MISIÓN DE LA IGLESIA

THE  BENEFITS  &  BLESSINGS  RECEIVED:    Together  we  grow  social  capital,   we  might  just  call  it  intimacy.    Because  we  know  each  other’s  situations,  

passion  and  work  in  the  world,  we  are  always  eager  for  an  up-­‐date  on  how  it’s   going.    This  might  happen  in  those  one-­‐to-­‐one  conversations,  spontaneous   groupings,  intentional  small  groups  or  even  a  formal  presentation.  The  trust   grows  as  the  support  is  constant  and  enveloping.  And  so  it  builds,  each  word   shared,  each  hour  spent  together  working,  playing,  sometimes  grieving  or   celebrating.  We  become  a  distinct  “community”  that  gathers  regularly  and   often  to  share  food  as  well  as  social,  spiritual  and  political  awareness.  Each   member  takes  responsibility  as  we  work  together  to  create  the  community  we   want  and  cherish.      

Real  life  example:    We  had  the  most  splendid  liminal  birthday  party  one   magnificent  evening  last  April.    On  my  wife  Zoe’s  most  recent  birthday  she   became  the  same  age  at  which  her  dad  had  died.    She  had  inner  big  resistance   to  being  that  exact  age,  so  we  kept  putting  off  calling  friends  for  a  birthday   gathering.    Finally  with  just  two  days  left  she  knew  what  she  needed.    We   called  friends  who  said  yes.    Eight  of  her  women  took  her  high  up  to  the  creek   for  a  ritual  dip  into  the  water  as  an  immersion  cleansing.    It  involved  setting   intention,  ritual  purification  with  smudge  and  marking  paints.  Emerging  from   her  icy  cold  plunge  she  was  received  in  towels  and  blankets  held  by  her  

friends.    Two  other  women  took  the  opportunity  to  also  go  into  the  water  for   their  own  intentions  as  the  others  assisted  with  joy  and  loving  support.        

Meanwhile  back  home  the  men  intuitively  knew  what  to  do.  Even  though  late   in  the  afternoon  we  had  only  the  vaguest  idea  of  a  ritual  or  ceremony  we   know  how  to  work  together  trusting  each  other’s  gifts.  Once  together  and   cooking  literally  the  process  evolved  organically.  A  plan  and  flow  of  the   evening  quickly  came  clear.    “I  know  how  to  cook”  and  “I  used  to  be  a  waiter,   I’ll  take  the  orders”  “I’ll  take  point  on  the  ritual  parts.”  We  joyously  prepared   the  “pot-­‐luck”  hot  soups,  sweet  cakes  and  other  courses  to  fully  serve  and  care   for  our  goddesses  upon  return.  

When  they  arrived  we  greeted  the  women  at  the  door  with  an  arch  of  arms  of   welcome  and  honoring.    We  guided  them  into  the  comfortable  living  room   area  with  cushions  and  pillows.    Once  settled  we  offered  a  drink,  water,  tea  or   wine  and  served  what  each  wanted.      

When  time  came  for  the  meal  our  ritual  master  invited  everyone  to  stand  for  a   prayer  of  gratitude  and  honoring  the  birthday  guest.    Soon  we  began  serving   the  salad.    The  pot-­‐luck  meal  had  provided  2  options  and  as  the  waiter  had   taken  the  order  everyone  just  what  she  wanted.    The  men  joined  in  the  eating   many  sitting  on  the  floor  at  the  women’s  feet.    As  we  cleared  the  plates  we   took  the  order  for  soup  (Indian  Dahl  or  organic  chicken  veggie).  Again  we  sat   with  everyone  sipping  our  soup.      

Then  came  time  for  the  birthday  blessing  ritual.    The  floor  was  opened  for   anyone  to  share  personal  appreciations  with  Zoe.    Warm  words  of  love  flowed   over  Zoe  and  it  was  her  task  to  simply  receive.    As  the  time  felt  right  one  of  the   women  picked  up  a  guitar,  which  was  close  at  hand,  and  began  to  sing  easy   songs  that  drew  us  all  into  the  musical  flow  at  that  moment.  

As  that  music  energy  waned  the  men  offered  deserts  from  3  options  (ricotta   cheese  cake,  wheat  flower  free  chocolate  brownies  and  blackberry  cobbler)   which  we  brought  around  and  served  as  each  requested.    I  got  to  follow  the   servers  squirting  organic  whipped  cream  on  whatever  desert  delight  she  had   chosen,  or  all  three.  

It  was  all  very  joyous  and  effortless.  We  know  how  to  do  these  things.    We   know  how  to  trust  the  process  and  our  collectively  ability  to  know  what  to  do   and  how  to  do  it.    There  was  no  leader  as  such  and  we  have  faith  that  a  task   leader  will  step  up  as  needed  to  do  his  giving  then  return  into  the  group  to   enjoy  receiving.  We  give  and  receive  with  equal  delight.    We  men  of  MKP  have   been  preparing  for  decades.      

So  I’m  writing  it  into  this  book  both  the  acknowledge  our  readiness  and  to   share  one  real  story  about  how  it  actually  worked  this  one  fantastic  time.    

Chapter  11    

Possibility  Community

“The  creation  of  a  core  community  is  a  powerful  answer     to  our  collective  crisis  of  isolation  and  alienation.      

Because  we  live  in  the  belly  of  a  soul-­eating  culture,     we  face  enormous  pressures  every  day  to  adjust,  

accommodate  and  abandon  our  essential  self.      

Coming  into  the  shelter  of  our  own    village  or  core  community  is  one  way  

 to  protect  our  intrinsic  value     and  restore  our  indigenous  soul.”  

-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­  from:  Francis  Weller’s  work  on  “Non-­local  village”  

If  you  can  feel  the  deep  truth  of  the  above  quote  I  invite  you  now  to  join   me  as  we  live  into  the  possibility  of  a  personal  core  gift  community.      

What  is  possible?    We  can  live  into  the  possibility  that  we  can  create  our   “community”  the  same  way  we  “create”  all  the  other  parts  of  our  life.  

When  we  hold  a  vision  as  possible  it  will  eventually  manifest  and   together  we  can  co-­‐create  far  more  than  any  one  of  us  might  do  alone.     The  whole  is  greater  than  the  sum  of  the  parts.  

What  kind  of  community  is  possible?  Many  of  us  who  actually  did  have  a   sense  of  neighborhood  community  fifty  years  ago,  now  live  in  a  very     different  world.    For  some  people  today  the  “community”  they  have   created  consists  of  a  couple  close  friends,  another  dozen  sort-­‐of-­‐friends   and  100  acquaintances.    Because  it  is  all  they  know  it  feels  adequate  for   their  life.  The  sense  of  belonging  feels  like  enough.  However  allow  me  to   suggest  that  in  these  times  there  may  be  more  possibilities  of  

community  than  any  of  us  know.      

Try  to  imagine  yourself  with  a  hundred  really  close  loving  friends  and   500  acquaintances.  This  is  the  possibility  of  community  I  am  living  into   and  am  inviting  you  to  share.    The  rest  of  this  book  is  devoted  to  the   details  of  how  we  might  live  into  such  a  reality.