Pictures of our prayer hut

[James Aubuchon]

Here is a link to some pictures that I took of our prayer hut in our back yard. I hope you enjoy them.

http://www.thirdeyeshut.net/hut.html

God Bless

Jim

[James Aubuchon]

For those of you who had trouble accessing my web site, the site is back up and running again. You should now be able to see the web site with the pictures!

God Bless

Jim

[Ken McRae]

Is that chicken wire, I see? I don't understand your need for a prayer hut? Not that it's my business, but do you have a dedicated prayer corner in your home, with icons and candles there too?

[Boulos]

Like Theophilus said, plus i wish personally that no statues are there...

[Ken McRae]

... i wish personally that no statues are there...

If it was my hut, Jim, I'd pray about changing the entrance way a little by replacing the statue with a beautiful Orthodox cross, five to six foot tall above ground, hand-crafted by myself; and cover the entire outside entrance wall with an icon also written by myself.

In light of your distance from the nearest Orthodox church, though, I think it would be better to pray about moving next door to the church, even if that means renting out a basement apartment from a church member. The church would be your new "prayer hut" with all its icons!

It seems to me that a greater participation in the liturgical life of the Church, and receiving the medicine of immortality more frequently would be better for you, if it could be arranged. If you own your current residence and don't wish to sell, then maybe you could put it up for rent?

[James Aubuchon]

Dear Theophilus,

I am not sure whether you are being serious in your post about constructing a six foot cross. Are you implying that I am trying to make my prayer hut into a church? That is the furthest thing from our minds. We simply need a place to pray. We live in a very small two bedroom mobile home on ten acres. We have two children. We hardly have room in our house for our furniture, let alone a place where we can pray. We tried. We were doing prayers in the living room with our icons facing one of the walls. We stood in the front entryway next to the couch and said our prayers. There were four of us, and there was not enough room. We have buildings all over our property, and this building was just one of them. We decided to fix it up and make it into a place to do our prayers.

As for moving into the basement apartment close to our church, first of all, I would need to get a job in Albuquerque. I have high blood pressure, diabetes, a strees-related disorder, and have been diagnosed as bi-piolar. I take an enormous amount of medicine, one of the side-effects of which is that I cannot get out of bed on some mornings. I work part time as a substitute teacher because I cannot hold down a full time job. We live where we live because we were able to buy a place cheaply and pay cash for it, so our monthly expenses are very small.

As for the life of the Church, I would suggest that you read about our illustrious saints who were hermits, and actually seldom attended divine services. When they did, I am sure that it was a great blessing, as it is for us. My priest knows what I am doing, and does not have a problem with it. They have many parishioners throughout New Mexico that only come to services once a month. This is fairly normal in an area that is sparsely populated, and does not have an Orthodox church in every town.

However, I do not seek to justify myself here. If I am doing anything that is not in line with the teachings of the Church, I humbly submit, and will change my practices. If the Church forbids having a prayer hut in which to say our prayers, I will "close it down" and move back into the house. If I must move, then I will move.

A Great Sinner In Christ,

Jim

[Trudy]

Dear In Christ Brother James,

That is an awesome place of prayer! Humble. Simple. Quiet. Neat and clean. Well done!

I like the statue of St. Francis of Assisi out front. I have always liked him. Perhaps you could find a nice big rock to put him on and move him more towards the corner. Then you could put some smaller rocks around the base to set it off a bit. That would pretty too.

The chicken wire seems like a good idea too. I assume that is to keep out any little varmints that may try to work their way in where they shouldn't be?

I like the idea of painting a cross to the right of the entrance too. A good visual reminder of the purpose to whomever enters via the door.

I am sorry to hear of your disability. It must make things very difficult for you and your family, but it seems like you have a good handle on things. Glory to God.

May He bless you and your family's humble efforts at prayer and giving glory to Him. Please remember me in your prayers.

