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Updates, Meditations, Devotional Materials, and Information Exchange for Catherine House of the Anglican Order of Preachers
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14 comments:
The biggest challenge/struggle living out the Dominican life in the next 3 months will be maintaining the discipline for work and pastoring a church as well as devoting appropriate time and energy to spiritual practices and family.
I believe my biggest struggle will be in actually moving into the promises made during novicing. My life has been anything but simple, so I have chosen to focus on it this first year (while striving for the others of course).
Br Carl
For me the biggest challenges are very practical ones: I am going on a long trip to Australia and the Solomon Islands in a few weeks and maintaining my discipline while traveling so far and traveling alone will be difficult for me. As a Dominican my vocation calls me to teach and preach, and I will be leading at least one Bible Study in the fall as well as a class on Nicomachean Ethics for the 2d year novices. Finding the time to prepare for those classes will require some sacrifices and some amount of real effort.
The Dominican Chapter was a glorious event for me. There was so much warmth and kindness from all my new Brothers and Sr. Elena. The biggest struggle for me will be to keep focused on my studying. Sister Jackie Sather
I have found that my biggest struggle-over the past year and I am sure over the next 3 months- is in trying to be a Dominican, a father, a husband, and a son. All of these things require a great deal of time and effort, and in trying to live up to the responsibilities of one often makes me feel as if I must sacrifice one of the others.
The biggest challenge will be taking my new role as prior in the community seriously while attending to my other ministries.
Brothers, My biggest struggle is navigating this blog. Hopefully, it will not last for three months. Ninth try is the charm...prayers appreciated. Peace. Br Michael B.
Some of you know that one of my assignements last chpater (Racine) was to lead the discussion on the (in)effetiveness of preaching. My opinion then is still my opinion now, that preaching is among the least effective things we can do. I have had to take a very Buddhist appraoch to everything in the last years, in that I do my duty without regard, hope, or expectation of the type or intensity or success of the result.
My challenge in in maintaing that mindset which will keep my sane and gentle.
Guy+
My biggest challenge is balancing prayer, study, parish and family life, especially as we charge back into the fall. It's all a big jumble. When I focus on one area, the others seem to crumble.
I'm also working diligently on reaching younger people in our community. This means preaching in an entirely different way. In fact, it's the opposite of what most of us were taught in seminary. Andy Stanely's book, "Communicating for Change" has been a great resource and helpful in seeing fruit.
Another challenge will be integrating our Anglican style of worship, polity, etc. with the Black non-denominational church with whom we're merging. This will certainly be interesting. Going to have to think long and hard about what's essential and what can be jettisoned. jerry op
BTW, this is REALLY great! Thanks Bro. Kevin for setting up. I enjoy the banter and hearing from all. jerry op
I know this is going to sound like circular reasoning; and it will certainly sound odd coming from me whose doubts run so deep as to be saling on the sea of despair.
However, it has proven time and again, that the "responsibilities" of the daily office and Mass, the study of scripture, the attention and nurture of our children, the loyalty and care of my wife, the preaching and teaching work I take as from God are far more freeing than they sound when I write out the list!
The vocations God has given us are freedom itself. Without them, we would have to invent out own parameters, and that would be a task impossible indeed.
I illustrate.
A group of scientists had recently discovered the secrets to DNA and the activation of the life force. They contacted God and told him that he was no longer necessary. God offered a challenge to them; they and he would each create a man. If their work was up to the standard, God would go off and leave mankind alone.
So God went first. As in Genesis, he reached into the dirt and dust of the earth and formed a man, breathed into him the spirit of life, and off the new man walked.
The scientists, in turn began to gather the dirt and minerals and various stuff they would need to do their part.
God interrupted them and said, "Go make your own dirt."
All this to say, that God has made the ocean we swim in through the gift of vocation, that we, without the gift would be like the scientist trying to invent dirt.
Guy+
Br Guy,
I love that illustration. I, too, have found freedom in the keeping of the Office. Rather than benefit from missing it (as we tend to think in rationalizing), I suffer. The Office feeds me in ways that Christ alluded to (e.g., Man shall not live by bread alone...)...so I hunger for it.
Some of you may know that I am in a rock and roll band that started when I was in high school in Nashville. We had a reunion 12 years ago and have since played many gigs and made a CD (one of our members owns a recording studio in Nashville). I play rhythm guitar (and use both a Fender Stratocaster and a Martin Orchestra accoustic). Each is electrical, of course. A couple of years ago in my EfM group, my participants were very keen on hearing about the Anglican Dominicans and that discussion migrated over to how we articulate our individual spirituality. In other words, How do we personally relate to God? The best metaphor I could give them was my electric guitar. It has a "jack" that connects to my amplifier. No connection...no sound. I said that in my metaphor, God is the amplifier and I am the guitar. But God's amplifier is everywhere--I swim in it (pardon the mixed metaphor), so I do not have to plug into one specific place on the amp (as I do in real life) but instead can plug in to "anywhere". So my amp goes with me wherever I go and can make music with me only when I "plug in". That is all that is required of me. Would that I were plugged in 100% of the time! If it's to be its up to me (as they say). Prayers appreciated. Blessings to you all.
Br. Michael B.
Where can we get a [pirated] copy of the CD?
Guy+
My biggest challenge in the next few months has been delivered by the hands of a Brother...... Br. Guy has me teaching the Jr.-Sr. High group for Sunday School. This group will be made up of 4-7 teenage girls. I'm studying nail coloring shades and teenage slang as a means of communication. Please pray for me.
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