In a week from this Saturday, three of our members will be professing permanent vows as the Order of Jesus Christ, Reconciler is founded. At that time Holy Trinity will be the first House of the Order (thought we have been functioning in that way for the past year).
In order to live fully into being a House of the Order of Jesus Christ, Reconciler we will be looking for a property that will serve as our residence with worship space for our daily prayer and as the main worship space for the Oratory of Jesus Christ, Reconciler.
We are also looking for people who are interested in intentional Christian community and would be willing to commit to the community in this time of transition and commit to become resident members upon our moving into our new property. Our current space doesn't allow us to receive new members as resident at this time.
At this time we are looking at our finances and consulting a fundraiser as we prepare for this next stage in our life as a community.
We do have immediate needs so if you wish to support our work at this time use the donate button in the side bar, or send a check to The Community of the Holy Trinity, 3748 W. Eastwood # 2, Chicago IL, 60625. We are a religious non-profit.
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
A long year, but new things are on the horizon
Last year at this time we were uncertain if we had a space for the Community of the Holy Trinity. And it had been just a few months since the Church of Jesus Christ Reconciler came completely under our oversight and became the Oratory of Jesus Christ, Reconciler. It has been two years since our Rule was re-written to reflect that we were to be the first House of the Order of Jesus Christ, Reconciler. In the past year we have been in a bit of maintaining. The ministry of the Oratory has continued though our ability to offer hospitality has been curtailed in our current space. We've hosted a few events but that is about all. We have no space for guests.
Come september and the fall we will step into our new role as a House of the Order of Jesus Christ Reconciler as the Order will be inaugurated and profession of vows will take place on September 6th.
We also hope to begin raising money for and beginning the search for a property in Chicago.
Things have moved very slow around these changes over the past few years, but things are coming together.
Once the Order is founded we will be officially a House of the Order of Jesus Christ, Reconciler.
Come september and the fall we will step into our new role as a House of the Order of Jesus Christ Reconciler as the Order will be inaugurated and profession of vows will take place on September 6th.
We also hope to begin raising money for and beginning the search for a property in Chicago.
Things have moved very slow around these changes over the past few years, but things are coming together.
Once the Order is founded we will be officially a House of the Order of Jesus Christ, Reconciler.
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Trust, Faith, and Synchronicity : or Winter is Upon Us.
The past year or so things with the community have been a little out of sync. We have been going through a number of transitions: members leaving, new members coming in, working on developing a Student in Residence program, needing to move and becoming the first and founding House of an ecumencial religious order. The transition from a single independent intentional community to first house of the Order of Jesus Christ, Reconciler has been in process since 2011, as forming a religious order just takes time. Other things came unexpectedly, and were simply following opportunities that presented themselves, like the request to help a degree program at a local university to develop a student in residence program with intentional communities in chicago.
All of that would be enough stress on a community, if things were working out. What has happened is that things just have been out of sync. Nothing's been lining up. A house was offered to the community but we'd have had to move in at the worst possible time, and back out of agreements we'd made. Just then as we searched for other properties just as we thought we'd found what we needed things have prevented our getting those properties. And of course what space we get affects our ability to take on any potential student's in residence. Nothing is lining up nothing is working out or fitting together easily.
This lack of synchronicity and failure for things to work out has been an occasion to wonder what was God's call, was it time to move on? This might have been a temptation. I don't know. We are continuing on. Though, due to very recent turn of events, now the smallest we've been since our first few months as a community.
This has me thinking about time, timing, and that the realm of the Gospel and of God that Jesus announced is it's own time (Barth I find argues for this quite well in the Church Dogmatics). The community is seeking to live into and as our Rule says be a parable of this other time. When there is synchronicity of various times and timing, I am confident of God being at work. It's easy to see and trust when the times line up. Not so easy to trust when everything is out of sync. Difficult when God's time the time of the Gospel and the realm of God is out of sync with my won time.
Things are out of sync, it would be easy to conclude, even reasonable to do so, that this means that the community is doing something wrong, or even that we should give it up, move on to other things.
Yet..., even while nothing is lining up, and things are dwindling, people are affirming the ministry and witness of the community. This feels contradictory, and admittedly it is confusing. It's difficult to discern what to do, or what is the correct path. Here is perhaps the place for the virtue of steadfastness and perseverance. When things line up and all is clear, to push forward to maintain the course isn't a difficulty, doesn't really require steadfastness or perseverance.
Things are happening, but it looks like the community is definitely entering into a period of deep winter, of cutting back and pruning, and of no growth. It looks bleak. I'm reminded of the scene in the Secret Garden, when they first enter the garden and the girl asks, is it dead, and the boy replies no it is quick and he cuts a branch to reveal green and sap in the branch. There is life here but it has been slowing down, and many external signs of life are fading away. It looks like a long and potentially harsh winter ahead, but I trust God has prepared us for this winter.
I've written a more personal reflection on this same theme and priestlygoth.org
All of that would be enough stress on a community, if things were working out. What has happened is that things just have been out of sync. Nothing's been lining up. A house was offered to the community but we'd have had to move in at the worst possible time, and back out of agreements we'd made. Just then as we searched for other properties just as we thought we'd found what we needed things have prevented our getting those properties. And of course what space we get affects our ability to take on any potential student's in residence. Nothing is lining up nothing is working out or fitting together easily.
This lack of synchronicity and failure for things to work out has been an occasion to wonder what was God's call, was it time to move on? This might have been a temptation. I don't know. We are continuing on. Though, due to very recent turn of events, now the smallest we've been since our first few months as a community.
This has me thinking about time, timing, and that the realm of the Gospel and of God that Jesus announced is it's own time (Barth I find argues for this quite well in the Church Dogmatics). The community is seeking to live into and as our Rule says be a parable of this other time. When there is synchronicity of various times and timing, I am confident of God being at work. It's easy to see and trust when the times line up. Not so easy to trust when everything is out of sync. Difficult when God's time the time of the Gospel and the realm of God is out of sync with my won time.
Things are out of sync, it would be easy to conclude, even reasonable to do so, that this means that the community is doing something wrong, or even that we should give it up, move on to other things.
Yet..., even while nothing is lining up, and things are dwindling, people are affirming the ministry and witness of the community. This feels contradictory, and admittedly it is confusing. It's difficult to discern what to do, or what is the correct path. Here is perhaps the place for the virtue of steadfastness and perseverance. When things line up and all is clear, to push forward to maintain the course isn't a difficulty, doesn't really require steadfastness or perseverance.
Things are happening, but it looks like the community is definitely entering into a period of deep winter, of cutting back and pruning, and of no growth. It looks bleak. I'm reminded of the scene in the Secret Garden, when they first enter the garden and the girl asks, is it dead, and the boy replies no it is quick and he cuts a branch to reveal green and sap in the branch. There is life here but it has been slowing down, and many external signs of life are fading away. It looks like a long and potentially harsh winter ahead, but I trust God has prepared us for this winter.
I've written a more personal reflection on this same theme and priestlygoth.org
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Revised Rule
For the past year we have been working on a revision of our Rule, as various changes have been taking place and as we are preparing to become the first House of the Order of Jesus Christ, Reconciler. To read the revised rule go here.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
A Christmas Sermon
Bellow is the sermon Prior Larry preached at the shared Christmas Day service with Immanuel and St Elias:
Nativity of Our Lord Year
B Proper III
A Christmas
Sermon: Beyond Speach
Today God
returns to Zion in a most peculiar way, by becoming human. Today God joins God’s self to God’s
creation. In this God proclaims peace.
In this God speaks to us in order that we may be freed from what burdens
us. This word, this speech, is light in
darkness. God comes that we may see, and
not stumble around. But the God of the
entire universe, the source of it all, comes in a most peculiar way – like
every other human being, as an infant.
