inspiral blog

My friend Harry from Peace Tree in Perth asked me today how I’d describe our life together, and in doing so gave me an excuse to sit with the question for a minute and spend some time writing about it. So here’s what I told Harry – it’s my take, so others can feel free to differ!

Our ‘life together’ (ah, bonhoeffer)…is kind of just beginning in many ways, but still very much building on my experiences of the last three years. At present our official scheduled times of meeting together are Tuesday and Sunday, where we eat together. Sundays we explore/wrestle with the lectionary readings, and Tuesdays are generally devoted to someone telling their life story. A life story will mostly go for about 2 and a half hours and is perhaps one of the most sacred things we do because people are so brutally and vulnerably honest. We started doing them again recently so that (with some new people having jumped on board more recently) we could all get to know each other very deeply relatively quickly. We’ve almost got through everyone now, and once we have we’ll start focussing on hospitality specifically with our Tuesday dinners (though that’s happening anyway). The main idea is that we start developing some intentional nonviolent practices that will enable us to do conflict well and explore each others shadow sides and keep each other accountable. There’s been some good signs already in this respect, but it’s darn hard work just to undo a lot of deeply ingrained habits. The queries and advices stuff has been useful with that.

When I say we, I reckon about half of our mob are now living in proximity, the other half not too far away, but we’ve (loosely) defined the proximity thing as the distance you’d carry a ladder (we have a good ladder, and wanting to share possessions means carrying it between houses a lot!) So everyone’s welcome to be involved in everything, whether you live in proximity or not, but practically it’s going to be more difficult for others to be involved in the deeper shared life of those in close proximity. We’re pretty much just dropping around to each other’s houses whenever we feel like it.

We’re also a surprisingly diverse group – from 6 day literal creationists, to a Muslim, to very new Christians, to intellectually disabled people, to burnt out former church leaders, with one convicted criminal thrown in (me) – yikes! it’s all a bit much to hold together sometimes. But we’re managing, with a strong core group, to hold some of that diversity without needing to create rigid boundaries. It’s come down to Thoreau’s “If you think a man does wrong, do right; but do not care to convince him. Men believe what they see.” (same goes for women, I would venture ) Which sits well with the whole Gandhian notion of “experiments with truth” for me, which is about seeing what emerges when your truths clash while being aware of the power dynamics within the group. The main thing is being self-aware of our own power, which I’m pretty (insanely) paranoid about.

So mostly it’s things like sharing possessions like tools, gardening together, getting involved with our neighbours, providing hospitality for people visiting Melbourne or otherwise struggling for accommodation, and deepening relationships with each other so that real community (as opposed to pseudo community ala scott peck) is built. I’m starting to get involved half a day a week at a boarding house for people with mental illness and intellectual disabilities, which is about 300 metres down the road (already know lots of residents). So it’s mostly just doing gardening with the residents, and others of the mob may do the same. They have a greenhouse – woo hoo! – and lots of worm farms. I’m not sure who’s doing better out of that deal, me or them.

This week (with the third house now set up) we’re going to discuss what other spiritual disciplines we might be able to set up in a sustainable way (particularly prayer/liturgy together).

We also have lovely informal connections with similar groups (from the Seeds mobs that have emerged out of Urban Seed, to The Cave, Loam, Jahworks etc.) that form a broad network, which I find stimulating and inspiring.

So when I really stop and reflect on it, we’ve come a long way in three years. We’re very obviously imperfect, but I’m encouraged by the direction we’re taking.

It’s taken nearly 3 months, but I finally got this sucker fixed…getting my service providers to work out how to fix it has been like getting blood out of a stone. It was showing the posts all in the wrong order, which frustrated me so much I had no time to blog. Nonetheless, we’re there now. Which means I’ve missed a considerable amount of posts, but things are going swimmingly. In fact, dare I say the time of no recording has been some of the most significant time for this mob. We’ve been following the lectionary (mostly) and managed to not only hold things together in the leadup to the big trial, but have found a third house nearby which Ant, Ellen and Jane C have moved into. Awesome times.

Sally from Green Collect hung out with us this week as we explored one way we could engage with the local community through the Brunswick Op Shop near us in Victoria St. They’re renovating it and revamping it into an environmental/ethical themed shop (called ‘eekos’) with a focus on the local community.

