. 

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, 

and renew a right spirit within me.” 

— Book of Psalms 51:10 

Morning Prayer Friday: 

Good and gracious God, 

At the rising of this new day, we gather in gratitude for the gift of life, for this  community, and for the quiet promise of your Spirit moving among us. 

As the sun breaks across the horizon, awaken our hearts again to Your  presence. 

Where we are weary, renew us. 

Where we are anxious, steady us. 

Where we are distracted, center us in Your peace.

Pour out your Holy Spirit upon this retreat of Community of Hope  International. 

May this be a time of holy listening, deep rest, honest reflection, and joyful  fellowship. 

Your scripture reminds us: 

“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” — Book of Psalms 118:24 

And again: 

“Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength.” 

— Book of Isaiah 40:31 

Teach us, as Saint Benedict wrote, to “listen with the ear of the heart.” In the conversations we share, in the silence we keep, and in the prayers we  offer, help us to hear Your voice calling us once more into lives of  compassion, courage, and hope. 

May the Spirit renew not only our work, but our souls. 

May we leave this place more deeply rooted in Christ, more tender toward  one another, and more alive to the sacredness of every person we  encounter. 

Bless this day before us — 

our learning, 

our laughter, 

our memories, 

our healing, 

and our rest. 

We ask all this in the name of Jesus Christ, who makes all things new. Amen. 

Friday Closing Prayer: 

Loving and sustaining God, 

As this day draws to a close, we give You thanks for every conversation, every encounter, 

every reminder that your Spirit is still at work among us. 

We thank you for the many gifts you have poured into this community. As Saint Paul reminds us: 

“There are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.” 

— First Epistle to the Corinthians 12:4 

Tonight we remember that no gift is small in your kingdom. Some are called to teach, some to encourage, some to lead, some to pray,  some to listen, some to walk quietly beside those who suffer. Yet all are given for the healing of the world and the building up of the Body  of Christ. 

Renew within us the courage to embrace our pastoral identity — not as a  title or role alone, but as a way of being present in the world. Teach us to be people who listen deeply: 

to you, 

to one another, 

and to those whose pain is often hidden beneath the surface. 

As Saint Benedict taught, help us to “listen with the ear of the heart.” Give us hearts attentive to the movement of your Spirit and eyes open to  Christ in every person we meet. 

When we are tempted to believe we are inadequate, remind us that your  Spirit equips those whom you call. 

When we grow weary in compassion, renew us with your grace. When we feel uncertain, anchor us again in the love of Christ. 

May the gifts awakened in this retreat continue to grow long after we leave  this place. 

May we become more faithful companions, wiser listeners, gentler  caregivers, and bolder witnesses to hope.

And now, O God, grant us rest this night. 

Quiet our minds, restore our bodies, and deepen our trust in You, so that  tomorrow we may rise renewed by the Spirit and ready again to serve. 

Saturday Morning Prayer: 

Gracious and compassionate God,

As we gather on this day, we pause to breathe deeply of your Spirit and rest  again in your presence. 

Thank you for the gift of this community, for the call to pastoral care, and for  the sacred privilege of walking beside others in moments of joy, uncertainty,  suffering, and grief. 

Today especially, we pray for wisdom and balance in the ministry of  compassion. 

Teach us to love generously without losing ourselves. 

Teach us to care deeply while maintaining healthy and holy boundaries. Remind us that we are called to be faithful companions, not saviors;  listeners, not controllers; witnesses to grace, not carriers of every burden  alone. 

Your Son, Jesus, often withdrew to pray, stepping away from the crowds to  be renewed by You. 

Help us remember that rest, silence, and prayer are not interruptions to  ministry — they are essential to it.

As we reflect on grief and the pain carried by those we accompany, grant us  tender hearts that do not turn away from sorrow. 

Give us courage to sit quietly with those who mourn, resisting the  temptation to fix what cannot be fixed or explain what remains mysterious. 

Your scripture tells us: 

“Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” — Epistle to the Galatians 6:2 

And also: 

“Be still, and know that I am God.” 

— Book of Psalms 46:10 

May this day be rooted in holy listening. 