There is a
mystery here. Mystery, meaning not just
that this is beyond comprehension or something we must attempt to puzzle out,
but something upon which we are too contemplate. This is something that should arrest our
attention like a painting or work of art.
Think of the
earth, with its forest and deserts, oceans plains, mountains, rivers and lakes.
Think of all the animals and planets - the intricacy of the habitats. Think of the food you eat, what sustains you
and gives you life. Just this planet and
the life here is amazing and beautiful. Think of the moon that affects the
tides that lights up the night, and then think of the Sun its warmth and light
that makes life possible on this planet that orbits the sun.
Think of the
other planets that orbit this star we call the sun. Our solar system is simply one of many that
make up the Galaxy in which we live, which we see in our night sky as the Milky
Way. Then think of all the Galaxies in the universe, the images our telescopes
bring back to us of what is out there in this vast universe. Think of all that was spun into existence out
of the big bang, as our universe began.
Think then
of the one beyond all that, the one before there could be a before, the Beginning.
Think of this one who spoke all into being, the very reason for existence and
life. This one we call God who exerted
no energy but created energy, the one who made all ages and things, the very
universe. This one wants to speak to us.
This one has spoken. This one wants to enlighten us; this one wants to free us
from our burdens, our sin. This one
beyond all time and being and existences, comes to our aid, in our darkness and
confusion and speaks softly with caring. This one doesn’t come to crush,
doesn’t come in terror but comes with words of peace.
This one
beyond all things, source of all things, the one who is the speech that spoke
all into being, comes and becomes what this one created, by becoming Jesus of
Nazareth, joining God’s self to God’s creation, forever. This is the one who is source and sustainer
of all things, joins what this one created and sustains.
Does that
arrest your attention, isn’t this something worthy of a life time of
contemplation, and rapture. This should turn all our thinking on its head, that
a baby 2000 year ago in a back water territory of the Roman Empire, was the
incarnation of God. The one beyond all
thought and being and power, the very source, the very life of all things, is
joined with matter. This one comes in
this way to be with us to enlighten us to lift our burdens, and say you are not
alone, I Am. Come into my light, step
out of your confusion, you don’t need to stumble around and hurt yourself and
others. And yet we still do. We in various ways turn aside from this light
from this astounding thing that the God who spoke all things into being is
joined forever with matter, with human flesh.
Yet this changes
everything. God has become one of us in Jesus Christ. This one born of the Virgin Mary is laid in a
feeding trough. This one was from
conception the Son of God, the Word, the light of light, the very intimate speech
of God to God’s creation. Listen, attend here is the beginning and the entirety
of wisdom, our enlightenment and liberation.
Monday, October 10, 2011
The Rule of the Community of Holy Trinity and "Occupy Walstreet (or other place name) Movement
The Community of the Holy trinity is formed under a Rule of life. This Rule of life not only shapes how we are to live together as persons under the Rule, but also shapes our orientation in and to the world around us. Five years before the current financial and economic system came crumbling down and ruining the lives of those who had put their hopes, lives, savings and housing into its hands this system the community formed as an attempted alternative, a small point of resistance and rejection of the system that crashed around us but still continues on. We aren't the only such community, there are certainly communities who predated us by decades. I wonder about the connections between these communities of withdrawing resistance and the active resistance of the "Occupy" (Wallstreet, Chicago, DC, everywhere) movement.
Our rule opens with Scriptures and Sayings from the Early Church, and this statement of intention:
Our rule opens with Scriptures and Sayings from the Early Church, and this statement of intention:
Following the example of Acts and nearly 2000 years of ascetics, monks and nuns, we turn aside from the individualism and self-reliance of the world, resolving to hold real property in common for the purpose of service to Christ in, through, and for the Church and the world. We have chosen to live in community, in part, to speak to the current economic system, attempting to remove from ourselves the fetters of economic necessity. In doing this, we no longer trust the economy focused myopically on the creation and accumulation of wealth for individualistic benefit. We seek an economy of mutuality and the sharing of personal wealth and talents for both the common good and personal development, an economy beyond individual ownership and beyond all economies: the economy of the Kingdom of God. We come together sharing real property and other goods so that, through the joining of individual resources for the sake of the community, individuals may have not only what they need but also the means fully to express their selves and talents.
The community formed under this Rule exists for Christ and for others, not for itself alone. It is not a local church nor a replacement for a local fellowship of believers but a community of witness to the possibilities of the Kingdom of God, through its common life of discipline, communal living, hospitality, prayer, art, and seeking justice and mercy in the Church and world.
We acknowledge that God has called us to a life of common service, prayer and property according to the following Rule. In so doing we offer all to Christ in Love of God and of neighbor.
On one hand I hope communities like ours and Reba Place and Jesus People USA, and Simple Way etc.(to name only three of many more that I could list) may be something of an inspiration for those in the movement. I also hope it can be encouraging to know that there are those who have been living within the system in alternative ways as resisting the system while withdrawing from it (in part). I also, hope that there might be ways for finding actual connection and solidarity even if there is also tension.
I will not speak for other communities that may fall under the current moniker of New Monastic, but for myself and the above portion of the rule, there is a particular spirituality that grounds a particular act of withdrawal from and within the system that is a proclamation to those in the system. There is a calling out of it. Granted this is not a direct confrontation with the system, nor an attempt to reform, change, or take over the system. This way of being in the world is one that can't shrink from the contradiction of a withdrawal that continues to remain in commerce with that against which one is objecting through a particular way of life.
It leaves a community like that of Holy Trinity in a peculiar position, objecting to and rejecting the system yet never fully disentangled from it, nor actively working against the system to change it so that we are no longer entangled and implicated in injustice.
Thus I could see some activists maybe even those of the Occupy movement seeing that we have done nothing. We are perhaps weak and hidden - ineffective. These little communities have not attempted, and certainly Holy Trinity has not sought to do so, to demand access to the halls of power for the sake of the poor and oppressed, or the bottom 99%.
I as prior of the community feel a tension,which I think is good, between the Rule of life we live and are committed to and the "Occupy" protests and movement. On one hand our Rule of life simply and straightforwardly claims the current systems of economy and power are broken. The point of the alternative is in the very least that this brokenness is that the system or systems claim to cover everything but overlook a great deal and this community is for those who in various ways and for various reasons find the current system untenable. But it also is a critique of the system, and a rejection of its understandings of wealth and power. In this sense a community like Holy Trinity stands in solidarity with and is a predecessor of the Occupy movement. It might be seen by some that we have done and do too little, there is a weakness in the face of the problems of the world and the powers of the system have not trembled. This weakness may be the point though from the perspective of a community founded to serve Christ the Crucified in the world. It is by the weak and foolish things of the world that God confounds the powerful and wise of the world.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Interested in Joining the Community of Holy Trinity?
This fall we moved into an additional living space an apartment in Immanuel Lutheran's bell tower (there are no bells in the bell tower).
With this new space we have two immediate openings for anyone interested in joining (either 2 single persons, or 1 single and a couple). Immediate means beginning the process of joining with probable move in date one or two months after beginning the process. We will also have openings in early 2011 for anyone who may be looking but not in the immediate position to join in the next two to three months.
The process begins by contacting the community, see contact page for our contact informaiton.
Prospective members then will be contacted by Prior Larry Kamphausen, or the current member assigned to reception of new members. in order to schedule a visit to the community and explain the process of being considered for membership (also outlined in our Rule). One can read the Rule found here. The first question asked of any prospective member is whether or not one is lead to live under the Rule of life. After having read the Rule and visiting the community the process from that point depends on a number of factors, including prospective members situation.
With this new space we have two immediate openings for anyone interested in joining (either 2 single persons, or 1 single and a couple). Immediate means beginning the process of joining with probable move in date one or two months after beginning the process. We will also have openings in early 2011 for anyone who may be looking but not in the immediate position to join in the next two to three months.