Later we all rode down there (quite the bike convoy) and checked out the space. Looks like some great connections for us as a mob as we explore the way we can ‘involve’ ourselves more deeply in the people and places around us.

Involve

a. Who is my neighbour? (Luke 10:29)
i. Who are our neighbours? How can we ensure we are being good neighbours? What local relationships do you invest yourself in?
ii. Where do we spend our time?
iii. “Live adventurously. When choices arise, do you take the way that offers the fullest opportunity for the use of your gifts in the service of God and the community? Let your life speak.” (Quaker Queries and Advices 6.27))
iv. Are we hospitable, providing welcome and nourishment for the stranger and the outcast? Do we visit and care for the sick and imprisoned? (Matthew 25:35)

b. “…for laborers deserves their food.” (Matthew 10:10)
i. “The brothers should have specified periods for manual labor as well as for prayerful reading…When they live by the labor of their hands, as our fathers and the apostles did, then they are really monks. Yet, all things are to be done with moderation on account of the fainthearted.” (RSB Chapter 48) The Rule of St Benedict is structured around the rhythms of work and prayer. What manual labor do you undertake as a spiritual discipline?
ii. “Good human work honors God’s work…To work without pleasure or affection, to make a product that is not both useful and beautiful, is to dishonor God, nature, the thing that is made, and whomever it is made for. This is blasphemy: to make shoddy work of the work of God. And such blasphemy is not possible so long as the entire Creation is understood as holy, and so long as the works of God are understood as embodying and so revealing God’s spirit.” Is your love for God and the world revealed in the work you do?
iii. “Understand the ultimate unsoundness of the industrial doctrine of labor saving if that implies poor work, unemployment, or any kind of pollution or contamination.” (WB 5) How do we honour ourselves, others and the earth through good work?
Do we keep each other accountable for the organisations we work for and the implications of the work we do?

c. “Act justly…”
i. Letting go, or doing and having “one less thing” is a central part of many spiritual traditions. How can we further simplify our lives?
ii. What practical steps are we taking to deepen our journey into a nonviolent life? Remember, nonviolence is not merely passivity but the active pursuit of a just world. Are we moving from passive opinions to action?
iii. “Do you faithfully maintain our witness against all war, and all preparation for it, as inconsistent with the teaching and spirit of Christ? Do you live in the virtue of that life and power that takes away the occasion of all wars? Stand firm in our testimony, even when others commit or prepare to commit acts of violence, yet always remember that they too are children of God.” (Quaker Query 21 and 6.31) Do you love your enemies and do good to those who make life hard for you? (Matthew 5:44)
iv. “Respect the laws of the state but let your first loyalty be to God’s purposes. If you feel impelled by strong conviction to break the law, search your conscience deeply. Ask your meeting for the prayerful support which will give you strength as a right way becomes clear.” (Quaker Queries and Advices 6.35) Civil disobedience has a long and distinguished history in social change. What laws are worth breaking? How can we ensure that those who choose this path are supported, from the point of discernment through to the bearing of costs?
v. How will we name, engage, and transform the reality of evil in our world and ourselves? (Seeds QA: Go Engage) Do we bring good news for the poor, liberation for the captive, healing and restoration for the blind and freedom for the oppressed both locally and further afield?
vi. Are the poor “always with us”? (Matthew 26:11)
vii. What steps are we taking towards reconciliation with indigenous Australians?
viii. Are we generous with our time, money and other resources?

Include

Remember including does not mean merely subsuming others into your own group, but recognising your own place within other groups and the wider Economy (Kingdom) of God. Recognising and remembering your place is important.

a. “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?”
i. “Always ask of any proposed change or innovation: What will this do to our community? How will this affect our common wealth? Always include local nature the land, the water, the air, the native creatures within the membership of the community.” (WB 1,2) Who are my kin? Who is my mob? (Seeds QA: Grow Home)
ii. What are the practical boundary lines of our community? What forms of entrance and exit exist? What barriers do newcomers and guests face, and how can we enable them to be overcome? How well do we farewell those who move on?
iii. Christian faith maintains that God is Trinitarian; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. How is the communal nature of God understood and reflected in our community?
iv. What is expected of those who are part of inspiral? What do you bring?
v. What commitments will we make to each other annually, and how will we keep one another accountable for commitments made?
vi. How well are children and the elderly included in our community? “The community knows and remembers itself by the association of old and young.” (WB 12)
vii. Are we all equal? Are our differences treated fairly?
viii. How is power used and negotiated? What shape does leadership take amongst us? How are those in leadership accountable and supported?
ix. What strengths and weaknesses, needs, assumptions and unresolved issues are we bringing to this sense of home from our families of origin and previous experiences of community? (Seeds QA Grow Home)

