Honey Creek: Sacred Space, Sacred Journeys
First impressions leave lasting memories
Honey Creek holds fond memories for people in and out of our diocese. Some have experienced spiritual rites of passage through New Beginnings, Happening, and Cursillo. Others have enriched their lives and expanded their knowledge through the eclectic conferences and retreats offered over the years. Many of us have visited and stayed at the conference center on several occasions. However, there’s nothing like that first visit. Georgi Bates can attest to that.
Last fall, I invited Georgi, a member of St. George’s Parish in Savannah, to accompany me and Franciscan friar Robert Hugh to Honey Creek. Br. Robert Hugh was leading our fall conference, Making Room. I asked Georgi, who calls herself a very private person, what made her decide to go.
"My walk with God had been stagnant for some time and I was hoping that a conference might break the spell. I have to admit though, being the ultimate introvert that I am, as we neared Honey Creek I began feeling a mild dread at meeting all the other participants."
Did that feeling last? "No! As if in response to my thoughts, I saw the most glorious gathering of butterflies fluttering through the plumbago. There were lots of butterflies, all different sizes and shapes, hovering and landing among the light blue flowers. The sight lightened my heart."
"Sure, I was still concerned that I’d have to share a bathroom," Georgi continued, "but the silence was calming. There was also a sense of...I'm not sure what, I just know that I felt more relaxed, more focused."
And inside her motel-style room, Georgi found all the privacy she needed, complete with a private bathroom.
Br Robert Hugh is an accomplished storyteller with a keen sense of humor. "There is such an inner cleansing in laughter," Georgi reflected. "Br. Robert Hugh delighted us with this gift several times during his talks. And the more ‘serious stuff’ was delivered with a depth and gentleness I can only hope to achieve in my life on this earth."
The intimacy and unexpected camaraderie of the smaller discussion group created for Georgi an air of enlightenment and a sense of freedom.
The closing liturgy in the chapel gave her goose bumps. There were nearly 80 acolytes and chaperones attending their annual festival. Each congregation represented had a vested acolyte, holding their parish banner on high, process from the Bishop Reese Hall through the pines and into the chapel. Leading the procession the thurifer swung the thurible full of smoking incense 360° while dancing down the isle!
"As the young people processed in, I sensed the energy in the small chapel growing. The songs were uplifting, and the air around me seemed to get lighter. The voices resounded with joyfulness. The guitars and voices gave the music life as it drifted through the air. We all found ourselves clapping to the rhythm or tapping a foot. The air began to shimmer."
On the way home, I wondered whether Georgi had enjoyed the weekend. She had - both the place and the conference.
"As we drove out of Honey Creek," she reflected, "I realized a weight had been lifted, and my personal walk with Jesus Christ had been enlivened by a vibrancy only God’s grace can bring."
Will Georgi return to Honey Creek? "Absolutely! In fact, I can't wait for another conference. I'm hooked!"