Sincerely in Christ,
Athanasia

[James Aubuchon]

The chicken wire seems like a good idea too. I assume that is to keep out any little varmints that may try to work their way in where they shouldn't be?
The "varmints" are our two dogs named Buddy and Evie. They would love to break in and dig holes , knock over St. Francis, and generally make a mess! :)

But alas, I must admit that the reason that the chicken wire is there is that at one time the building was used to house chickens! This is strange because the building is finished, and has electricity run to it. We cleaned it out, scrubbed the walls and floors with disinfectant, and turned it into a prayer room. So the chicken wire is actually accidental. It was just there. But it does serve a useful purpose.

I like your idea about the statue. Also, we thought of planting a garden in that space.

You are in our prayers!

Jim

[Marija]

hi Jim,
I admire your prayer hut...
A question: how did you start praying with the Jesus prayer? Where did you learn about this prayer?
yours in Christ..

[Eugenia]

Dear Jim,

We all have a need to find places that will allow us to be in solitude and quiet so we can listen to God. I,too,know the struggle with the myriad of daily physical and mental needs as a diabetic because I am a diabetic. It is a chronic condition that requires daily maintenance. It sounds like the prayer hut works well for you and is a good alternative to crowded spaces.

I am reminded of a story I read about St. Anthony who suffered continually. He asked, "Where wert thou, O merciful Jesus, when the enemy were tormenting me?" And the Lord answerd him: " I was here, O Anthony, and witnessed thy valour"

Courage and strength to live in His sight each day with renewed valour,Jim. God bless, Eugenia

[James Aubuchon]

hi Jim,
I admire your prayer hut...
A question: how did you start praying with the Jesus prayer? Where did you learn about this prayer?
yours in Christ..

I first heard of the Jesus Prayer when I was in College studying for the ministry (evangelical). An Orthodox friend invited me to the Pascha service at his Russian Orthodox Church. There I found a copy of the book The Way of a Pilgrim. I immediately started trying to do the Jesus Prayer, but without the support of the Church, or any guidance, I dropped it. However, over the years I would pick it back up again for short periods of time. After I became Orthodox, I started trying to do the prayer continually without a prayer rope, and again dropped because it was too much for me. Just recently, however, I was given a prayer rope by an Orthodox friend in Santa Cruz, CA. I had decided before this that I was going to try to do 300 Jesus prayers per day. The prayer rope that my friend gave me had exactly 300 knots! It was a confirmation from the Lord that He wanted me to do the prayer! I have been working up from there, and am now at 600 per day. Since I will be out of work for the summer (unless God provides me with summer work, please pray for me), I am going to try to spend the day doing the Jesus prayer, and keep increasing the amount that I do. I hope by the end of the summer (God willing) that I will have established something of the interior prayer of the heart. I am still waiting for some guidance about this from Father Seraphim, however.

In Christ,

Jim

[Fr Aaron Warwick]

Dear James:

Christ is risen! I would encourage you to search for a spiritual father or to at least be in close contact with your parish priest, especially about the Jesus Prayer. It is generally best to discuss your prayer rule and other such spiritual things with him alone; certainly, it should not be discussed in detail on a rather public forum. The reason being, of course, that discussion of ourselves generally leads to pride which will undoubtedly damage our interior prayer life.

Aaron

[Fr Seraphim (Black)]

I confess to being envious. I wish I had such a place of prayer. A pilgrim gave me a statue of St. Francis - the wind knocked it over - and now it hardly stands up.

We do what we can do. Needless to say, in today's over-powered non-sensical world, we North Americans who do not await with baited breath the opening of the 'Da Vinci Code' at the movie theatres, such a beautiful place of prayer built by James and his wife, is very, very moving.

Thank you.