The process begins by contacting the community, see contact page for our contact informaiton.
Prospective members then will be contacted by Prior Larry Kamphausen, or the current member assigned to reception of new members. in order to schedule a visit to the community and explain the process of being considered for membership (also outlined in our Rule). One can read the Rule found here. The first question asked of any prospective member is whether or not one is lead to live under the Rule of life. After having read the Rule and visiting the community the process from that point depends on a number of factors, including prospective members situation.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Monasticism, Community and the Island
Recently saw the Russian film, the Island. (not to be confused with the 2005 sci-fi action movie of the same English title.) It is about a monk and an Orthodox monastery on an Island off the coast of the North sea. It is a beautiful depiction of monasticism, community and the struggle of the spiritual life. The story revolves around hte character of Father Anatoly, and the abbot Father Filaret and Father Job, a younger monk who is also in charge of much of the daily functioning of the monastery. Father Anatoly is troubled by a grave sin he committed before he found himself in the monastery, but people come to the monastery in search of him, believing he is a holy man and attribute miracles to him, and one whose prayers are especially efficacious. But Father Anatoly is not an easy man, and usually pretends that he is the aid of Father anatoly. Father Anatoly also plays pranks on his fellow monks and doesn't always pray in the church with the monks but prays the set prayers and psalms either in his cell or out in the steppes away from the monastery. He is also the monk who tends the boiler of the monastery and lives in the boiler room. Overtime we do come to see through the harsh treatment of those who come to him, the pranks, and isolation that he is a holy man, a holy fool, and probably a Saint. In a sense through being a fictionalized account we have a story of a holy fool that is not a hagiography, and can experience the challenge of Christian holiness without the aura of knowing for sure who Father Anatoly is.
I think there are many lessons people who live or seek to live in intentional community can gain insight about the nature of intensive communal living, even if not strictly speaking monastic. The Island shows that monasticism isn't retreat from struggle but is retreat to struggle. Even that monasteries aren't the place of the perfect but of sinners, who struggle with deep rooted and often hidden sins. It also beautifully portrays the frustrations and the beauty of being tied to those who are truly other in manasticism and intentional Christian community. Living in this way with others whose quirks, sins and bodily presence, the whole person, can simply rub against ones own person in ways that can make one acutely aware of both the others failings and ones own. The temptation then is to focus on the others sins and failings ignoring ones own. or as in the case of Father Anatoly to be so convinced of ones own failure that one cannot see how God is at work in your presence in the community.
I appreciate that the film in its short vignettes of monastic life and in the depiction of the relationship between the three main characters, shows the reality and the holiness of this form of life: a holiness that does not come from the perfection of the monks but the ongoing struggle over each monks own sins and failings and of accepting God at work in each person for the good of all both those inside and outside the monastery. Things we who look to monasticism and seek to live out the Gospel in this intensive and communal way need to keep in mind in our attempts to serve God and the church in living in intentional Christian community.
I think there are many lessons people who live or seek to live in intentional community can gain insight about the nature of intensive communal living, even if not strictly speaking monastic. The Island shows that monasticism isn't retreat from struggle but is retreat to struggle. Even that monasteries aren't the place of the perfect but of sinners, who struggle with deep rooted and often hidden sins. It also beautifully portrays the frustrations and the beauty of being tied to those who are truly other in manasticism and intentional Christian community. Living in this way with others whose quirks, sins and bodily presence, the whole person, can simply rub against ones own person in ways that can make one acutely aware of both the others failings and ones own. The temptation then is to focus on the others sins and failings ignoring ones own. or as in the case of Father Anatoly to be so convinced of ones own failure that one cannot see how God is at work in your presence in the community.
I appreciate that the film in its short vignettes of monastic life and in the depiction of the relationship between the three main characters, shows the reality and the holiness of this form of life: a holiness that does not come from the perfection of the monks but the ongoing struggle over each monks own sins and failings and of accepting God at work in each person for the good of all both those inside and outside the monastery. Things we who look to monasticism and seek to live out the Gospel in this intensive and communal way need to keep in mind in our attempts to serve God and the church in living in intentional Christian community.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Letter to Friends of the Community
Dear Friends,
By now, you are probably familiar with who we are, on one level or another. To you, we may be members of your family, or longtime friends; maybe we are partners in faith on the Immanuel campus; it is possible that you have worked with us, collectively or individually, to help make a difference in the world; perhaps we are simply known as “The 'Nidge”, a gathering place for an increasingly diverse group of friends. Really, we are all of those things, and more.
The Community of the Holy Trinity was begun in 2003 by current members Kate and Larry Kamphausen, and two friends, who have since moved on. The community was formed to provide a space for Christians, especially those who are artists, social activists, and social workers, to come together in mutual support of God’s calling and living out the Gospel. For us, this means holding property in common in a life centered on the daily rhythms of prayer and an environment of hospitality. Our inspiration has been the monastic tradition of the Church, as well as specific communities like the monks of Taize, and the Reba Place community in Evanston. At the writing of this letter, we currently have six members, who are all artists, musicians, activists, and writers, all with the passion, talent, and determination to help make the world a better, safer place, free of oppression and violence. The community's common purpose is prayer and hospitality, and joining together in mutual support of each others's callings.
By the end of this calendar year, The Community of the Holy Trinity will be coming under the umbrella of an organization called *Culture is Not Optional ( or “*CINO”). *CINO is a group which seeks to encourage and support Christian engagement with all aspects of culture -- the arts, sciences, politics -- and to do so with an open but distinctly Christian perspective. The organization, like Holy Trinity, is ecumenical, though its founders all come out of the Christian Reformed tradition.
In order to support our members in their pursuits, and to fulfill our desire to extend hospitality to those in need, we need your help. Our immediate need is to help support two of our members who are called to social activism full time, one of whom suffers from chronic health problems and is uninsured; longer-term, our goal is to help support any of our members who desires to follow their callings, as well as provide a place of retreat, respite, and healing for members as well as guests. The Community is also exploring expansion, as we have three people who are currently considering membership, and in order to be able to accommodate these people, we need to find more space.
In order to meet our immediate needs for this calender year and to lay a good foundation for the coming year we are seeking to raise $9000. Your donation will be tax-deductible, and in early 2010 you will receive a Year-in-Review letter that will let you know how our budget breaks down, and the activities of our members as they are able to put your donations to work in the world. We invite you to partner with us as we continue to live into and expand the work that was begun six years ago.
Cash, checks, and money orders may be sent to: Community of the Holy Trinity, 1510 W Elmdale, Chicago, IL 60660.
We look forward to this journey together!
By now, you are probably familiar with who we are, on one level or another. To you, we may be members of your family, or longtime friends; maybe we are partners in faith on the Immanuel campus; it is possible that you have worked with us, collectively or individually, to help make a difference in the world; perhaps we are simply known as “The 'Nidge”, a gathering place for an increasingly diverse group of friends. Really, we are all of those things, and more.
The Community of the Holy Trinity was begun in 2003 by current members Kate and Larry Kamphausen, and two friends, who have since moved on. The community was formed to provide a space for Christians, especially those who are artists, social activists, and social workers, to come together in mutual support of God’s calling and living out the Gospel. For us, this means holding property in common in a life centered on the daily rhythms of prayer and an environment of hospitality. Our inspiration has been the monastic tradition of the Church, as well as specific communities like the monks of Taize, and the Reba Place community in Evanston. At the writing of this letter, we currently have six members, who are all artists, musicians, activists, and writers, all with the passion, talent, and determination to help make the world a better, safer place, free of oppression and violence. The community's common purpose is prayer and hospitality, and joining together in mutual support of each others's callings.