As Saint Benedict taught, help us “listen with the ear of the heart.” In our prayer, our meditation, our conversations, and even in our silence,  may we become more attentive to Your Spirit and more compassionate  toward one another. 

We pray for all caregivers, chaplains, spiritual companions, and those who accompany others through a ministry of presence.

Protect their hearts from exhaustion and cynicism. 

Renew in them the joy of serving with humility and grace.

And when grief feels heavy, remind us that we never walk alone. Christ goes before us, beside us, and within us. 

Bless this day of reflection and learning. 

Shape us into people of deeper wisdom, healthier boundaries, and gentler  presence. 

We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, 

the Good Shepherd and healer of souls. Amen. 

Sunday Morning Prayer: 

Holy and life-giving Spirit, 

On this final morning of retreat, we gather with grateful hearts for all that You  have stirred within us these past days. 

Thank you for the moments of prayer and laughter, for holy conversations,  for silence, for healing, and for the gentle ways you have renewed us. 

As we prepare to leave this place, remind us that Pentecost was never about  remaining behind closed doors.

It was about people transformed by the Spirit and sent into the world with  courage, compassion, and hope. 

Your Word tells us: 

“And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent  wind… All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit.” 

— Acts of the Apostles 2:2–4 

Come again among us this morning, Holy Spirit. 

Breathe fresh fire into weary hearts. 

Strengthen those who feel tired in ministry. 

Encourage those carrying grief or uncertainty. 

Renew in each of us the gifts You have entrusted to our care. 

As we return to our homes, churches, communities, and ministries, help us  remember that sustaining ministry is not accomplished through striving  alone, but through abiding in Christ. 

Teach us rhythms of prayer and rest. 

Protect us from the temptation to give beyond what is healthy or wise. Help us carry one another’s burdens without losing sight of Your grace  sustaining us. 

Like the disciples after Pentecost, send us forth not in fear, but with joyful  boldness. 

May our words bring hope. 

May our listening bring healing. 

May our presence reflect the compassion of Christ. 

And in this sacred leave-taking, remind us that though we depart physically,  we remain united in the Spirit. 

Bless the friendships formed here, the wisdom shared, and the seeds  planted during this retreat. 

As Saint Benedict taught, may we continue to “listen with the ear of the  heart,” hearing your voice not only in places of retreat, but also in ordinary  

moments of daily life and ministry.

We pray also the words of Teresa of Ávila: 

“Christ has no body now but yours. 

No hands, no feet on earth but yours.” 

Send us now as people renewed by the Spirit — 

grounded in prayer, sustained by grace, and alive with Pentecost hope. 

In the name of Jesus Christ, 

who sends the Spirit and makes all things new. Amen. 

Reflections on the Rule

August, 2026

DR. BRANDON BECK

LAY CHAPLAIN, COHI

MONK, THE OOOW

CHURCH OF RECONCILIATION, SAN ANTONIO, TX

THEOLOGY STUDENT, BRITE DIVINITY SCHOOL

My family and I saw Christopher Nolan’s new The Odyssey in theaters recently. As I have reflected on the unique and creative way that Nolan, in his true-to-form bigger-than-life cinematic style, retold Homer’s epic, I couldn’t help but connect themes from this ancient epic tale with our Rule of Benedict.

Both works have survived so many hundreds and thousands of years because they teach invaluable life lessons for individuals and communities – one based on Jesus’ life and words and the other, quite possibly, a known work to those with whom Jesus worked.

It is based on the works of Homer that we come to talk about our lives as potentially related to the Hero’s Journey archetype. We all are born in this unknown life of ours and journey through our lives with a continual goal of returning home to that eternal kin-dom with our Father in Heaven. Throughout the journeys of our lives, we meet strange people and creatures and succeed and fail through joys and struggles just as Odysseus models as he strives to bring himself and his crew back to Ithaca. Our personal Cyclops might be depression or anxiety; our personal Scylla and Charybdis might be the decision we have to make about putting our parents in a nursing home or having them live with us in their final years.

Jesus lived the Hero’s Journey, as well, and is our example in faith that our true home to which we are all striving to return is Heaven drawn near on Earth and ever after in eternity. We achieve our home by simply loving God, our Neighbors, and Ourselves. Just as Jesus was tempted in the desert, we too use our relationship with God to resist the Siren songs of temptation in our lives.