[Marie-Duquette]

Dear James,

Christ is risen! I love your prayer hut! everything about it ... the fact that it was once a "chicken house and yard!" When I was a RC NUN, there was an empty "chicken house" on the property; and how I hoped to transform it into a "prayer hut" ...things can get hectic in religious communities; and finding a quiet place to pray can be quite a chalenge. Since I couldn't tranform the "chicken house" into a "prayer hut" I embarked upon an inner quest for solitude at the heart of my existence, that is towards an "inner prayer hut"... in the course of this quest, I seem to have found with the "grace of God" the "inner prayer hut", through the prayer of the heart/Jesus Prayer. How grateful I am!

I truly believe that each of us must seek out that "quiet space" be it in our prayer corner, in the Church building, in the backyard, in Nature, in the Scripture Readings and Jesus Prayer, in a "chicken hut" or whatever space that brings one into the Presence of the ever-Present, Living God.

As Father Seraphim says in his last post: we each do what is possible for us in our present life-situation.

May Our Loving Risen Christ bless you and your family with the "PEACE" that He brings during this Paschal Season.

marie_duquette

[James Aubuchon]

Marie,

I also long for that "inner prayer hut". If only I could be entirely undistracted in prayer while my kids run screaming through the house, or I am having to sit in a public school classroom and listen to some student trying to "put one over on the substitute". If only I could be free from all pride, anger, and lust, and simply be in the presence of God continually.

But alas, sinner that I am, I find time to go to my prayer hut and "escape" the distractions and feebly attempt to pray. It is nice to have a sanctuary of sorts that gives me time to get away from the hubbub (is that how you spell it?) and seek after God.

I agree though, that really prayer huts are nothing. I have prayed in literal closets, lying on my bed, sitting on the couch, and driving in the car. If only I could pray without ceasing. If only I could be free from my passions. If only I could truly be a light of the world, and others see Christ in me, instead of the wretch that they are stuck with.

Please pray for me, that God would grant me the prayer of the heart. I am desperate to receive it.

In Christ,

Jim

[Offieriad-Mynach Mihangel]

My first question would be: How did the chickens feel about being moved out of their nice safe, secure home?

One does need a special place of prayer, and sometimes the humbler the better. I knew an old Orthodox Priest in Scotland who converted the small stone byre at the back of his house into a chapel. The wind whistled through the unmortared walls, the floor was uneven and the icons were .... humble. But it virtually emptied the grand protestant church across the road.

Any special place of prayer, no matter how humble, is sanctified by the prayer which is made there.

Have you thought about elevating the table so that the icons and cross are higher - maybe as a shelf fixed to the wall? (I know the wall doesn't look any too solid), but with ingenuity it might be possible. I once modified an old gun rack that I found at a recycling centre into the base for a chapel Altar - a suitable modern variation on the swords into ploughshares theme.

Fr. Mihangel

[Fr Seraphim (Black)]

Dearest James et al,

Being myself a co-sufferer....gee, where did I put my cup of coffee?...it was just here a second ago...

I have a thought (not original, alas).

I heard somewhere, that he/she who loses their life for His Name's sake, finds it.

I am envious of James' hut that he and his wife so lovingly built.

Do I have one that even remotely comes close...if I could find that cup of coffee....wait a second...I think/know what I wanted to say.

What do we bring to our place apart?

Despite the outer/inner insanity we ALL struggle through each and every second, there is, alas, a way out!

Is there not mention in Orthodoxy of synergy (synergia), that is the willing union of two wills, ours and Christ's?

For our part it demands patience and lots of coffee, but...what about the Holy Spirit?

Our Lord's conception of peace is not our conception. His Way, His Peace, is not the idea we have of a way to peace.

His Way is not our way, but it can become our way also.

[Marie-Duquette]

"Peace of Christ be with you all!"

"Peace I leave with you my friends!" true, not as the world pictures it, but as I myself give it" says the Lord!

How? when? Where? to Whom? Why? Questions that all of us have in our heart and lives; and which we HOPE will be answered someday!

Unexpectedly!

When He so desires and plans!

