Retreating for Depth

We are giddy with expectant hope.

This weekend we will drive up our favorite mountain with some new friends. Our purpose is to get away to listen. We want to talk and pray and sing our way into the nitty gritty of forming an intentional community.

We know a few things. We like singing together. It's like prayer. Or chocolate, maybe. Among us are two singer-songwriters, one of us who can make up a song about her dogs at the drop of a hat, and a real-live dancing and clapping baby. The others of us like to join right in with great gusto. So, we want to keep singing together. We know that.

We all love food. Growing it. Cooking it. Navigating local farmers markets. Supporting local farmers and native seeds. Water harvesting. Sharing meals. Offering hospitality and parties centered around food. So, food. We like it. We want to have some. And share it. We know that too.

We all seek the flow that brings abundance. We want our shared life—gathering for prayer, silence, meals, conversation, weed pulling, and playing—to not be an end to itself, but a way of integrated life, that generates life. We want to live in a way that frees us. Frees our time and resources to be given away more generously. Frees our schedules to be more attentive to our individual calls in the world. So, we want to life life with joy, freedom, and a sense of abundance that allows us to live with generosity for others. Abundant life. Yeah, we'd like some of that too.

We've been pondering over the 12 marks of new monasticism. Kate and I have been talking a lot lately about Third Way thinking and Walter Wink's theology.

We look forward to what the spirit continues to stir up within and among us this weekend. It is beyond us and yet we get to participate in bringing it to life. I like working with the pieces of the dream of God that we get to be part of. I hope you'll keep us in your prayers.

Becoming

Recently we re-met some folks who've also been dreaming about community.

At the beginning of the month we went to a supper to hear about a potential new, national ecumenical order for peace that is stirring.

About 25 people came. Mostly youngish. We all shared our dreams and longings for re-imagining Christian community in life giving ways.

From that gathering we re-connected with some people we had sort of met before. But come to find out they've been thinking/dreaming/planning some of the same things we have. So naturally we invited them over for supper the following week. We've met twice now and will again next week. The fun has begun.

We all long for a community to pray with daily, and to share the daily tasks of cooking, gardening, child raising, so that we are freed to do the things we are called to in the world. We want to live in a neighborhood and be good neighbors. And to work toward making our community a more just and peaceful place together.

It is good to feel in the flow of a longing and vision much bigger and deeper than us alone. I think that's called the Holy Spirit doing her thing. Happy Pentecost.