By the end of this calendar year, The Community of the Holy Trinity will be coming under the umbrella of an organization called *Culture is Not Optional ( or “*CINO”). *CINO is a group which seeks to encourage and support Christian engagement with all aspects of culture -- the arts, sciences, politics -- and to do so with an open but distinctly Christian perspective. The organization, like Holy Trinity, is ecumenical, though its founders all come out of the Christian Reformed tradition.
In order to support our members in their pursuits, and to fulfill our desire to extend hospitality to those in need, we need your help. Our immediate need is to help support two of our members who are called to social activism full time, one of whom suffers from chronic health problems and is uninsured; longer-term, our goal is to help support any of our members who desires to follow their callings, as well as provide a place of retreat, respite, and healing for members as well as guests. The Community is also exploring expansion, as we have three people who are currently considering membership, and in order to be able to accommodate these people, we need to find more space.
In order to meet our immediate needs for this calender year and to lay a good foundation for the coming year we are seeking to raise $9000. Your donation will be tax-deductible, and in early 2010 you will receive a Year-in-Review letter that will let you know how our budget breaks down, and the activities of our members as they are able to put your donations to work in the world. We invite you to partner with us as we continue to live into and expand the work that was begun six years ago.
Cash, checks, and money orders may be sent to: Community of the Holy Trinity, 1510 W Elmdale, Chicago, IL 60660.
We look forward to this journey together!
Friday, June 26, 2009
From Self-centeredness to Christ Centeredness.
This is a stab at articulating some things in my self and being part of the community that are on the edge of full articulation. This is sort of a sketch of thoughts on what living for and in Christ as member and prior of an intentional Christian Community.
Several things are on the horizon for the community, yet what they mean for the community is currently very vague and the time table for them happening is also uncertain and depends on things which are not entirely in our or my control. This is a difficult place to be one that requires detachment and a keen sense of call and the reason for having made and continuing to make certain sacrifices. Our Rule speaks of growing in awareness of things held in common, of hospitality and of being for the other. All of this, if followed, calls for moving beyond a self-centerdness into dieing to one-self for the sake of Christ. Here is the rub: at times it is not clear to me how what we do, what I do is for Christ, nor is it clear to me what exactly that means. I am not always sure how to evaluate these things.
The lack of clarity in part comes from the the moralistic interpretations of being Christ centered or the narrow cultural interpretations that would view my identification as Goth as a form of self-centeredness. Yet, I have for sometime felt that my identification as goth Christian and pastor was a coincidence of things That are expressions of myself and of being for Christ.
What I feel being called to now is that to entirely give over this identity to Christ and all that i do: for instance working with Kilter Magazine. What is odd is that this sense of call changes nothing of the externals, rather it is a disposition towards these things. A releasing of a preoccupation with identity and its preservation.
What has lead me to this I am finding that my various involvements are exhausting me, because I am attempting to do them because I am interested in them and for myself. Yet I have also been lead to do them for the sake of Christ and others. attempting to keep a division of what I do for myself and what I do for "ministry", creates at times an exhausting burden, because most of what I do currently is due to my interests and identity and yet I am also doing them as "ministry"
What I think is happening is that who I am is being taken up into Christ, I will take part in the editorial work of Kilter, I will write for Catapult, pastor Reconciler be Prior of the Community of Holy Trinity as its founder,
This all should not be surprising when Kate and I began down this path it was not for us but for others. Before our friends approached us and asked to start a community with them, we did not feel called to community. the very act of founding the Community of the Holy Trinity was an act of leaving aside a certain path in which we would have still served Christ but would have pursued our interests and certainly would have served Christ but in away that the service of Christ would have been through the preservation of an identity in the service of Christ, there would have been "ministry" we would have done and the things we did in our own pursuits separate from "ministry" I don't have a ministry, I don't have that which is for myself. This goes against much current conversation of self-care.
Several things are on the horizon for the community, yet what they mean for the community is currently very vague and the time table for them happening is also uncertain and depends on things which are not entirely in our or my control. This is a difficult place to be one that requires detachment and a keen sense of call and the reason for having made and continuing to make certain sacrifices. Our Rule speaks of growing in awareness of things held in common, of hospitality and of being for the other. All of this, if followed, calls for moving beyond a self-centerdness into dieing to one-self for the sake of Christ. Here is the rub: at times it is not clear to me how what we do, what I do is for Christ, nor is it clear to me what exactly that means. I am not always sure how to evaluate these things.
The lack of clarity in part comes from the the moralistic interpretations of being Christ centered or the narrow cultural interpretations that would view my identification as Goth as a form of self-centeredness. Yet, I have for sometime felt that my identification as goth Christian and pastor was a coincidence of things That are expressions of myself and of being for Christ.
What I feel being called to now is that to entirely give over this identity to Christ and all that i do: for instance working with Kilter Magazine. What is odd is that this sense of call changes nothing of the externals, rather it is a disposition towards these things. A releasing of a preoccupation with identity and its preservation.
What has lead me to this I am finding that my various involvements are exhausting me, because I am attempting to do them because I am interested in them and for myself. Yet I have also been lead to do them for the sake of Christ and others. attempting to keep a division of what I do for myself and what I do for "ministry", creates at times an exhausting burden, because most of what I do currently is due to my interests and identity and yet I am also doing them as "ministry"
What I think is happening is that who I am is being taken up into Christ, I will take part in the editorial work of Kilter, I will write for Catapult, pastor Reconciler be Prior of the Community of Holy Trinity as its founder,
This all should not be surprising when Kate and I began down this path it was not for us but for others. Before our friends approached us and asked to start a community with them, we did not feel called to community. the very act of founding the Community of the Holy Trinity was an act of leaving aside a certain path in which we would have still served Christ but would have pursued our interests and certainly would have served Christ but in away that the service of Christ would have been through the preservation of an identity in the service of Christ, there would have been "ministry" we would have done and the things we did in our own pursuits separate from "ministry" I don't have a ministry, I don't have that which is for myself. This goes against much current conversation of self-care.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
*CINO and Imagining spaces
*CINO has raised over 1500 dollars by yesterday towards the purchase of the Huss School property. The deadline for the closing date for the property was moved back so they have a new deadline to raise the approximately 4000 dollars to be able to purchase the property.
You can read the further progress and some of what it has been like attempting to raise $20,000 in less than a month at the Imagining Spaces Blog also if you want to learn more about *CINO and their hopes and plans for this property you can read up on it here and donate here.
We at Holy Trinity are having our own exploration of new possible spaces, as we look at rethinking some of how we have organized the space we have in Immanuel's parsonage and as we look at some apartments on our block as possible space that would allow us to accept two new members sometime during the fall. We have some things to figure out as we do this, and need to way how to move forward and be sure that now is the time to take the chance of expanding in this way. For me the success *CINO is having in this ambitious project encourages me to think that we also can do a slightly less ambitious but no less of a challenge of expanding by two more members and two rental properties.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Feast of the ascension
This evening the community held a vespers service with Holy Communion for the Feast of the Ascension to which members of Immanuel Lutheran Church and Reconciler were invited to attend. Since we are in the parsonage of we use Immanuel's chapel for our morning and evening prayer, we share this space with Reconciler . If one wishes one can join us for morning or evening prayer but people joining us for prayer has only occurred a couple of times and requires letting us know since the church is not usually open at 7 in the morning or 7 in the evening. One person showed up who has been to Reconciler and is a friend of Kates and mine as well as a couple other members of Reconciler. Since it was a feast day and members of the two churches were invited to join us in prayer it was different and it was the first time the community had its own Eucharist service.