b. Inclusion and Diversity
i. “Do you respect that of God in everyone though it may be expressed in unfamiliar ways or be difficult to discern?” (Quaker Query 13) “Each of us has a particular experience of God and each must find the way to be true to it. When words are strange or disturbing to you, try to sense where they come from and what has nourished the lives of others. Listen patiently and seek the truth which other people’s opinions may contain for you.” (Quaker Queries and Advices 6.17) Do we encourage questions, and embrace difference?
ii. Are we intentional about including those who are different from us, or about those aspects of each other that are different?
iii. Jesus begins his ministry in the wilderness; his focus is often on those on the margins. Who is on the margins of our community? How can we include them better?
iv. Is is important for us to be connected to wider communities of faith? Which ones?

c. “First be reconciled to your brother or sister…”
i. What practices do we maintain that will ensure conflict is named and dealt with – within ourselves, among ourselves and with others? (Mt 5:23-24, 18:15-18)
ii. Bring into God’s light those emotions, attitudes and prejudices in yourself which lie at the root of destructive conflict, acknowledging your need for forgiveness and grace. In what ways are you involved in the work of reconciliation between individuals, groups and nations? (Quaker Queries and Advices 6.32)
iii. “Do you uphold those who are acting under concern, even if their way is not yours? Can you lay aside your own wishes and prejudices while seeking with others to find God’s will for them?” (Quaker Queries and Advices 6.36)

d. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. (Jn 13:35)
i. Do you cherish that of God within you, and within others? How will you continue to discover yourself and work towards authenticity and integrity?
ii. Life stories are an integral practice of the inspiral community. Are you being completely honest with the whole group about your life, past and present? Do you listen well as others honour you with their story?
iii. When decisions have to be made, are you ready to join with others in seeking clearness, asking for God’s guidance and offering counsel to one another? (Quaker Queries and Advices 6.27)
iv. Are you honest about your needs and failings? How can you allow others to help?
v. “The greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves.” (Luke 22:26, Philippians 2:4-11) Are we growing in servanthood? “The first step of humility is unhesitating obedience… Such people as these immediately put aside their own concerns, abandon their own will, and lay down whatever they have in hand, leaving it unfinished.” (RSB 5)

e. “There he made his home in a town called Nazareth…” The local economy
i. How do our physical health and bodies and our relationships with them honour God and embody the Kingdom?
ii. “We acknowledge that we gather on the land of which the Wurundjeri people have been custodians from time immemorial. We honour this history and commit ourselves to care for the land with them. May our gathering and our service be work for reconciliation with people and with our God.” (Seeds Opening Ritual) In what practical ways do we honour the traditional indigenous custodians of this land? How well do you know the land on which you live? How will you resolve to know it better, and to care for it?
iii. What does the economy of our village/mob/community look like?
iv. Our lifestyle, particularly in the West, has costs for people and the earth of which we are often unaware. “Costs now conventionally hidden or externalized must be accounted for. Whenever possible they must be debited against monetary income.” (WB 13) What costs of our lifestyle do we externalise? How do we recognise and account for such costs? How can we minimise such costs, and maximise our capacity to absorb the costs ourselves? Can we maintain our properties and keep ourselves clean without dirtying some other place?
v. “Always ask how local needs might be supplied from local sources, including the mutual help of neighbours…The community must strive to produce as much of its own energy as possible.” (WB 3, How can we maximise our needs being met locally?
vi. How are we moving from an economy of competition to one of cooperation and redistribution?
vii. “[The community] should always be aware of the economic value of neighborliness as help, insurance, and so on. They must realize that in our time the costs of living are greatly increased by the loss of neighborhood, leaving people to face their calamities alone.” (WB 15) Are we being “good neighbours” to each other and those around us?

f. “How many loaves have you?” – food
i. In a world of fast food we commit ourselves to Slow Food – food that takes time and effort to grow and prepare. Does the food we consume preserve the earth and respect its producers and consumers?
ii. “Participate in food production to the extent that you can…Only by growing some food for yourself can you become acquainted with the beautiful energy cycle that revolves from soil to seed to flower to fruit to food to offal to decay, and around again…You will appreciate it fully having known it all its life.” (WB The Pleasures of Eating) Do you know where your food comes from? How has it been grown, what has gone into its production, how far has it travelled?

g. “A sower went out to sow…” Gardening and the Kingdom of God
i. Jesus’ parables and speech often revolves around the earth and gardening. Is gardening a central practice for our understanding of life and God?
ii. What understanding of the earth and our place in it guides our gardening?
iii. Who is invited to participate in our gardening?