Benedict knew all of this and taught his monastics well. When we are instructed by Benedict to pray in certain ways at certain times, to listen to God in all our endeavors, to wait patiently on each other, to both lead and follow in the manner of Jesus, and to be humble in our pursuit of deeper relationship with each other and with God, we are really being instructed to keep our eyes on the goal of our ultimate homecoming while relying on other people journeying with us.

One of the characters in Nolan’s film says, “They no longer know how to write the songs.” When I heard that line, I thought of the many traditions that are important to us as People of the Word and Table. I wondered what “songs” we no longer know how to write and how we, as faithful people in community, can remind ourselves and others not just of the “songs” of our ancestors but also that how and why “to write” them matters.

Let us not forget our home, our way and reason for striving to return, and the guides we have along the way. The guide whom we study in Community of Hope, St. Benedict, offers lessons and advice all along the way for how to be a better steward of the gifts God gives each of us.

Healing Power of Listening is Retreat Focus

by Karen Huber & Mark Magie 

The Community of Hope in Arkansas gathered for its annual regional retreat Saturday, April 25, 2026, at St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church in Little Rock. Forty four were in attendance to hear guest speaker Reverend Doctor Denise Van Meter, who spoke on familiar scriptures from Jesus and the Woman at the Well (John 4:7-28), and Jesus and Nicodemus (John 3:1-21), and challenged everyone to see them through the lens of the healing power of listening.

Table groups discussed the Samaritan woman at the well, guided by Rev. Van Meter to focus on facts, feelings and reactions, questions and connections. The groups were excited to share, so there was excellent participation.

Rev. Van Meter emphasized that chaplains, as they minister to people in the world, ensure others know they are in a safe space, have connections without any judgment and feel permission to express their emotions. Her passion and energy guided the participants to acknowledge grief and loss, fostering a deeper love for Jesus.

Rev. Craig Williams of Southbend United Methodist Church in Jacksonville, opened the day with piano music, leading the singing of “Ten Thousand Reasons” and “Be Thou My Vision.”  Members of St. Margaret’s, Skip Cochran read the daily Rule of Benedict, and Karen Huber offered a brief history and update on Community of Hope International, inviting new members to join the council to help plan future retreats.

Food during the day was plentiful from the breakfast/snack table prepared by Jan Hart of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Little Rock, to the lunch prepared by St. Margaret’s member John Madden who is famous for his “Wild Man” steak and chicken dinners.

After lunch, Rev. Van Meter challenged the groups to discuss the similarities and differences between the Samaritan woman and Nicodemus coming to Jesus at night. The group members wrote on Zenga blocks areas of grief or loss and stacked them to see what eventually made the blocks fall. They were encouraged to write ways to counter or deal with grief on the other side of the blocks.

The retreat ended with a Blessing of the Hands service in the sanctuary led by Rev. Van Meter, accompanied by more beautiful piano music and quiet time, which filled hearts to overflowing. After dismissal, some toured the Arkansas House of Prayer on the St. Margaret’s campus and walked the labyrinth.

From Leitchfield, Ky., Rev. Van Meter earned a Master of Divinity degree from Asbury Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Kairos University where her focus was facilitating conversations about loss and grief. She has served as a children and youth minister, an associate campus pastor, and a university professor.  “Community of Hope is one of the most inspiring groups I have worked with. I was honored to be a part of their retreat, leaving encouraged by their stories and ministry,” Rev. Van Meter said.

More than 300 have graduated from CoHI training under the leadership of Jenny Smith of St. James United Methodist Church and Rev. Dr. Joanna Seibert of St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Little Rock. The first group of COH graduates were commissioned lay chaplains in 2003.

Renewed by the Spirit 2026 Annual Conference Meets at Camp McDowell, Alabama

Community of Hope International gathered at Camp McDowell, Alabama, for the annual conference May 21-24. Participants drove, flew, and Zoomed in from around the country to participate in our own style of Benedictine “ora et labora” (pray and work).

