This is my best answer so far to the questions I asked two days ago. See Vision? It is certainly not perfect or complete but it stirs in my heart and so I offer it for conversation and, who knows, perhaps even collaboration…
Community of the Reconciliation
“We can transform the world only to the extent that we ourselves have been transformed.” – Richard Rohr
† We are a diverse group of people who feel spurred to explore the mystery of the spiritual life in the Christian tradition. We are professionals, workers and students; single and married; younger and older.
† We believe that the Good News of Jesus Christ and the ministry of our Baptism call us to radical transformation, integration and reconciliation of the paradoxes of life. We believe in the power of the Christian story and tradition to unlock our hearts and break down our walls so that the Life That Never Goes Away may flow in and through us.
† We are a Eucharistic community, seeking to embody this mystery. We stand for transformation of ourselves and the world through emptying ourselves in love and service in the Way of Jesus Christ. Through lives of contemplation and prayer and service we seek to incarnate peace so that we may be peacemakers. We seek to incarnate mercy so that we can be reconcilers. We seek to incarnate love so that we can foster compassion.
“All real living is meeting.” – Martin Buber
† We are committed to fostering sustainable, healthy, mature relationships, grounded in personal and corporate prayer and silence, as the primary way of living out Jesus’ New Commandment that we love one another as He has loved us.
† As followers of Jesus we accept the challenge of nonviolence to confront destruction and chaos in our own lives and the world around us with our own creative power of love.
† Our faith is grounded in right relationship and not dogmatic formulations of purity. We affirm the paradoxical quality of wholeness and seek to hold the tension between false dualisms. We hold the tension that our journey is personal and yet it emerges out of relationships in community. We affirm that the sacred and secular worlds are one and the same reality. God is everywhere and we encounter this presence by cultivating the eyes to see and the openness to receive.
† We recognize that trust in God, our “faith”, is a work in progress that lasts our whole lives. We welcome all those who want to trust, who want to believe, who want to be transformed, and who like all of us have doubts. Honest doubt is not the enemy of faith; rather it is false certainty.
Practices
† We ground ourselves in learning and teaching the contemplative tradition, seeking union with God through the practice of transcending our own egos. We honour the power of prayer to orient our hearts towards the health and wholeness of creation. We seek to integrate the traditions of silent and spoken prayer and praise of God.
† We live in community, sharing resources of time and material and wisdom in a ministry of mutual support of each other and the wider community. We work alone and together, creating rhythm and movement in our lives.
† We seek to co-create with the Holy Spirit sacred space for prayer and worship and share this with all who are thirsty for it. This is the space of transformation; sacred because it is created with intention. We worship and pray together and alone in the integration of silence and song; listening and speaking; waiting and acting so that these rhythms can permeate our beings.
† We are dedicated to the transformational practice of growing, preparing and sharing food together as a sign of the deep interconnection and shared life in Christ. The hospitality of the open table and our care of the land grounds our work of prayer and witness for justice in solidarity with the least powerful in our midst.
† We are committed to learning, teaching and practicing Jesus’ Way of nonviolence. We engage the destructive forces of Empire and death while celebrating the creative power of love and compassion.
49 comments
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September 21, 2011 at 9:12 pm
Kim
I am not sure I understand the term “hold the tension” . Would that be like the person holding the middle of the rope in a tug of war, but not letting go?
Or does it mean that both are acceptable?
Is there a different explanation for me possible [please]?
And false dualism’s means that there is no difference between us and God, right?
Thanks!
September 21, 2011 at 10:49 pm
Ernest
I think “holding the tension” for me means being willing to be on the threshold between the two poles of a situation. It means choosing a position that is not “right” or “wrong”; “good” or “bad”; “human” or “divine”; “nature” or “grace”; “personal” or “collective”. It is replacing the “or” with “and”.
I would not say it is about eliminating differences but it is about not creating a judgment of value based on those differences.
September 22, 2011 at 5:05 pm
Kim
Okay. Thanks Ernest.
