Soon after I arrived at Campfire, Paul and Judi showed me a big Coolabah tree at the back of the property. I realised that, like the jolly swagman in “Waltzing Matilda”, I could remove my matilda and meditate  “in the shade of a Coolabah tree”. That’s what I did. During the month I was there, Campfire provided many opportunities like this for me to “be” instead of “do”, and I greatly appreciated that gift. I discovered, once again, that when I give priority to ‘being’ over ‘doing’, any doing that follows is more fruitful and meaningful. A big “thank you” to Nicola, Huss, Judi and Paul and all who supported my ‘being’ at Campfire.

The one retreat I led at Campfire, was a silent retreat, titled “I love it tree” held from Friday 13 (!!) June to Mon 16 June. After introductions, the five retreatants maintained a verbal and digital silence until group reflections on Monday afternoon. The extended silence was begun and ended with a labyrinth walk and blessing. These are the blessings which were used: “As you journey into the living silence of this sacred place, may your mind fall away from all illusion and your heart enter into the full light of reality to know yourself held in the love of the One who is loving to all”; “As you journey out of the living silence of this sacred place may you hold a space in your heart to give you the perseverance and courage you need to become who you are in union with all that is”.

The title of the retreat came from “Story about Feeling”, Bill Neidjie (c1912 -2002) (Magabala Books). Here is a part of Bill’s story: “Tree … grass … I love it tree because e love me too. E watching me same as you tree e working with your body, my body, e working with us. While you sleep e working… That tree, grass … that all like our father. Dirt, earth, I sleep with this earth. Grass … just like your brother… In my blood in my arm this grass.”

Bill’s words reveal the oneness he feels with ‘this tree’ and his ‘union’ with the ‘grass’ and ‘dirt’ of his land. This is a union of mutual love. A deep silence of a listening heart is the only gate of entry into Bill’s world. If we want to enter into this universal and deep communion, we must pay the entrance fee: a silent and still body and mind and a listening heart. To do that, we apply total attention to our prayer word and we wait in the pure silence until Jesus, our guide, leads us further into the flow of love in which we participate every moment. With the trees, grass and dirt, our prayer word guides us into a common union with all things. Then we participate in the life of the Spirit within us who joins us to the flow of all things returning to the tree of life from which we were first hewn.

Near the end of the retreat, whilst walking into the labyrinth with other retreatants, I saw an ant carrying a dead bee on its back. The dead bee was at least three times the size of the ant, and the ant was clearly struggling with it’s burden. It appeared to me that she was determined to make it home, so she could feed her family and be relieved of her load. The ant crossed my path again on my way out of the labyrinth, still struggling, still determined to make it home. I thought, “that bee load is like my striving ego, and meditation is my twice daily work in which I lay down my burden and take up Jesus’ light and easy burden of stillness and silence”. At the end the retreat my burden of my ego seemed so much lighter. This happens too at the conclusion of my daily meditations, as I rise up from the work of prayer, and take up my burden of much doing, my load seems lighter. I seem also to carry a knowing that the time is coming when I shall reach home and there will be no burden for me to carry. Pure prayer brings me to a place of joy and hope.

Outside the Campfire Retreat Centre there is a notice Sue Woods placed there: “House of Prayer”. It has special meaning for Sue. Now Campfire, through the grace of God, will remain a “House of Prayer” through the continuance of the living tradition of pure prayer, the prayer of the heart, and so contribute to the mission of the WCCM, “to communicate and nurture meditation as passed on through the teaching of John Main in the Christian tradition in the spirit of serving the unity of all”.