We prayed Morning Prayer on the front deck of our lodge while listening to the soft, gentle rain through the tall pines, participated in evening Taizé service Saturday night, and celebrated the Feast of Pentecost Sunday morning in the beautiful St. Francis Chapel.

Each of our meetings began with songs led by Julie Chalk from Canyon Lake, TX, with vocal backup from Craig Wilson from Smyrna, GA.

Our work consisted of studying the renewed curriculum for training new pastoral caregivers. Our President, Sarah Roberts (Buford, GA) and the Rt. Rev. Brian Prior (Ret.) (Home - Brian Prior) facilitated an intensive walk-through of the study of Community of Hope in three parts – Formation, Circle of Care, and Pastoral Care.

We learned that our pastoral caregiver training modules each have amazing new videos to accompany them; we were even able to preview the videos which are still being edited to include highlighted quotes and introductions.

We explored creative, new ways to engage with the modules including storytelling, art reflection, journaling, connecting to The Rule, and a renewed debriefing format woven throughout all the modules.

Aimée Bostwick, our CoHI Curriculum and Charism Chair and Senior Advisor for Program Innovation at Kanuga Conference Center, walked us through a Forest Bathing experience as a part of our renewed Prayer and Christian Meditation Module.

In addition to the prayer and work, the group enjoyed some self-care in community with a reception provided by Regional Representatives in attendance Pam Piedfort (West/Northwest, Gulf Coast, Heartland, Atlantic, and Southwest), Tricia Jones (West Texas and Heritage West), Craig Wilson (Southeast), Amy Stillwell (Southeast), and Lynnae Schatz (Heritage).

The gracious hospitality of Camp McDowell offered other opportunities for self-care as some visited the famous suspension bridge in lower camp via golf cart ride from Bishop Brian, some enjoyed quiet walks along the wooded lanes, and others enjoyed early morning cups of coffee listening to the birds. Camp McDowell is home to a farm school and a folk school, as well, and we were blessed one evening during dinner to hear from the director of the farm school about his vocational call and work leading the farm school at Camp McDowell.

For our participants joining us by Zoom, the dedicated work of Abel Betances from the Diocese of Atlanta helped ensure that people could join us from here, there, and everywhere.

We are truly a Community of Hope. As we look to next year and years to come, we recognize that renewing ourselves is vital to our ministry. Having come together at Camp McDowell, we are renewed by the Spirit, not just because we met on the Feast of the Pentecost, but because we prayed, played, and worked together for the good of ourselves, the community, and the world. We hope you’ll join us next year!

(Special thanks to Tricia Jones and Pam Piedfort for contributing photographs)

Reflections on the Rule - June 2026

June, 2026

DR. BRANDON BECK

LAY CHAPLAIN, COHI

MONK, THE OOOW

CHURCH OF RECONCILIATION, SAN ANTONIO, TX

THEOLOGY STUDENT, BRITE DIVINITY SCHOOL

We’ve recently come through a section of The Rule wherein Benedict teaches what have come to be known as “Tools for Good Works” (See especially Chapter 4, May 19-22) and its subsequent section wherein we learn to listen to our community in discernment about how and when to use our “Tools” (see especially Chapter 5, May 23-24). We gathered at Camp McDowell in Alabama for our Annual Conference to renew our Spirit for the Good Work of Community of Hope May 19-24, discussing our very own Spiritual Gifts (“Tools for Good Works”), to listen to each other’s stories, and to learn and grow in community as we worked together to form ourselves, form our community, and be better able to care for others.

As I was outside using my string mower this afternoon, I found myself thinking back both to our time at Camp McDowell and to Benedict’s “Tools for Good Works.” I use my string mower for two distinct purposes: 1) to edge precise lines along the sidewalks and driveway and 2) to clear stalky weeds from the middle of the yard. The list of behaviors Benedict outlines in Chapter 4 from that sort of edge and precise line around our moral character and our inner being that helps us know where and how to grow. Sister Sutera, in her commentary, says, “This compilation of scriptural instructions will be the foundation for a harmonious community, as elaborated upon in the rest of the rule, and for inner harmony as well.” (St. Benedict’s Rule: An Inclusive Translation and Daily Commentary, Judith Sutera, OSB, Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN, 2021, p. 50)

While we were gathered at Camp McDowell, we reviewed the many “tools” available to us as Community of Hope, International, members. We celebrated the “good works” we are doing all over the country and refined our edges while encouraging the green, growing life of our community to flourish in all the ways the very natural beauty of Camp McDowell around us embodied.