September 21, 2011 at 9:28 pm
jaqueline
Good vision ernest…but not really new is it ( which is the point I suppose )
September 22, 2011 at 8:21 pm
Lindsay
Hi Ernest, I’ve got a myriad of questions (minus one which Kim’s already asked) … Don’t worry I won’t ask all … or at least not all at once. Do you have time? Conversations in blog world tend to go off track I find, or at least mine do and unlike conversations in person or even teleconferences when I can kind of tell from voice inflection and body language and that electronic pinging telephone sound when someone’s left the building, I can’t really do that here. When I start to witter … um, … will you bear with me, or at least make a pinging sound so I know you’re headed out?
September 23, 2011 at 12:28 pm
Ernest
How about the sound when you enter?
Pong?
September 23, 2011 at 7:00 pm
Lindsay
*** chuckle ***
okay, …
pong (notwithstanding smelly connotation
) …
“We engage the destructive forces of Empire and death while celebrating the creative power of love and compassion.”
Q1: What does ‘Empire’ mean? … Things come to mind are:
a) Star Wars ‘Empire Strikes Back’? … I can never remember which side Luke Skywalker was on? …
b) British Empire? … -> Um, colonialism … imperialism?
c) big business – corporation? -> okay, this is a bit of a long shot …
d) ???
… d)? This one has got me intrigued … ?
September 23, 2011 at 10:01 pm
jaqueline
Empire means the Co-orporate world to me…and we the serfs…all serving the god of Mammon.
September 23, 2011 at 11:19 pm
Lindsay
Hey Jaqueline. Thanks!
I took so long with responding to Kim … I didn’t see your comment before I posted …
It seems older I get the less I know …
September 24, 2011 at 9:00 pm
Ernest
Yup, I think the Empire of Star Wars is actually a great analogy. Darth Vader, more machine than man, is the symbol for the kind if impersonal agenda of Power and Control, the cold rational intellect that seeks to crush the organic, tender, life that beats in our hearts. The British Empire in many ways embodied that archetype very well. So does the mechanical financial lust of corporations.
d) = all of the above
I will now return you all to Gilligan’s Island. Play on!
September 25, 2011 at 2:05 am
lindsay
Ah, now what you’ve written makes a bit more sense … can you please elaborate on “We engage the destructive forces of Empire and death while celebrating the creative power of love and compassion.” ? Maybe an example or a story might help … ?
September 23, 2011 at 7:56 pm
Kim
Thanks for your questions Lindsay. I seem to often connect with your take on things. It’s an odd thing about words. Empire means exactly the same things to me. I know what it actually encompasses, but react to the first impression in me. I just hope conversation doesn’t drift towards language that Gilligan or the Skipper used.
September 23, 2011 at 11:09 pm
Lindsay
Oh Kim, you’ve again expressed what I have often felt when reading your comments … I’m so glad you’re around … I love the honest way you communicate … and your humour. Thanks
I’m still wondering what Empire actually encompasses … can you please explain what it means? Sometimes the meaning of words seem like they should be obvious from the context but for whatever reason the brain just doesn’t make all the necessary connections … I’m wondering if some of it’s because of not being born and raised here in Canada … like, dare I admit it, Gilligan and Skipper aren’t in my frame of reference but according to wikipedia are characters in the 1960′s tv show Gilligan’s Island … Perhaps I should explain that being from South Africa, we didn’t get television until 1976 … and then initially only one channel a couple of hours a night … 1/2 in English 1/2 in Afrikaans … heavily censored, of course … We had radio. My parents eventually succumbed and acquired a tv set but that was quite a while later …. Gilligan, I gather, is the bumbling, dimwitted, accident-prone crewman and Skipper his friend takes the role of the straight man.
If I understand your concern correctly, and please correct me if I’m wrong, is that in taking a lighter stance that the serious intent and essence of the beautiful vision Ernest has presented for discussion might not be given the full attention and honour the conversation deserves … does that sound like a fair assessment? If so, please feel free to let me know. The last thing I would want is to sideline a conversation … especially a conversation as important as this …
September 28, 2011 at 6:38 pm
lindsay
HI Ernest, I’m still scratching my head with this one … now that you’ve clarified “Empire” it’s the word ‘engage’ used in this context that’s intriguing here … not ‘conquer’ or ‘navigate’ …
(Not so) trusty google says …
en·gage (n-gj)
v. en·gaged, en·gag·ing, en·gag·es
v.tr.