I am of two minds about the service and that only one person showed up. I feel that in preparing for this service I came to understand the Divine Office better and the possibilities for the community as we enter more fully into it. So, I feel that marking this particular feast day and others is worth doing since it is living more fully into the patterns our Rule sets down for us. Yet, doing so is difficult with any full number. Given many peoples schedules even in the community itself there is rarely more than three of us at any one prayer service. even for us who have joined a community who say daily prayer is important other things (work schedule and other things) can mean that rarely do all of us show up together at prayer. So, that only one person outside the community showed up perhaps isnt' surprising. I wonder if few show is it worthwhile. I feel a little funny that I put so much thought into the service.
Then I think that especially of late as I have lived into being the sole pastor of Reconciler as well as prior of Holy Trinity, I know that keeping Morning and Evening prayer (even if there are days I miss one or the other) have given me the spiritual resources to face the chalenges of the past several months. I want to share this with others, and our friend did show up, so their might be a desire for this, but like the community has found over the years in a busy urban enviroment even when one is intentional about it keeping morning and evening prayer is a difficult thing to do.
Then there is that this is the feast of the Ascencion, and part of me finds this an odd thing to mark. Intelectually and theologically I understand it as significant and important, but although growing up I was in churches that marked Easter and to some degree emphasized that easter was a season of 50 days and then also celebrated Pentecost, the Ascension was never celebrated, not even celebrated on the Sunday before Pentecost. And for some reason as I have been preparing my sermon the issue of a cosmology in which heaven is up, (which it obviously is not literally), has troubled me about the story of the Ascension.
So, as I lead this service tonight, questions, doubts were swirlling about my head, and so even I was perahaps wondering what we were marking this evening. And then only one person shows up and only some of the memebers of the community. Also, it was a departure from what has been our practice, so I wonder if I should have lead us to do this. But as I said above, I am of two minds. I also, found myself seeing through to see that the action of Christ ascension is metaphorical as well as literal, and thus Jesus going up into the sky doesn't necesarily mean some cosmological commitment I do not share, but there is and always has been the symbolic meaning of up and down, and so this is about not only the glorification of Chrsit, but of all humanity in Christ. This is the last affirmation that Jesus of Nazareth was both God and human and that the incarnation is what has is and will transform the world.
I am of two minds about the service and that only one person showed up. I feel that in preparing for this service I came to understand the Divine Office better and the possibilities for the community as we enter more fully into it. So, I feel that marking this particular feast day and others is worth doing since it is living more fully into the patterns our Rule sets down for us. Yet, doing so is difficult with any full number. Given many peoples schedules even in the community itself there is rarely more than three of us at any one prayer service. even for us who have joined a community who say daily prayer is important other things (work schedule and other things) can mean that rarely do all of us show up together at prayer. So, that only one person outside the community showed up perhaps isnt' surprising. I wonder if few show is it worthwhile. I feel a little funny that I put so much thought into the service.
Then I think that especially of late as I have lived into being the sole pastor of Reconciler as well as prior of Holy Trinity, I know that keeping Morning and Evening prayer (even if there are days I miss one or the other) have given me the spiritual resources to face the chalenges of the past several months. I want to share this with others, and our friend did show up, so their might be a desire for this, but like the community has found over the years in a busy urban enviroment even when one is intentional about it keeping morning and evening prayer is a difficult thing to do.
Then there is that this is the feast of the Ascencion, and part of me finds this an odd thing to mark. Intelectually and theologically I understand it as significant and important, but although growing up I was in churches that marked Easter and to some degree emphasized that easter was a season of 50 days and then also celebrated Pentecost, the Ascension was never celebrated, not even celebrated on the Sunday before Pentecost. And for some reason as I have been preparing my sermon the issue of a cosmology in which heaven is up, (which it obviously is not literally), has troubled me about the story of the Ascension.
So, as I lead this service tonight, questions, doubts were swirlling about my head, and so even I was perahaps wondering what we were marking this evening. And then only one person shows up and only some of the memebers of the community. Also, it was a departure from what has been our practice, so I wonder if I should have lead us to do this. But as I said above, I am of two minds. I also, found myself seeing through to see that the action of Christ ascension is metaphorical as well as literal, and thus Jesus going up into the sky doesn't necesarily mean some cosmological commitment I do not share, but there is and always has been the symbolic meaning of up and down, and so this is about not only the glorification of Chrsit, but of all humanity in Christ. This is the last affirmation that Jesus of Nazareth was both God and human and that the incarnation is what has is and will transform the world.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Something from *cino
Our friends and hopefully soon partners over at *cino, are hoping to purchase property in Three River's Michigan to provide for a physical location for *cino. Check out the web page giving the vision they have for this property. It is an old school house. We are excited about this. And you maybe noticing that Holy Trinity seems to have a connection with Three Rivers Michigan.
We are still active even if we haven't blogged in a year.
It has been over a year since we posted anything to this blog. However, it has been a full year for us. We explored for a time being a place from which a musician could travel touring coffee houses playing her music, and for a time she did so until deciding that she wanted to settle in another city. Also last year we were approached by someone who was taking a sabbatical from Christian Peacemaker Teams, and wanted to do so by living with the community for four months. Also in the last year two members moved on from the community and two members joined We have continued to have occasional Friday suppers to which at times over 20 people have come to one supper. And we have had our various celebrations of Birthdays, and Twelfth night, and people over to watch movies and then discuss them.
In October we had our first all community Retreat at St Gregory's Abbey in Three Rivers Michigan. We reviewed our Rule and life together. In doing so we recommitted to observing our times of prayer especially morning and evening, and agreed to for right now to have two days a week group mediation as our morning and evening prayer. We also came to the realization that something we do as a community and a way we live into our sense of calling to hospitality is that we take in people who need a period of time to recover or a time to transition from one period of life and circumstance to another. We decided that we needed to name this and simply officially say that this is something we are about and do as a community. Currently we can only recieve people who are able to pay for full room and board while they take this sort of extended retreat, which means we can't always take in people in need of such time of recovery. Our hope is to be able to eventually be in a position where we can offer such retreats with scholarships given to those who need to cover a large portion of the costs of their time with us.
In this last year we have also reminded and pushed the directors of *culture is not optional (*cino) to move on reforming their board so that the decision could be made of us to join *cino as an intentional community of *cino. The board is now reformed and hopefully they will be soon considering and discussing the proposal we sent into *cino two years ago or so, just before members of their former board had to step down and the directors had to take a position at Calvin College, and moved from Three Rivers to Grand Rapids.
We are also exploring ways we can expand and receive new members and also have room to have retreatants hear from time to time. We have someone exploring possibly joining the community in the fall, and are looking at the feasibility of renting an apartment near Immanuel Lutheran's parsonage. We are also exploring ways to expand and solidify the relationships the community has with Church of Jesus Christ, Reconciler which I, Larry, pastor in addition to being prior of the community, and Immanuel Lutheran Church. One of our members is now both a member of Immanuel and a member of their church council. In the past year we have taken up for a month or two at a time taking leadership of the evening prayer service at Immanuel on Wednesday evenings, and we join in the community meal on Wednesday evenings which is part of their mid week afternoon program for school children and youth.
If you have come by and any of this sounds interesting to you and you'd like to join with us in any way or interested in becoming a member feel free to contact us via e-mail and we can let you know how you can join with us. If you are in Chicago set up a time for a visit or come and join us for prayer.
In October we had our first all community Retreat at St Gregory's Abbey in Three Rivers Michigan. We reviewed our Rule and life together. In doing so we recommitted to observing our times of prayer especially morning and evening, and agreed to for right now to have two days a week group mediation as our morning and evening prayer. We also came to the realization that something we do as a community and a way we live into our sense of calling to hospitality is that we take in people who need a period of time to recover or a time to transition from one period of life and circumstance to another. We decided that we needed to name this and simply officially say that this is something we are about and do as a community. Currently we can only recieve people who are able to pay for full room and board while they take this sort of extended retreat, which means we can't always take in people in need of such time of recovery. Our hope is to be able to eventually be in a position where we can offer such retreats with scholarships given to those who need to cover a large portion of the costs of their time with us.
