Here is a letter I sent to a couple old friends. Hope they respond:
I am a fringy part of a small group at Ecclessia these days. There was a decision recently to drop both ministry areas the group was a part of and do something else.
The new decision is what I had hoped for. Each person within the group is part of some community already e.g. one guy has befriended a homeless man, another is housing somebody off the street, another works as a volunteer in a physical therapy place (where her husband lives now), I live/eat/breathe and am delinquent on Redbud Circle.
Instead of *finding* a place to serve, the decision was made to support one another in these semi-established places in which the members are already a part of.
One reason that I had hoped for this is that I think it will bring the group closer together. I think it will be more flow-like. I think it will be less tiring. I think it will charge and bless the one who has stepped out already. I think it may open the eyes of other members to step out in other directions knowing that it is possible for the group to join in.
The perils I see in this are:
1. It could be hurtful if somebody's vision, especially if it is very passionate, is not followed. For example, the group may decide not to become Redbud delinquents. I may throw up my hands in disgust crying, "Now! I suppose I'll have to do the chili cookoff alone!" and subsequently fall into a 1950's heart-broken swoon and drown myself in beer and chili.
2. It may be that following the loving whims of members could be dead-ended places that does more harm than good e.g. everybody becoming fellow Redbud Delinquents.
3. The philosophy is more individualistic in a way. It is empowering the vision of the individual through the group. This may not be a "peril". I don't know. Seems okay, but I there's a red flag in my head. Maybe it is limiting or could be tunnel vision. I don't know.
In my humble opinion, the heart of what I see in this decision is captured in a quote by Mother Theresa - “We can do no great things - only small things with great love.” That could be argued, but the options for direction are small things, and are due to the love for what an individual naturally tended toward or is a part of. If that one loved, and is joined, that love will be multiplied, and maybe great.
Here is a letter I sent to a couple old friends. Hope they respond:
ReplyDeleteI am a fringy part of a small group at Ecclessia these days. There was a decision recently to drop both ministry areas the group was a part of and do something else.
The new decision is what I had hoped for. Each person within the group is part of some community already e.g. one guy has befriended a homeless man, another is housing somebody off the street, another works as a volunteer in a physical therapy place (where her husband lives now), I live/eat/breathe and am delinquent on Redbud Circle.
Instead of *finding* a place to serve, the decision was made to support one another in these semi-established places in which the members are already a part of.
One reason that I had hoped for this is that I think it will bring the group closer together. I think it will be more flow-like. I think it will be less tiring. I think it will charge and bless the one who has stepped out already. I think it may open the eyes of other members to step out in other directions knowing that it is possible for the group to join in.
The perils I see in this are:
1. It could be hurtful if somebody's vision, especially if it is very passionate, is not followed. For example, the group may decide not to become Redbud delinquents. I may throw up my hands in disgust crying, "Now! I suppose I'll have to do the chili cookoff alone!" and subsequently fall into a 1950's heart-broken swoon and drown myself in beer and chili.
2. It may be that following the loving whims of members could be dead-ended places that does more harm than good e.g. everybody becoming fellow Redbud Delinquents.
3. The philosophy is more individualistic in a way. It is empowering the vision of the individual through the group. This may not be a "peril". I don't know. Seems okay, but I there's a red flag in my head. Maybe it is limiting or could be tunnel vision. I don't know.
In my humble opinion, the heart of what I see in this decision is captured in a quote by Mother Theresa - “We can do no great things - only small things with great love.” That could be argued, but the options for direction are small things, and are due to the love for what an individual naturally tended toward or is a part of. If that one loved, and is joined, that love will be multiplied, and maybe great.
Keith
PS: Any thoughts would be appreciated.
I love this letter!! You actually explained what our group is doing in a way that I couldn't see earlier. Cool.
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