1. To obtain or contract for the services of; employ:
2. To arrange for the use of; reserve: engage a room.
3. To pledge or promise, especially to marry.
4. To attract and hold the attention of; engross: a hobby that engaged her for hours at a time.
5. To win over or attract:
6. To draw into; involve: .
7. To require the use of; occupy:
8. To enter or bring into conflict with:
9. To interlock or cause to interlock; mesh:
10. To give or take as security.
v.intr.
1. To involve oneself or become occupied; participate: engage in conversation.
2. To assume an obligation; agree.
3. To enter into conflict or battle: The armies engaged at dawn.
4. To become meshed or interlocked: The gears engaged.
Is this what you mean?
September 28, 2011 at 6:42 pm
lindsay
Oh Kim, my question bounced to a different spot than targeted … so it seems the question is meant to be for you … do you know the answer? …
September 29, 2011 at 8:15 am
lindsay
Thank-you Kim and Ernest. Your next blog, Ernest, and your response, Kim, is one those light bulb moments … as in ‘Ah, …. transform’ … yes, okay, that’s what you’re saying! Now the words are starting to make more sense … Wow! Your explanation, to me, is pure poetry … the kind that in unison gives me goosebumps on my arm …
September 29, 2011 at 6:26 pm
Kim
Hi Lindsay, [a little late reading your question!]
I would say Ernest was meaning engage as in enter into conflict or battle. At least that’s how I would see it.
September 30, 2011 at 12:14 am
lindsay
joie de vivre
October 14, 2011 at 9:00 am
lindsay
“We engage the destructive forces of Empire and death while celebrating the creative power of love and compassion.”
Still mulling over this word ‘engage’ … I’m wondering what does this mean in this context? What action or lack of action, what motivation is behind it? So far I have
1) very active and militant ‘battle’ or ‘conquer’
2) very active, directed ‘transformation’
I’m wondering if there’s a third option?
Can we replace the word ‘engage’ with ‘participate’? As in ‘being present’ …. not ‘abstaining’ or ‘boycotting’ or ‘opting out’ or denying but being right there in the midst of things … well, with death we don’t so much have an option anyway …, but it’s the approach which is different … 1) the amount of control and force we try to exert in opposition versus 2) actively working to change something from the inside out versus 3) transforming ourselves, our own perspective and energy from within ourselves, within the situation … less intrusive/directed maybe… ?
Yea, this is kind of wordy and pedantic, but the best way I can think of to explain why the meaning seems worthwhile …
1) Peacekeeper = guns and armoured vehicles, roadblocks and protecting the children
2) Peacemaker = truces, negotiation, rules and constitutions, discussion, discussion, discussion, arbitration when necessary …
3) Peacebearer = …?
October 15, 2011 at 2:02 pm
lindsay
Hi Ernest, it’s starting to gel on a few different levels for me. Jesus was a peace-bearer … I wonder if that’s what drew people to him? Thanks for hanging in there …
I’m ‘pinging’ off now …
September 23, 2011 at 11:58 pm
Kim
Hey Lindsay!
Actually the Gilligan reference was more like a “God forbid” this blog should ever slide into that level of silliness [which would be at my hands by the way].
Kind of warning myself not to get carried away. The Gilligan attempt at funny only works for 50 something Canadians who also watched the show. Kind of a touchstone for some of us inclined towards the slapstick. I like to cast that out there sometimes.
Fellow “Gilligan’s Islanders” often reply with the first line of the famous theme song. That often leads to a further decline in serious conversation! Sorry to dump this bit of lame Canadiana on the blog here.
But it really was a great theme song………………………………….
September 24, 2011 at 10:49 am
jaqueline
no no not just 50 something Canadians..those over 55 don’t get it and those who are still truly in their 40′s are way too fond of it as well as a childhood marker.
Gilligan’s Island, Addams family, Munsters, Beverly Hillbillies, Banana Splits..Magilla Gorilla…when that cartoon status came up on Facebook there were an abundance of shows from the 60′s and early 70′s!!! Penelope Pitstop, HR Puff ‘n’ Stuff.