In this last year we have also reminded and pushed the directors of *culture is not optional (*cino) to move on reforming their board so that the decision could be made of us to join *cino as an intentional community of *cino. The board is now reformed and hopefully they will be soon considering and discussing the proposal we sent into *cino two years ago or so, just before members of their former board had to step down and the directors had to take a position at Calvin College, and moved from Three Rivers to Grand Rapids.
We are also exploring ways we can expand and receive new members and also have room to have retreatants hear from time to time. We have someone exploring possibly joining the community in the fall, and are looking at the feasibility of renting an apartment near Immanuel Lutheran's parsonage. We are also exploring ways to expand and solidify the relationships the community has with Church of Jesus Christ, Reconciler which I, Larry, pastor in addition to being prior of the community, and Immanuel Lutheran Church. One of our members is now both a member of Immanuel and a member of their church council. In the past year we have taken up for a month or two at a time taking leadership of the evening prayer service at Immanuel on Wednesday evenings, and we join in the community meal on Wednesday evenings which is part of their mid week afternoon program for school children and youth.
If you have come by and any of this sounds interesting to you and you'd like to join with us in any way or interested in becoming a member feel free to contact us via e-mail and we can let you know how you can join with us. If you are in Chicago set up a time for a visit or come and join us for prayer.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Easter thoughts on Brother Lawrence and Practicing the Presence of God
We are now a few days into the season of Easter. I had intended to write reflections over the whole of Lent on Brother Lawrence and Practicing the Presence of God. I obviously did not. In part because the more I read the more I realized that the simple life Brother Lawrence exhorts and the simplicity of practicing God's presence in everything and at all times was very difficult. for the last three weeks of Lent resting in God's love and remaining aware of god's presence became a real struggle as I realized how little I am mindful of God in my daily activities and as I realized how I could so easily be distracted away from resting in God's love.
Brother Lawrence is honest about both the simplicity and the difficulty of this way of life. He repeatedly says how he will fail to live this from moment to moment but he has learned to become aware of this and simply confess it to God and then continue on without self-chastisement. I found this was part of the struggle to simply let go of attempting to be perfect in practicing the presence of God and resting in God's love.
Now on the other side of Lent and Holy Week in this season of focused celebration on Jesus Christ's resurrection, I see how Brother Lawrence's life is infused with the fullness of Holy Week and Easter. Brother Lawrence trusts fully that all has been accomplished in Christ but also understands that the Christian life is both Cross and resurrection. The struggle and the achievement aren't simply mine I enter into what Christ did and in Faith I find that what I do is not enough but that God raises me up out of my failure if I trust in What God has done in Jesus Christ. In the face of the Cross and resurrection my own failures become invisible and I am able to move beyond them and not be mired down in the moments where I do not see or fail to remain aware of God and trust in God's love.
Brother Lawrence is honest about both the simplicity and the difficulty of this way of life. He repeatedly says how he will fail to live this from moment to moment but he has learned to become aware of this and simply confess it to God and then continue on without self-chastisement. I found this was part of the struggle to simply let go of attempting to be perfect in practicing the presence of God and resting in God's love.
Now on the other side of Lent and Holy Week in this season of focused celebration on Jesus Christ's resurrection, I see how Brother Lawrence's life is infused with the fullness of Holy Week and Easter. Brother Lawrence trusts fully that all has been accomplished in Christ but also understands that the Christian life is both Cross and resurrection. The struggle and the achievement aren't simply mine I enter into what Christ did and in Faith I find that what I do is not enough but that God raises me up out of my failure if I trust in What God has done in Jesus Christ. In the face of the Cross and resurrection my own failures become invisible and I am able to move beyond them and not be mired down in the moments where I do not see or fail to remain aware of God and trust in God's love.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Lenten Reflection 2: Brother Lawrence on Heaven and Hell
It appears these reflections are going to be weekly reflections.
Brother Lawrence's emphasis is very much on living and doing things out of the love of God. In Brother Lawrence's experience the hurdle to living this way was a concern for his being lost: the fear of hell. Lawrence said that he overcame this struggle through seeking to engage the "religious life" solely out of love for God unconcerned about his ultimate destination. It is interesting to me that it was precisely here that Luther got stuck, and apparently could not love God without concern for the destiny of heaven or hell. I wonder if this is why "faith", whether one defines "faith" as a nebulous articulation of trust or in terms of doctrine, often becomes a work in some forms of Protestantism. If faith isn't somehow about the love of God, but a means of getting free get out of jail card in a crazy cosmic game that God runs then no matter how much we talk about Christianity being about a relationship with God we have turned it into a system of exchange, its just making sure you have the right currency: Faith is the currency not works.
However Brother Lawrence says there is no currency, there is no buying our way out, no insurance policy, just love. Or rather love of God becomes the motivation and what is received, and then one finds one is in a relationship with God and once one trusts that relationship the fear of hell the questioning of attaining heaven simply melts away as one places all ones trust in God: ie. Faith.
There is a way of conceiving Christianity that is current today that speaks a great deal about receiving blessings from God, and destiny, and the possibility of missing our destiny or blocking God's blessings. It creates a great deal of anxiety among many Christians who fall into this language and conception of the Christian faith. If you have things going a little or a lot wrong you wring your hands wondering if there is something in your life that is keeping God from blessing you, or preventing you from receiving your destiny. There is perhaps a way of looking at this that may be correct. If one is not living in loving communion with God, Father Son and Holy Spirit, one may not be able to see what God is doing in your life and thus unable to take up what is right in front of you. However, loving God does not ensure a smooth life, it does not mean one wont be unemployed, or never ill even if one is perfectly within the love and will of God. The life of faith is not magic God is not manipulated by our actions and our actions do not guarantee that God will do certain things.
Brother Lawrence shows us that part of loving God is letting go of our destinies and focusing on what God will do for us. When we do this Lawrence reminds us we find ourselves in the embrace of a God who loves us. We find this when we find our motivation for prayer or avoidance of sin etc., not in attempting to get things out of God but in simply our love for God, which Scripture tells us we have because God first loved us.
Brother Lawrence's emphasis is very much on living and doing things out of the love of God. In Brother Lawrence's experience the hurdle to living this way was a concern for his being lost: the fear of hell. Lawrence said that he overcame this struggle through seeking to engage the "religious life" solely out of love for God unconcerned about his ultimate destination. It is interesting to me that it was precisely here that Luther got stuck, and apparently could not love God without concern for the destiny of heaven or hell. I wonder if this is why "faith", whether one defines "faith" as a nebulous articulation of trust or in terms of doctrine, often becomes a work in some forms of Protestantism. If faith isn't somehow about the love of God, but a means of getting free get out of jail card in a crazy cosmic game that God runs then no matter how much we talk about Christianity being about a relationship with God we have turned it into a system of exchange, its just making sure you have the right currency: Faith is the currency not works.
However Brother Lawrence says there is no currency, there is no buying our way out, no insurance policy, just love. Or rather love of God becomes the motivation and what is received, and then one finds one is in a relationship with God and once one trusts that relationship the fear of hell the questioning of attaining heaven simply melts away as one places all ones trust in God: ie. Faith.
There is a way of conceiving Christianity that is current today that speaks a great deal about receiving blessings from God, and destiny, and the possibility of missing our destiny or blocking God's blessings. It creates a great deal of anxiety among many Christians who fall into this language and conception of the Christian faith. If you have things going a little or a lot wrong you wring your hands wondering if there is something in your life that is keeping God from blessing you, or preventing you from receiving your destiny. There is perhaps a way of looking at this that may be correct. If one is not living in loving communion with God, Father Son and Holy Spirit, one may not be able to see what God is doing in your life and thus unable to take up what is right in front of you. However, loving God does not ensure a smooth life, it does not mean one wont be unemployed, or never ill even if one is perfectly within the love and will of God. The life of faith is not magic God is not manipulated by our actions and our actions do not guarantee that God will do certain things.