On the road to Emmaus and the breaking of the bread; near a lake where the distraught apostles are fishing! at the tomb where the myrrbearers are mourning the death of Jesus their friend; in Galilee where he told Mary that He preceded them! ...

The Gospel/Word of God speaks it so simply and clearly! I can find the Peace that Christ Himself brings with His Resurrection ANYWHERE that I am united with God-Trinity in His Holy Will. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven!

Pray for me a sinner, and co-struggler for ceaseless prayer of the heart!

marie_duquette

PS. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself speaks to us in John 14: 23-31 of this process or "synergia" which Father Seraphim alludes to in his last post. Let us simply read-pray these words in our "prayer hut" wherever it is ... and humbly listen to the instructions of the Lord Jesus Christ for our own personal state of life, today! "Be not afraid, I go beroe you to prepare you a place," says the Lord!

[Marie-Duquette]

James,

Peace of Christ be with you!

Thank you for your response! I appreciate your humble, down to earth words. You say that you desire to be a "light for others to see Christ! Perhaps you need to try it the other way around, that is, you seeing the Presence of Christ in those around you, in the "hubbub" and chaos of life, while acknowledging winthin: "Lord Jesus Christ, Have mercy upon me a sinner."

"Be not afraid" of the struggle and distractions! These are like smoke that vanishes. You, as Jesus shows us in John's Gospel: "The world must be brought to know that I love the Father and that I am doing exactly what the Father told me. "

"Come now, let us go." Jn 14:31

marie_duquette

[Matthew Panchisin]

Dear James,

Clearly your monastic friends support your prayer hut! They like things like that. Our Bishop just had a prayer hut built outside the entrance of our Cathedral. We don't leave the Church open all the time and sometimes people come by to say a prayer and can't get in, hence the prayer hut was made into an immediate priority. 12,000.00 dollars latter we have a fortress of a prayer hut, and quite amazingly not one complaint over the cost, save me for a while.

It is good to see that you are in sync and thank you for sharing your prayer hut with us, it really is very moving. It reminds me of an old man who recently gave an old box to an iconographer friend of mine for repairs. A very beat up old box at that. I sat there wondering why he was wasting his time and talent on an old box. The iconographer was very busy with much work on his hands, but the old box was used to keep his holy things from Greece that the old man said his prayers in front of. It was considered most important to get done. He saw it as an extension of his liturgical life responsibilities and it was a very important part of the old mans life. That's the same iconographer's house the new older woman Saint showed up at, sat on the couch with his family and talked...

That Greek iconographer is an interesting man, no matter who or what shows up at his house they are always welcome with one exception the Jehovah Witness cult. That's another story...

In Christ,

Matthew Panchisin

[James Aubuchon]

My first question would be: How did the chickens feel about being moved out of their nice safe, secure home?

Alas our poor chickens! We tried. God knows we tried. We received some chicks from a local elementary school science project. We kept them warm and safe in our house until we thought they were old enough to go out into the chicken coop. We put them there with plenty of food and water. We went away for the weekend, and when we came back, they were all dead! Our poor chickens! We decided that we were not chicken farmers after that!

Father Seraphim wrote:

For our part it demands patience and lots of coffee, but...what about the Holy Spirit?

Ah yes, the Holy Coffee. What would I do without coffee? How many times have I been too tired to pray, only to have a cup of that Blessed Joe, and be able to put my hands to the plow?

Pray for me, a sinner (and for my coffee)

Jim

[Michelle M.]

i'm bipolar too.

[James Aubuchon]

i'm bipolar too.

I am sorry to hear this. I hope that your medicine is indeed helping you, and that the side-effects are not too debilitating. I take seroquel and abilify in small quantities (since I am very sensitive to the medicines). Some mornings I am not even able to get out of bed. At other times, my brain goes into overdrive, and I end up doing way more things than I should. It can be very difficult. My wife has to constantly question my motives, especially when I start a new "project" to make sure that I am not being "manic". Sometimes I am, and sometimes I'm not, but it can be a scary roller-coaster ride for the whole family. The medicine definitely helps though. Bi-polar disorder is becoming so widespread that one wonders if there is something wrong with the water we drink or something (perhaps there is not enough lithium in our diets?). I know far too many people who also struggle with this...both Christian and not.

