The Planting of a Monastery (Part 11)

The Gift of Property

On August 1st of 1992, having exhausted all our resources, we announced during what was to be our last Monastery Pilgrimage, our decision to leave Vashon Island. The monthly rent for the old farmhouse had risen, our chief benefactor had a series of setbacks in his personal fortune, and we were faced with just enough money to pay two months rent.

In our struggle to stay afloat, Father Paul had taken a job in production at the island’s tofu factory. He worked there for a few months, but felt forced to leave when one of his fellow workers placed an upside down cross in Father’s work station, and began subjecting him to hard rock music for the duration of his shift. We decided it was time to give up our struggle and leave the island. With no place to go, a Serbian hieromonk friend suggested we make a pilgrimage to the Holy City of Jerusalem and avail ourselves to the Patriarch, offering to take over one of the empty monasteries within Israel, places where Palestinian Orthodox monks had felt pressure to abandon. We resolved to sell our old truck and car, pack our icons, holy things, and library in the attic of a friend, and leave the country. If Jerusalem didn’t work out, we would go to Mount Athos.

Seventy people joined us on that August Saturday, for what was to be the last Monastery Pilgrimage on the island. Among them were John and Georgia Ratzenberger (John played Cliff in the television comedy “Cheers”). After announcing we would be leaving the island, John approached us with an offer. Would we consider staying if he donated five acres of land, just south of the farmhouse we were renting? They owned sixteen acres of land, meant to be an investment, and the upper most corner would be ours, if we agreed to stay. We accepted the offer as God’s will.

The next day, James and Patty Bryant, members of Overlake Christian Church (the largest mega church in the region) were attending their very first Orthodox celebration of the Divine Liturgy, along with their daughter, Hilary-Rose. The rector of Saint Paul Orthodox Church, Father James Bernstein, announced at the end of the service that the monks were staying after all, due to the generosity of a television actor!

On Monday, August 3rd, James Bryant called the monastery with the offer to serve as our architect, free of charge. Thus began what was to become a fruitful and productive friendship. On January 9th, of 1994, Father Paul and I became the godfathers of the future deacon, Father James Bryant.

The Land

From the very first meeting, James Bryant proved to be the perfect architect for us. Willing to put his own ego aside, he helped me realize my long standing dream to design a monastery that would look like a small Norwegian village. The church, which we would dedicate to the Protection of the Holy Virgin, was to be patterned after the historic stave churches of Norway. The central courtyard, with the temple on the east side, the trapeza on the west side, library on the south side, and bookstore and offices on the north, were to surround a central fountain. Seven monastic cells would fan out from the central buildings, forming what would one day be a village of monks. My desire to incorporate Norwegian architecture was partly a desire to express my Norwegian heritage, and partly as a missionary tool in a part of the country with a huge Nordic population.

Vashon Island is about the size of Manhattan, New York, so the fact that the donated land was within site of the farmhouse we’d been renting since 1988, seemed downright miraculous. With the blessing of our bishop, we accepted the five acres, hired a contractor to build a one thousand foot road into the property, and began working with the architect on a design that would one day be our monastery.

With little money to work with, we decided we’d begin the project with the construction of the eight foundations that would one day make up the monastery. We also constructed a tiny little chapel on the southeastern most part of the five acres, which we dedicated to Saint John the Wonderworker of Shanghai and San Francisco, our monastery’s patron saint. Working with little money, and progressing as we were able, it was to take us eighteen years before we could finally have the county sign off on the building permit.

With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon

The articles on the History of the Monastery will continue next weekend.

Photos: On Friday evening, I was invited to address the Young Adult group of Saint Mary Coptic Church in Lynnwood, WA. On Saturday Father Arsanios, pastor of Saint Mary Coptic Orthodox Church, made a pilgrimage to the monastery with his parish’s youth group.

Sunday November 19, 2017 / November 6, 2017
24th Sunday after Pentecost. Tone seven.

St. Paul the Confessor, archbishop of Constantinople (350).
Venerable Barlaam, abbot of Khoutyn (Novgorod) (1192).
New Hieromartyrs Nicitas bishop of Orekhovo-Zuev, Anatoly, Arsenius, Nicholas, Nicholas, Constantine priests, Hieromartyrs Barlaam, Gabriel, Gabriel, Woman Hieromartyrs Nina and Seraphima (1937).
New Hieromartyr Basil priest (1938).
New Martyr Gregory the Cross-bearer (1936).
St. Elias Fondaminskii of Paris (1942).
Synaxis of the New Martyrs of Sarov: Anatole, Basil, Hierotheus, Isaac, and Rufinus.
Repose of St. Herman, archbishop of Kazan (1567).
Venerable Luke, steward of the Kiev Caves (13th c.).
Venerable Barlaam of Keret Lake (16th c.).
Virgin-martyrs Tecusa, Alexandra, Claudia, Matrona, Polactia, Euphrosyne, and Athanasia of Ancyra (303).
Venerable Luke, monk, of Sicily (820).
Venerable Winnocus, abbot (716) (Neth.).
St. Leonard of Noblac (559) (Gaul).
Venerable Illtyd, abbot of Llanilltyd Fawr, disciple of St. Germanus of Auxerre (England) (6th c.) (Celtic & British).
St. Cowey of Portaferry, abbot of Moville (8th c.) (Celtic & British).
St. Demetrianus, bishop of Cytheria in Cyprus (915).

The Scripture Readings

Mark 16:1-8

He Is Risen

16 Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. 2 Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. 3 And they said among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?” 4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away—for it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.

6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. 7 But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.”

8 So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Ephesians 2:14-22

Christ Our Peace

14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

Christ Our Cornerstone

19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Luke 8:41-56

41 And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. And he fell down at Jesus’ feet and begged Him to come to his house, 42 for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was dying.

But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him. 43 Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, 44 came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped.

45 And Jesus said, “Who touched Me?”

When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, “Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’”

46 But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.” 47 Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.

48 And He said to her, “Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

49 While He was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, “Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the Teacher.”

50 But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, “Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.” 51 When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go in except Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl. 52 Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, “Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping.” 53 And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead.

54 But He put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, “Little girl, arise.” 55 Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately. And He commanded that she be given something to eat. 56 And her parents were astonished, but He charged them to tell no one what had happened.