Brother Lawrence shows us that part of loving God is letting go of our destinies and focusing on what God will do for us. When we do this Lawrence reminds us we find ourselves in the embrace of a God who loves us. We find this when we find our motivation for prayer or avoidance of sin etc., not in attempting to get things out of God but in simply our love for God, which Scripture tells us we have because God first loved us.
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Lenten Reflection on Brother Lawerence
For my holy reading during Lent I am reading selections from Brother Lawrence. I have decided to occasionally post some of my thoughts that arise from that meditative reading. A major (perhaps the) emphasis in Brother Lawrence's life and thought is practicing the presence of God, in fact that is the name of the work that is a collection of his sayings. So it is not surprising that the first installment of these Lenten reflections is on the awareness of God's presence and what distracts us from that awareness.
In what I read today Brother Lawrence speaks of keeping a sense of God's presence through continually conversing with God. We quit this conversation to think of "trifles and fooleries". We can remove ourselves from the sense of God's presence by replacing a devotion for God for a devotion to other amusements and trivial things. However, all this can be misunderstood unless we hear this not as an abstracted reflection but as coming from one who could find a sense of God's presence in peeling potatoes or in other simple menial and seemingly meaningless activities. If one remembers this about Brother Lawrence's life then we realize that what makes something an empty amusement, or a trifle or foolery isn't necessarily in the activity or thought itself but in how the one approaches and engages the activity or thought. Does one's washing dishes, or driving or small talk consume one so that there is no means to retain the sense of God's presence in the activity? There may be activities that to do them would simply be antagonistic to retaining a sense of God's presence but such activities would have to be in themselves set against God. However, I do not think such activities are addressed in what I read from Brother Lawrence today. Rather "trivial devotions", "trifles" and "fooleries" have to do with approaching otherwise neutral actions, activities, and thoughts without seeking to be in continual conversation with God. In other words the above named activities are as Brother Lawrence describes if we allow them to distract us from seeking to be continually aware of God's presence and in conversation with God. We can allow certain activities to cause us to put God over there in those things and not here with me right now in what I presently do, in so doing the activity has lost its explicit connection to that which enlivens all things and makes them true beautiful and alive. When we do this we have fallen into "trifles" and "fooleries" as the activity takes over our consciousness and becomes our devotion.
I am aware that so often during the day this is exactly what I allow what I do to become. Even work in and for the community or as pastor of Reconciler becomes trifles and fooleries, when all my attention and devotion is given over to them without a thought for God's presence. It is so easy for what we do or think to consume us and drive away our sense of being in God's presence. This is why there is Lent, and spiritual disciplines and the liturgy, because we need reminders and means for practicing the presence of God.
In what I read today Brother Lawrence speaks of keeping a sense of God's presence through continually conversing with God. We quit this conversation to think of "trifles and fooleries". We can remove ourselves from the sense of God's presence by replacing a devotion for God for a devotion to other amusements and trivial things. However, all this can be misunderstood unless we hear this not as an abstracted reflection but as coming from one who could find a sense of God's presence in peeling potatoes or in other simple menial and seemingly meaningless activities. If one remembers this about Brother Lawrence's life then we realize that what makes something an empty amusement, or a trifle or foolery isn't necessarily in the activity or thought itself but in how the one approaches and engages the activity or thought. Does one's washing dishes, or driving or small talk consume one so that there is no means to retain the sense of God's presence in the activity? There may be activities that to do them would simply be antagonistic to retaining a sense of God's presence but such activities would have to be in themselves set against God. However, I do not think such activities are addressed in what I read from Brother Lawrence today. Rather "trivial devotions", "trifles" and "fooleries" have to do with approaching otherwise neutral actions, activities, and thoughts without seeking to be in continual conversation with God. In other words the above named activities are as Brother Lawrence describes if we allow them to distract us from seeking to be continually aware of God's presence and in conversation with God. We can allow certain activities to cause us to put God over there in those things and not here with me right now in what I presently do, in so doing the activity has lost its explicit connection to that which enlivens all things and makes them true beautiful and alive. When we do this we have fallen into "trifles" and "fooleries" as the activity takes over our consciousness and becomes our devotion.
I am aware that so often during the day this is exactly what I allow what I do to become. Even work in and for the community or as pastor of Reconciler becomes trifles and fooleries, when all my attention and devotion is given over to them without a thought for God's presence. It is so easy for what we do or think to consume us and drive away our sense of being in God's presence. This is why there is Lent, and spiritual disciplines and the liturgy, because we need reminders and means for practicing the presence of God.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Our most recent brochure
Well it has been over a year since anything has been done with this blog. When I last posted to this blog I had thought I might start posting here semi-regularly. This of course did not happen. At the time the community was still settling in after having been in the Parsonage of Immanuel Lutheran Church for six months. Now we have been here a year and a half and we had an open house for the members of our host church yesterday after their morning service. Our having been invited to move in and our working out a property sharing agreement with Immanuel for the parsonage a year and a half ago was controversial for some members and some of the negative impressions that left had lingered this is one of many things we hope will create a good relationship between the community and congregation. I wrote a brief explanation of the community and our activities for a brochure we had available yesterday during the open house. I thought I would post that here for anyone who might stop by. (I don't promise to start posting regularly about the community but we are still here, and if you are in Chicago and are looking to be part of an intentional community feel free to contact us.)
The Community of the Holy Trinity: who we are and how might you participate in the life of the community.
We are a community that was begun by Larry and Kate Kamphausen in 2003 with two friends. The community was formed to provide a space for Christians, especially those who are artists and social activist and social workers, to come together in mutual support of God’s calling and living out the Gospel through holding property in common in a life centered on the daily rhythms of prayer and an environment of hospitality. Our inspiration has been the monastic tradition of the Church, as well as specific communities like the monks of Taize and the Reba Place community in Evanston. The community does not have a common purpose except prayer and hospitality, but we come together to support each others’ callings in the areas of art and social action. Our common life together is governed by a Rule that is currently in the process of its third revision. We are also currently seeking to partner with a Christian organization called Culture is Not Optional* (CINO*), which seeks to encourage and support Christian engagement with all aspects of culture -- the arts, sciences, politics -- and to do so with an open but distinctly Christian perspective. The organization, like Holy Trinity, is ecumenical, though its founders all come out of the Christian Reformed tradition.
The community’s daily prayer schedule: morning prayer at 7 AM and evening prayer at
7 PM Monday through Saturday, usually in Immanuel’s side chapel. We currently use prayers adapted from a now out-of-print prayer book published by the Taize community of France, Praise God: Prayers from Taize.
We have common meals together. We attempt to have at least three community meals in a week, though often our only common meal, due to our schedules, is Saturday breakfast when we also have our weekly community meeting. On the first and third Fridays of each month the community meal is open to those outside the community to join us for supper.
The life of a community like ours is dynamic. If you are interested in participating in the life of the community there are several ways you may do so, only some of which require officially joining the community and/or living in the parsonage. Anyone is invited to join us, without prior notice, for morning or evening prayer in the chapel during the week. (We do not have prayer services on Sunday and due to our current schedules our Saturday prayer services are intermittent.)
You may also join us for community supper after evening prayer, 7:30/8:00PM, or for “Hospitality Friday” on the first and third Fridays of each month. We only ask that if you wish to join us to simply contact us the day before so we can plan the meals accordingly.
Also, we do accept new members into the community. Currently, if you were interested in joining the community there is one space available for living in the parsonage. However, we are also seeking families, couples, individuals who may wish to move into the neighborhood, renting or buying a place near the church, and committing to live according to the rule of the community but on another property.
