I wanted to put up a quick post describing my week at the Art of Mentoring course last week in Bolinas . I am not exactly sure how to do that... how do you describe a spiritual experience? If you have ever been to a Community of Christ reunion, camp or retreat... then you have some reference for what I experienced last week. However, you must take that experience, remove the history and faith connections, and then add the element of a regenerative (that is a step beyond sustainable infrastructure, combine many different cultural histories, a high level of focus on the reason we were there (I will get to that later)... and you end up with much of the powerful spiritual connection that we often find in our familiar C of C events.
In the simplest of terms the Art of Mentoring goal is to relearn how to create the "village" that our very survival as a species has depended on for millions of years. What makes these teachings powerful is both how they were gathered (from many cultures, all over the world), and that at the core of the whole thing is the Peace Maker's story. This was a very powerful part of the picture for me and spoke to both my cultural heritage in my faith community... as well as the call I feel towards environmental stewardship.
Make no mistake, dark times are here... and preparing to grow darker. However, there is much joy in my heart that the strands of light that tie our paths together are coming into view. Our path, and our responsibilities to our brothers and sisters is becoming clearer... and the beauty of that path (which I fully witnessed last week), is that although there is a great deal of hard work... it can be done joyfully and with smiles all around!!! What a blessing.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
I forgot to add that I had an e-mail waiting for me which added to the focusing power of the week for me:
Hello: I thought you would be interested in knowing that Steve addressed the environmental issue in his address at the opening worship of the field meeting last week. It was entitled, “Identity and Mission in an Uncertain World.”
In his clarifying statements concerning what the Peace of Jesus Christ means the following was one on his defining points:
“The peace of Jesus Christ calls us to embrace an understanding of salvation that includes all creation. We are called to broaden the focus. Beyond personal
salvation, to take into creation God’s intent to redeem and renew the whole creation. The peace of Jesus Christ is being shared fully when it calls us to mend the
earth and all living systems that call earth home. We are stewards of creation not consumers.”
There were two other points lifted up in his definition of the peace of Christ they are; “…..vision for the whole creation” and “…..actualize peace and justice in creation.”
I spoke with Steve immediately after this presentation and thank him for the inclusiveness of the creation in the peace issue. He indicated it was time.
Pretty cool stuff...
Post a Comment