Gilligan and the whole childhood TV thing kicked off with those who were kids in the 60′s ( born late 50′s into the 60′s ) It is funny…I can tell when someone was born after the 70′s if they mention Fat Albert as a well loved children’s show…because the rest of us were done with kids TV by then.
September 24, 2011 at 10:50 am
jaqueline
now sit right back and you’ll hear a tale…..
September 24, 2011 at 7:38 pm
Kim
A tale of a fateful trip………………………..
September 24, 2011 at 7:46 pm
Kim
Ahh, a fellow sixties tv fan with a encyclopedic memory. Banana Splits [with the included "danger island" vignette if memory serves me].
I am impressed Jaqueline!
September 24, 2011 at 9:10 pm
jaqueline
that started from this tropic port….uh oh ..jungo!!!!!!
September 25, 2011 at 12:08 am
jaqueline
( that was a Gilligan’s and Danger Island Mash up )
September 24, 2011 at 12:44 am
Lindsay
Oh Kim, often it’s your humour that gets us through! And any lessons in Canadiana are still so much appreciated … now I just need to find the Gilligan Islands theme song cos ice hockey is still a bit of a mystery btw … When I was in Greece over the summer in the tourist souvenir district there were these plaques of quotes by famous Greek philosophers … the one that stuck in my mind is the one by Plato … “You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” … so let’s play on – at least until Ernest tells us to stop
September 24, 2011 at 7:50 pm
Kim
Hi Lindsay, Your trip to Greece must have been interesting with their current predicament and all. Hope the weather was great. My sister just finished a week long cruise through the islands. I like the quote plenty!
September 25, 2011 at 1:52 am
lindsay
Mostly we sat on the grass banks of Athens golf club at the Special Olympics cheering my nephew and the other players on … it was an incredible experience and privilege to be there amongst the players … a testimony to human spirit and lessons in heart. So many proud moments! One evening we managed to slip into Athens we ended up standing on the Aerophagus with the Acropolis behind us and the church bells and city of Athens below us in the sunshine… the same place Paul was once stood. Standing in the sunshine it was easy to imagine what it would have been like being there listening to Paul all that time ago … why it would have been a natural thing to do in a place where it made natural sense.
September 26, 2011 at 7:24 am
Kim
Very cool Lindsay!
I also have a nephew in Special Olympics. They live in St Johns. He is traveling to Edmonton this February for ringette and I plan to be there too.
September 26, 2011 at 8:43 am
lindsay
Sweet!
Btw there were no Canadian golfers at the Special Olympics in Athens. The next on is in LA in 2015 … it seems to me there’s a real opportunity here for someone to put together a level 3-5 pitch and putt team.
September 26, 2011 at 8:45 am
lindsay
Oh, we met a Canadian family from St John coming back on the tram from Athens … Mom, Dad, 2 daughters … their brother was I think in the basketball team …. wouldn’t it be funny if you were related …
September 27, 2011 at 6:38 am
Kim
The pitch and putt is a good idea. Your St John family likely knows Nick as the S.O. group around St Johns is a small, tightly knit one. I will also ask my sister about the golf idea as Nick is an avid golfer. Thanks for the tip Lindsay.
September 27, 2011 at 9:05 pm
lindsay
Thanks so much, Kim.
Amazing story about the South African team, the level 1 coach is a lovely man, a quiet soft spoken art teacher who’d never set foot on the golf course before. In South Africa like elsewhere golf can be expensive, and the school where he taught didn’t have much to go round. He asked his pupils if anyone would be interested in doing something in the Special Olympics and they liked the look of the golf uniform and that’s how they got started … The 2 South African level 5 PGA golf coaches eventually heard about him through the grapevine and offered to give him some lessons in coaching. His team were amazing and at the end of the games they led the crowd in a round of Greek dancing. If ever there was a proud and humbling experience …
when you’re there it doesn’t really matter who’s winning … you end up cheering everyone on … though your heart still keeps missing a beat for your own player.
September 27, 2011 at 9:06 pm
lindsay
September 27, 2011 at 9:43 pm
Kim
In a word…………beautiful.