Inspire Queries and Advices

a. “Do you not understand…?”
i. The gospels show that part of the experience of normative discipleship is a lack of understanding. “Do not allow the strength of your convictions to betray you into making statements or allegations that are unfair or untrue. Think it possible you may be mistaken.” (Quaker Advices IV) Are our convictions held with humility?
ii. At the same time, Jesus often heals blindness, both physical and spiritual. Those who experience Jesus’ healing touch are able to see reality more clearly. How do we recognise truth? How might we be more grounded in it?
iii. How are we seeking to go beyond head (intellectual) knowledge to heart (deepened experience) knowledge?
iv. “Who do you say that I am?” What is our honest experience of Jesus Christ? (Seeds QA Know the Word) Who do you say that he is, and what difference does that make to your life?
v. What does it mean to follow Jesus?
vi. Jesus calls anyone who would be his disciple to “deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me.” (Mark 8:34) In what ways is the call of Jesus an interruption to our business as usual? Are you willing to be faithful to Christ even when it is unpopular, awkward and costly? What costs have you borne in the last year for following Jesus?

b.“Have you not read…?”
i. What is the dominant script of our culture? How do we recognise it? How will we continue to name and renounce it?
ii. Biblical literacy is essential for knowing the counterscript of the Kingdom of God. In what ways are we seeking to increase our knowledge and experience of the Scriptures, both individually and communally? What other writings have served you well in understanding God?

c. “Why do your disciples not live according to the traditions?”
i. The song of creation ends with shabbat, or Sabbath, one day out of seven which means ‘stop’ or ‘rest’. Sabbath is a central practice of the Judeo-Christian tradition. Are you being faithful to the rhythms of work and rest?
ii. What does prayer look like for you? What ways or methods of prayer lie unexplored? Do you regularly set aside time in silence to hear from God?
iii. What spaces do we intentionally cultivate to pray together? How often do we observe silent listening or meditation together? Are there other forms of prayer we might benefit from?
iv. Which sacraments (Eucharist, Baptism, Confession, Foot Washing, etc.) are important for us to observe, even if we don’t fully understand them?
v. Remember the cautionary tale of the ashram cat. What traditions or rituals do we observe and why? Is there always room for spontaneity?
vi. What forms of creativity and creative expression can we be intentional about cultivating?
vii. How do the spaces in which we meet unintentionally shape us?
vii. How are we growing in humility? How can we ensure we never think of ourselves more highly than we ought? How can we ensure we never think of ourselves less highly than we ought?

d. “I’ll ask you a question, and you answer me…”
i. “Be honest with yourself. What unpalatable truths might you be evading? When you recognise your shortcomings, do not let that discourage you. In worship together we can find the assurance of God’s love and the strength to go on with renewed courage.” (Quaker Queries and Advices 6.11)
ii. “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” What are you most afraid of? What are we afraid of as a group and why? Remember the most common words from the mouth of God in the Scriptures are, “Do not be afraid.” Jesus assures us that even a little faith (the size of a mustard seed) can move mountains.
iii. How will we ensure that people can be vulnerable at any time without feeling unsafe? How can we grow in vulnerability?
iv. How is humour used amongst us? Does it build up or put down? Beware of the ‘shadow who laughs’. Do we ever use humour as a way of avoiding deeper truths?

Having explored the Seeds queries and advices last year, and found them not entirely appropriate for us (though largely they were), we decided this week to spend some time exploring what might be more appropriate queries and advices for us to ask ourselves this Lent.

Queries and advices are a strong part of the Quaker tradition, and has been a practice that has enabled Quakers to maintain a strong core while being flexible around how things work out in practice. Jesus frequently answered people’s questions with questions – so we need to be prepared to be questioned by Jesus on what is important for us.