Lastly, Larry Kamphausen as Prior of the community offers the service of Spiritual Direction to individuals, couples and groups. Spiritual direction is the current term for an ancient Christian practice of spiritual conversation, which has been known as soul friend, companion on the way, and spiritual fatherhood/motherhood. Essentially a spiritual director sits with and companions a directee in her or his spiritual life and journey. The reasons for seeking out a spiritual director are many, but can include a crisis in life or faith, or simply a desire to explore or deepen one’s engagement with spiritual disciplines and prayer life. The role of the spiritual director in any and all of these situations is to help the directee listen to God, and through listening to the story of the directee to help her/him to find God in life. The spiritual director does not impose his or her individual spiritual life or practices upon the directee but is like a midwife to the directee’s spiritual life and growth in faith and journey with God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Feel free to take this with you and talk with us today or give us a call or e-mail if you have further questions about any aspect of the Community of the Holy Trinity and our common life.
Phone: 773-856-6154
e-mail: communityholytrinity@netzero.net
We also have a blog that has some information but is not currently updated
http://communityholytrinity.blogspot.com
The Community of the Holy Trinity: who we are and how might you participate in the life of the community.
We are a community that was begun by Larry and Kate Kamphausen in 2003 with two friends. The community was formed to provide a space for Christians, especially those who are artists and social activist and social workers, to come together in mutual support of God’s calling and living out the Gospel through holding property in common in a life centered on the daily rhythms of prayer and an environment of hospitality. Our inspiration has been the monastic tradition of the Church, as well as specific communities like the monks of Taize and the Reba Place community in Evanston. The community does not have a common purpose except prayer and hospitality, but we come together to support each others’ callings in the areas of art and social action. Our common life together is governed by a Rule that is currently in the process of its third revision. We are also currently seeking to partner with a Christian organization called Culture is Not Optional* (CINO*), which seeks to encourage and support Christian engagement with all aspects of culture -- the arts, sciences, politics -- and to do so with an open but distinctly Christian perspective. The organization, like Holy Trinity, is ecumenical, though its founders all come out of the Christian Reformed tradition.
The community’s daily prayer schedule: morning prayer at 7 AM and evening prayer at
7 PM Monday through Saturday, usually in Immanuel’s side chapel. We currently use prayers adapted from a now out-of-print prayer book published by the Taize community of France, Praise God: Prayers from Taize.
We have common meals together. We attempt to have at least three community meals in a week, though often our only common meal, due to our schedules, is Saturday breakfast when we also have our weekly community meeting. On the first and third Fridays of each month the community meal is open to those outside the community to join us for supper.
The life of a community like ours is dynamic. If you are interested in participating in the life of the community there are several ways you may do so, only some of which require officially joining the community and/or living in the parsonage. Anyone is invited to join us, without prior notice, for morning or evening prayer in the chapel during the week. (We do not have prayer services on Sunday and due to our current schedules our Saturday prayer services are intermittent.)
You may also join us for community supper after evening prayer, 7:30/8:00PM, or for “Hospitality Friday” on the first and third Fridays of each month. We only ask that if you wish to join us to simply contact us the day before so we can plan the meals accordingly.
Also, we do accept new members into the community. Currently, if you were interested in joining the community there is one space available for living in the parsonage. However, we are also seeking families, couples, individuals who may wish to move into the neighborhood, renting or buying a place near the church, and committing to live according to the rule of the community but on another property.
Lastly, Larry Kamphausen as Prior of the community offers the service of Spiritual Direction to individuals, couples and groups. Spiritual direction is the current term for an ancient Christian practice of spiritual conversation, which has been known as soul friend, companion on the way, and spiritual fatherhood/motherhood. Essentially a spiritual director sits with and companions a directee in her or his spiritual life and journey. The reasons for seeking out a spiritual director are many, but can include a crisis in life or faith, or simply a desire to explore or deepen one’s engagement with spiritual disciplines and prayer life. The role of the spiritual director in any and all of these situations is to help the directee listen to God, and through listening to the story of the directee to help her/him to find God in life. The spiritual director does not impose his or her individual spiritual life or practices upon the directee but is like a midwife to the directee’s spiritual life and growth in faith and journey with God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Feel free to take this with you and talk with us today or give us a call or e-mail if you have further questions about any aspect of the Community of the Holy Trinity and our common life.
Phone: 773-856-6154
e-mail: communityholytrinity@netzero.net
We also have a blog that has some information but is not currently updated
http://communityholytrinity.blogspot.com
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Making use of the blog again
Now that we have settled into our new place with new members, it is perhaps a good time to revive the communities blog.
We are now five members, we are renting an old parsonage from a Lutheran church, and praying in thier side chapel.
We will most likely in the next few months patner with the organization *Culture is Not Optional(*CINO). We talked with the directors of the organization this past Friday. The issues are no longer should we come under their umbrella but how exactly that will work and what sort of organizational structure will exist and how the community will relate to the other organizations already under the *CINO umbrella.
Well a short post to begin with again.
In anycase we are still around, even if the blog has been dormant the community has not.
We are now five members, we are renting an old parsonage from a Lutheran church, and praying in thier side chapel.
We will most likely in the next few months patner with the organization *Culture is Not Optional(*CINO). We talked with the directors of the organization this past Friday. The issues are no longer should we come under their umbrella but how exactly that will work and what sort of organizational structure will exist and how the community will relate to the other organizations already under the *CINO umbrella.
Well a short post to begin with again.
In anycase we are still around, even if the blog has been dormant the community has not.
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
On the Move
Nothing has been posted here in awhile, nearly 7 months. The reasons for this are varied, but mostly because the community has been drifting, since we were uncertain about where God was leading us, and how to continue as a community.
Two things have slowly emerged in the the last 7 months. First since February we have been in conversation with the organization Culture is Not Optional (CINO) about being a community under their organizations umbrella. Nothing has been finalized but the prospects look good. Two advantages of this relationship would be being able to expand our networks and networking abilities through CINO, the other is we would have our tax exempt status through them. We will see if all the details work out in the end.
The other thing that has happened and this just since the beginning of March is that we have been offered to occupy the parsonage (being called the "'nige" by some members) of Immanuel Lutheran Church here in Chicago, where Church of Jesus Christ Reconciler meets Sunday Evening. That conversation and negotiations have been finalized and today we sign the lease and property sharing agreement and begin moving in begin our lease June 1st. With this we are adding two members to our community.
We are excited about this opportunity for our community and its future. We will be able to use the side chapel at Immanuel Lutheran Church for community daily prayers, and will have ample studio space for our various artists and musicians in the community.
So, we have passed from being a little aimless as a community to having a sense that God has great things in store for us and a sense that this community in fact has a future.
Two things have slowly emerged in the the last 7 months. First since February we have been in conversation with the organization Culture is Not Optional (CINO) about being a community under their organizations umbrella. Nothing has been finalized but the prospects look good. Two advantages of this relationship would be being able to expand our networks and networking abilities through CINO, the other is we would have our tax exempt status through them. We will see if all the details work out in the end.
The other thing that has happened and this just since the beginning of March is that we have been offered to occupy the parsonage (being called the "'nige" by some members) of Immanuel Lutheran Church here in Chicago, where Church of Jesus Christ Reconciler meets Sunday Evening. That conversation and negotiations have been finalized and today we sign the lease and property sharing agreement and begin moving in begin our lease June 1st. With this we are adding two members to our community.
We are excited about this opportunity for our community and its future. We will be able to use the side chapel at Immanuel Lutheran Church for community daily prayers, and will have ample studio space for our various artists and musicians in the community.
So, we have passed from being a little aimless as a community to having a sense that God has great things in store for us and a sense that this community in fact has a future.
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