I will pray for you.

Jim

[Ken McRae]

Bi-polar disorder is becoming so widespread that one wonders if there is something wrong with the water we drink or something (perhaps there is not enough lithium in our diets?). I know far too many people who also struggle with this ...

I am a Toolmaker by trade, and have been employed with the same company for approximately 13 years. In my department, known in the facility as 'the Tool Room', there are two dozen Tool-Makers, and each one has his/her own work-bench. The benches are arranged in rows at the back of the shop, and mine is located in the second row from the back. In this row, there are four benches: mine is second from the left. My neighbour to my immediate right, whose name is Mike, was diagnosed as bi-polar, I believe, about 3 years ago, and has been off work ever since, until just recently, returning only last week for the first time.

While he was off work for three years, Mike's bench remained vacant, even though there was a shortage of benches in the shop. Then, just over a year ago, a new Tool-Maker, named Brad, came to work for us. He was not given his own bench, but was asked to share one with someone else, which he did, for about half a year. Then a conflict (of sorts) occurred and he was moved out of that first bench into Mike's vacant bench. Brad did not know anything about Mike, or Mike's medical condition; as they had never met and Brad is a quiet man, more-or-less, and so most persons in the shop are not inclined to speak to him for long.

Some months after Brad had moved into Mike's bench, we were working fairly close together in the Die Repair area, and he struck up a conversation with me about 'life after death', which was uncharacteristic of him. I'm not sure how or even why, but during that conversation, I disclosed to him Mike's medical condition. I did so spontaneously, and recognize it was wrong to do so; but to my surprise, Brad took that opportunity to disclose to me his own medical history. He too was diagnosed as bi-polar around the same time as Mike, if not just a short time earlier and, if memory serves me right, I seem to recall him saying he was away from full-time work for nearly the same length of time as Mike was, before returning.

Dear Jim, thank you for your humble explanation. I am sorry that my words appeared ambiguous and offensive. I won't try to explain them any further than to say they were sincere and not meant to be provocative. It seems I have a bad habit of speaking too freely and it always gets me into trouble, without failure. The irony, though, is that I am generally a quiet person, and strive most of the time to avoid talkativeness. However, I have my moments when the flood-gates are opened, and the torrents flow. This is especially true of me during times of great agitation. Knowing now the circumstances of your life, a prayer hut makes perfect sense to me; and I must agree with the others regarding it's 'spiritual' beauty.

wretched Theophilus

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

Bi-polar disorder is becoming so widespread that one wonders if there is something wrong with the water we drink or something (perhaps there is not enough lithium in our diets?). I know far too many people who also struggle with this...both Christian and not.

Jim

From the pastoral evidence I would say this is completely true. Disorders of all sorts are much more evident than previously.

Of course this could be due to a greater awareness about these problems on the part of society; or a greater sensitivity or 'self-awareness' on the part of the individual.

These two things could come into play but I would also say that apart from this these disorders are objectively speaking much more widespread from the clear evidence we see within our parishes and monasteries.

Here we are not talking only about psychological disorders but also about passionate addictions of various sorts which are also far more widespread and serious. Also speaking in general one sees greater behavioural problems in children and a level of nervous agitation more than previously. Like Jim I also ask a similar question about what we are seeing before us and its causes as often there is, as in the example of children, no direct evidence of a problem with the parents.

Apart from direct causes to these problems which the Church needs to take into account there is also I think a spiritual sensitivity that all share in and which makes them sensitive to the spiritual atmosphere of the society around them. Society has its own environment: as we drive down a freeway surrounded by a myriad of other vehicles with unknown to us humans inside each of them we are going through a very unique experience that affects us in often unknown but powerful ways. Combine this with all the sights and sounds associated with this experience and we see something far more powerful going on in our lives than the usual comment that the drive to work was very stressful this morning. Another way to think about this is to consider the social experiences of our grandfathers or those even beyond them and how they were 'different people' than us.