What connections to your life and work draw you closer to The Rule today?

How is your own Circle of Care reminding you to develop your “Tools of Good Works?”

When you review Chapters 4 and 5, what is God asking you to let go of?

Reflections on the Rule - March 2026

March 18, 2026

Dr. Brandon Beck

Lay Chaplain, COHI

Monk, The OOOW

Church of reconciliation, san antonio, TX

Theology Student, Brite Divinity School

In Education for Ministry, I learned about the metaphor of “the empty chair.” The mentor with whom I first trained years ago always brought a tiny, pewter chair to class with her and set it in the middle of our discussion table. Her message with “the empty chair” metaphor was simple and powerful at the same time: What perspective might we be forgetting? Whose voice in the world have we left out?

My theology professor, Dr. Natalya Cherry at Brite Divinity School, teaches a similar concept to that of “the empty chair;” she says, “Going with Jesus means going to those most marginalized, no matter how marginalized you are, especially when someone else is more marginalized.”

As Community of Hope pastoral caregivers, we follow Jesus into that work of caring for others in that deep, Baptismal Covenant way–that way that resists injustice and respects the dignity of every human being–even when those human beings don’t agree with us or even rub us the wrong way.

“The empty chair” reminds us to pause and wonder, “What might that person need, think, believe, or wonder?” Dr. Cherry’s philosophy calls us to reach out to others remembering they also are created in God’s image.

None of this is news to those of us in Community of Hope because we are steeped in Benedictine tradition and rooted in a framework of humility and hospitality. In the Rule of Benedict, as we begin again and again to read the words the early monastics read in order to live well together, we find this sage advice for our work as pastoral caregivers leaning into our commitment to justice:

You must relieve the lot of the poor, clothe the naked, visit the sick, and bury the dead. Go to help the troubled and console the sorrowing. Your way of acting should be different from the world’s way; the love of Christ must come before all else. You are not to act in anger or nurse a grudge. Rid your heart of all deceit. Never give a hollow greeting of peace or turn away when someone needs your love. Bind yourself to no oath lest it prove false, but speak the truth with heart and tongue. Do not repay one bad turn with another. Do not injure anyone, but bear injuries patiently. Love your enemies. If people curse you, do not curse them back but bless them instead. Endure persecution for the sake of justice. (RSB Chapter 4, lines 14-33, Timothy Fry OSB, Editor, 1980)

That section is part of Chapter 4 which has come to be known as “Tools for Good Works;” since Jesus was said to have been a carpenter, I love that Benedict gave us tools to use to do the work Jesus left us to do. Even if that work seems difficult–difficult like loving your enemies and enduring persecution.

Imagining the thoughts of that person represented by “the empty chair” and always moving toward the other sounds great, but sometimes we need a little more to sustain ourselves in this ministry to which we are called.

“Reflections from Christian Meditators” offers this suggestion for getting closer to God while using our “Tools for Good Works:”

In community we learn that nuances of perception and reality can be subtle, so much so that we confuse them without knowing it. We come together with our own ideas and understanding, our own trauma, our own colourings of people and the world. And while our perceptions of a happening, a circumstance, a person, might be close to the real, what could be the consequences of us acting on our perceptions? Is it, in that instance, loving another? Is it loving ourselves?

Too many times our reactions to injustice can be just that–reactions. There is risk here that we are reacting more from our own biased perspective and hurt. A more considered response comes from a freedom that arises from within a space of ongoing healing. And yet healing so often can seem illusive.

As we continue to live and move and have our being together in this world, let us remember “the empty chair” and wonder who might be in it and ask what they might have to say, what they might be thinking and believing. Let us work a little more, using all our tools which we have been given by our Creator to heal ourselves so that we can be sustained in our ministry as pastoral caregivers, remembering always that we do this together, always beginning again.