Thanks for this. The cheering part is so very true. They understand sport and friendship so much better than the rest of us. I am always inspired when lucky enough to watch.
September 25, 2011 at 11:39 am
lindsay
“We are dedicated to the transformational practice of growing, preparing and sharing food together as a sign of the deep interconnection and shared life in Christ. The hospitality of the open table and our care of the land grounds our work of prayer and witness for justice in solidarity with the least powerful in our midst.”
Now this to me is the crux and a bigger challenge. How can we in a concrete and practical way share our food, our stories and hospitality in a way that embraces diversity? How do we do this in a way that everyone can partake and eveyone’s contribution is valued and no-one is excluded? How do we do this in a way that is sustainable? The onus and responsibility obviously can’t fall on only a small group of people? It would be an impossible task The options might seem to be slim when stripped down by looking for a common denominator – one menu can’t possibly satisfy everyone. The novelty of finding a common menu is not sustainable, and ends up being bland for everyone. Continuous compromise can wear thin after a while … how can we continue to share an open, common table to offers a variety of meal choices… soul food, Halaal, Kosher, gluten-free, meat-free, sugar-free, organic, spicy and all the personal choices in-between? To simply say it can’t be done seems a cop-out … it seems a basic menu for those of us who don’t cook or have the necessary resources can partake or perhaps assist with the preparation with potluck where everyone can bring their own special, unique, preferred contributions might be an option. Potlucks tend to generate conversation … and shared recipes … perhaps … ?
September 27, 2011 at 6:35 am
Kim
Potlucks are the best. Back when I was married, my fiance and I had little money so we asked for people to bring their favorite dish to share to our wedding in lieu of a present. People brought their best dish alright and the memory of the food that day remains the strongest one for everyone who was there and it was the most “real” wedding [imho] I have attended since. It brought out the best conversation in all of us too.
September 27, 2011 at 9:37 am
Enid Backhouse
This seems to have turned into a chat line!
Christopher ! wgere are you ? we need you!
September 28, 2011 at 2:55 pm
jaqueline
Gilligan and the skipper are having coconut cream pie and pineapple cocktails …well actually , Gilligan is on a bicycle like contraption that is waving a fan and swinging a hammock in which the Skipper is having the delicious tropical dessert.
I leave it to ‘the rest’ to figure out which part Ernest and Christopher are playing.
September 27, 2011 at 9:40 am
Enid Backhouse
For some reason, i suddenly had to produce my legal firdt name , by which i have not been known for decades!it is still Tress
September 27, 2011 at 8:34 pm
lindsay
Yay! Tress, you back! I’m glad
September 27, 2011 at 8:46 pm
Kim
Welcome back Tress. The chat line thing is a ploy to encourage Christopher and Ernest to take the helm again of the good ship S.S. Minnow. Surely they can’t let this continue!
September 28, 2011 at 2:57 pm
jaqueline
ooops this went in the wrong spot under Tress’s…it won’t make sense if it is not here!
“
“Gilligan and the skipper are having coconut cream pie and pineapple cocktails …well actually , Gilligan is on a bicycle like contraption that is waving a fan and swinging a hammock in which the Skipper is having the delicious tropical dessert.
I leave it to ‘the rest’ to figure out which part Ernest and Christopher are playing.
September 28, 2011 at 6:13 pm
Kim
Seemed to me Gilligan always had to pedal the bike. Whether it was some power producing thing or to help the professor with his experiments. Of course Thurston and Lovee used his “air conditioning services” during happy hour too.
“aboard this tiny ship.
The mate was a mighty sailing man………………….”
September 28, 2011 at 6:21 pm
Kim
For Lindsay’s benefit [or detriment]
September 28, 2011 at 6:27 pm
lindsay
Lol … I’m looking at the faces and trying to figure out the answer to Jaqueline’s question … I’m quessing Ernest for Gilligan and Christopher for the Skipper …
* giggle *
October 10, 2011 at 2:40 am
Wallace
We recognize that trust in God, our “faith”, is a work in progress that lasts our whole lives. We welcome all those who want to trust, who want to believe, who want to be transformed, and who like all of us have doubts. Honest doubt is not the enemy of faith; rather it is false certaint