There could also be a spiritual side to this experience which goes beyond the tangible. Perhaps in some way we are each affected by the 'passion level' of society in unseen ways which go beyond the level of direct contact. Beyond the level of the obvious- eg agitated parents produce agitated children- it could be that an agitated society produces agitated people in more subtle and spiritual ways than we are generally aware of.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[James Aubuchon]

Fr. Raphael,

I agree with everything that you say here. I have found for myself that a combination of medication and spiritual discipline helps me out immensely. I would not do without either one. I think that there is a spiritual side to this thing (as with most all things). I also agree that our society "infects" us in so many ways, that it is difficult to untangle the web and actually point to the "causes" of the phenomenon.

The best thing we can do is draw near to God, resist the devil, try to get our house in order, discipline our actions and thoughts, and take whatever medicine is prescribed by our doctors. Get counseling if you must, but I have found by experience that a more directive "Logos" centered counseling that focuses on changing behavior, and not just regurgitating memories is far more effective. Interestingly, the counseling that most often gets recommended for people struggling with these kinds of mental disorders is Cognitive Therapy, which is pretty much what I am talking about, but lacks a specifically spiritual dimension.

Just some food for thought from a sinner who in seeking bread, has gone through a lot of different things in the psychiatric and psychological realms.

In Christ,

Jim

[Michelle M.]

i didn't mean to derail the thread... sorry!

i think that doctors are getting better at diagnosing things. of course there are some who seem to jump the gun. my doctor took a good while to diagnose me as bipolar and didn't do so until i almost committed suicide. i also think that people are becoming much more aware of themselves, which can be a good or bad thing. proper doctors can put a stop to people wanting to diagnose themselves however.

but anyway, i agree... i luckly found God only a month before we started looking for medication (not yet diagnosed as bipolar). i would not be alive now if it weren't for God intervening in my life and i give Him all the credit for helping my doctor find me the right medication(s). i find my strength in Him, for a little while i tried to do it myself but failed miserably. it's only when i am strong in the Word each day that i can function normally (or as close as i can get right now).

i think a prayer hut is a great idea. if i could set up a room somewhere filled with things that reminded me of Him, that would be awesome....

[Herman Blaydoe]

i think a prayer hut is a great idea. if i could set up a room somewhere filled with things that reminded me of Him, that would be awesome....

Not to take away anything from Jame's effort. A private chapel is certainly a nice thing. But most Orthodox homes have (or should have) at least a prayer corner with a small table, a few icons, perhaps a candle or lampada. It can be as simple or elaborate as space and resources allow. Mine has icons of Christ and the Theotokos as well as my patron saint (Herman) on the wall, with a small lampada, over a half-circle shelf where I keep my pomyanik, prayer book, holy water and holy oil, and I was blessed to receive a small bit of earth from the original gravesite of St. Herman.

It is the place for morning and evening prayer, or quiet contemplation. Mine, I am afraid, is a bit cramped, but we do what we can. I think it is good to have an icon in each and every room of the house, but I think everyone can at least manage an icon corner somewhere.

A picture of an admittedly elaborate corner can be found here (you need to scroll down a bit):
Widipedia Article on Orthodoxy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Orthodoxy)

[Michelle M.]

why "should" people have a corner set up? why not make it something bigger and better? why "should" there be an icon in every room?

[Herman Blaydoe]

Please note I said "at least" which I don't think rules out something "bigger" or "better" but it begs a question: Is bigger "better"? What is "better", I would think, would be whatever resources and circumstance allow.

I did NOT say an icon SHOULD be in every room, I just said I thought it was a good idea. It reminds us that the prayers of the saints are with us where ever we are. Your mileage may vary.