Having asked people “what is it important/essential for us to continually question ourselves about?” we each made a list and wrote the list on the blackboard. I’m collating these now to draw up a document that we’ll be able to have ready for anyone who wants to know what we’re about. That way we don’t give people a doctrinal statement, but a list of questions we feel it’s important to ask that will therefore reflect our priorities.

It then forms part of the discipline of each Lent to spend time with these questions.

It’s the sort of passage you could pick to pieces, or analyse the crap out of, or spend the whole time delving into the historico-critical context, or whatever…so instead we decided to just experience it, know it in a sense beyond just the rational, the head, the right brain.

Group Lectio Divina was the method. The metaphor that’s often used of Lectio Divina is that of a river, above and below the surface: you can look at a river from above the surface and see the river. There’s a certain sense in which you can know a river by watching it from above. But the only way to really know the river is to get below the surface; even more than that, to be below the surface, caught in the currents, able to be swept along by it. You can’t control it, but you’re caught up in it nonetheless, and so you see it as it is much more readily.

So it seemed to go well, with everyone entering into it quite deeply and having some very moving personal experiences. Definitely one to keep trying in future.

This is what we did this week:

The Kingdom of God – an exercise in discernment

Your mission (should you choose to accept it) is to catch a glimpse of what Jesus might have meant when he began preaching that “The Kingdom (Reign, Economy, Commonwealth, Empire) of God is near”.

You will have half an hour to wander the streets of Brunswick. This is a to be a prayerful, reflective experience, so take your time. Use all of your senses, and keep your mind open for what is happening all around you. Spend your time noticing and accepting rather than making judgements. Open yourself to being led by the Spirit. Allow yourself to linger, and to be surprised.

Some questions to help you reflect:
* Where is God? Where is the Reign of God? How is it near?
* What do you feel connection to in the area? What do you feel alienated by?
* What does repentance (turning around and going the other way) have to do with the Kingdom of Heaven being near?
* How might we invite others into such a space (become “fishers of people”)?

Take a pen and track your progress on the map. Note down any significant experiences with an x. When you return, we’ll hear each others’ stories.

Which seemed to work well…people told the stories of their journey upon their return, and then we unpacked some of what had happened, asking questions like “how hard was it not to judge?” and, “where do your ideas about what is and what isn’t the KOG come from?”

As I was leading at Brunswick Baptist this week I put together seven stations that we then shared with inspiral. Seemed to work really well I think, inviting people to “come and see” instead of “sitting and hearing”, and people had the time to reflect deeply on some of the questions.

It was based on the four lectionary readings for this week. Unfortunately I took the pictures halfway through packing them up, so most of them are half what they began as, but you’ll get the gist.

Station 1: What are you looking for?
When Jesus realises John’s disciples are following him, the first question he asks them is “what are you looking for?” It’s a good question to ask ourselves as we come into church…

Station 2: Confession
Unfortunately I’d already taken this down before I remembered to take photos, but basically it consisted of a pool of water around which was scattered some river stones. People were encouraged to take a stone and feel its weight, and liken that weight to their sin or any burden they were carrying. Then, symbolically “baptising” the stone they were to drop it in the water, liberating themselves from their burden.

Station 3: Prayer station
Based on Psalm 40 (and with U2′s ’40′ being played in the background) people were asked to write their prayers on prayer flags and hang them on the string provided. Ended up looking fantastic (when I took the photo there were only two of the three strings remaining).

Station 4: Come and See
People were invited to reflect on the times in their lives when they’d taken up Jesus’ invitation to “come and see”.

Station 5: Recognising God
John recognises Jesus by a spectacular sign but most of us don’t get spectacular signs, so people were asked to use the art supplies to draw where they recognise God is in their world.

Station 6: Letters to inspiral
The NT reading this week is the beginning of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, so it talks about what he knows about them. So this station asked people to write a letter, as if from Paul, about what they thought he would write about them or inspiral. Then they were to post it in the mailbox provided.

Station 7: Light to the nations (with my own two hands)
The Isaiah reading says that we are not merely to get our own mob right, but to be a light to the nations. People were encouraged to listen to the Ben Harper/Jack Johnson version of “With My Own Two Hands” which makes numerous suggestions for how we might be a light to the nations (make peace on earth, clean up the earth, comfort you, etc). Then they were encouraged to make their handprints as a commitment to be a light to the nations with their own two hands.

People seemed to really enter into it all, which is the only way something like this is useful, so I think it worked well.