A Living Alternative

I have recently begun correspondence with a Franciscan Friar from Cochrane, Alberta at Mt. St. Francis Retreat Centre, Brother Gerry Clyne. He serves as the Vocations Director for Western Canada and has kindly agreed to correspond about Franciscan spirituality and life in this amazing mendicant order. Lately we have been discussing the vows of poverty. It has been wonderfully enlightening. The following thoughts are entirely thanks to Br. Gerry.

One of the things that has moved me deeply is better understanding St. Francis' motivation in his vow of poverty. Unlike many ascetics, Francis did not embrace poverty out of a sense of self-denial or out of a desire to distance himself from the temptations of the world (at least not primarily). Rather, he saw in the Incarnation Christ's willing divestment of power out of love. Francis took the vow of poverty out of identification with Jesus.

This reliquishment of wealth (both material and metaphorical) allows for a liberty where the friars are free to focus their time and energy entirely on Christ and neighbour. Inevitably, it draws them into proximity, relationship and solidarity with the marginalized, especially the poor. While in the world's eyes, these vows would seem to disempower them from effecting change, like Christ their true power comes from reliquishing it.

What better lesson can the Church today learn than to collectively divest ourselves of that which the world burdens us into into pursuing? If we truly want to reach people with the reality of the Gospel and impact the world with God's Kingdom, we have to resist the impulse to mimic the worlds use of power and learn to be truly poor in spirit (and even materially). When we do this, it will birth a creativity of the Spirit that will produce movements that will transform the world around us.

In what ways can we be intentional about embracing this poverty of spirit? What "wealth" is hardest for you to reliquish?

Missional Poverty St. Francis

With all the buzz about the various conferences (and unconferences) which have happened or are happening, I could not help but think about the nature of such gatherings. Emerging Grace had some provocative thoughts and questions in her recent post "The Cool Kids", which looks at hierarchy and centralization in respect to conferences. While these are important points, for me it relates more to our life in proximity to the margins.

Our approach to conferences, with all its necessary organization and leadership, requires a significant level of financial stability and knowledge in order to participate. Inevitably, this often excludes many on the margins. While some of these limitations are as a result of systemic injustice (i.e. poverty, inadequate eduaction, gender biases, racism, etc.), others are not avoidable.

For example, with our Discipleship Training School (DTS) we intentionally try to make it possible for a local inner city student to join. However, this often means facing the challenges of FASD, alcoholism, even mental illness (not that these don't occur with our other students at times). How do offer communal spiritual formation for a group made up of people in these circumstances and others, like university level learners? We have navigated this carefully and, I think, with some success.

All of this to say that conferences (or any such gathering that requires the freedom and wealth to travel, the understanding of the more complex topics, etc.), while important and helpful, are inherently designed to keep knowledge, connections and even power in the hands of those who already have these. Don't get me wrong, I am not suggesting that this is being done intentionally, but it is a dynamic that needs to be acknowledged and aggresively engaged for alternatives. And let me say this clearly: those alternatives will be costly to those of us with the power, namely white, middle class males.

Again, I need to be clear that I am not anti-conference. In fact, I still affirm their importance. I used to attend many conferences in the past, all deeply shaping my journey and ministry, mostly for the good. Since we began our ministry in the inner city, our own financial stability has made it nearly impossible to attend such events. For example, I very much wanted to attend the Missional Order gathering that Allelon hosted in Seabeck, but there was no way I could have afforded it.

However, I am able to be confident that friends like Brother Maynard, Rick Meigs, Mark Priddy , Len Hjalmarson and others will act as emissaries to such events. In the midst of imperfect circumstances, we must choose to trust these people to hold lightly their advantage and use their privilege for those who do not share it. This does not mean we can ignore the need for major changes (and I think the issue of race and gender should be at the top of the agenda), but neither should we fail to make the most of where we are at. So, as we consider the future of how we gathering to learn and grow together, we must consider the wider implications and the inevitable limitations, moving forward with a tempered radicalism to forge another way.

What are your concerns about conferences and the like? What can be done to change for the better?

Missional Conferences Justice

One of the most widely known St. Francis pieces is "The Prayer of Saint Francis", a beautiful prayer that cannot be shown to have been written by Francis at all. Be that as it may, it represents the very best of this wonderful saint and his heart. It is a prayer for peace that we would all do well to pray and live by. The following is the most popular English translation (via Wikipedia):

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

Amen.

St. Francis Missional

In 1990, after graduating university, the promising young Christopher McCandless signed away all his savings to charity, cut off communication with his family and launched into a journey that has since captivated the minds and hearts of people the world over. Taking the name "Alexander Supertramp", he spent the next two years living the life of an enlightened vagabond, his path crossing those of an amazing collection of people. Always with the goal of heading north, he eventually arrived in Alaska where he cut himself off from the world to live in the wild.

This weekend, Kim & I caught a showing of the film "Into The Wild" (based on the Jon Krakauer non-fiction account by the same name) which portrays the events. This powerful film, while fascinating in the journey is recounts, is about the brokenness of humanity and our need for relationships. In addition to having a great cast, an excellent writer/director and wonderful cinematography, it is a powerful story that will keep riveted throughout its two and a half hours.


A beautiful, tragic and life affirming film, this gets my full endorsement. If it is still in theatres in your area, it is worth the full ticket price.

Pernell and Margie Goodyear have been sharing about their recent losses over the last 18 months. Kim & I lost our first baby a couple of years ago and have not been able to become pregnant again. We grieve with them. I am reminded of something I wrote shortly after our loss. Perhaps some of you can identify. Please pray for this couple and their family.

Appleseed.

A tiny, seemingly insignificant promise of life. So much potential, so many possibilities. How will the world, the landscape be different if this seed should take root? What fruit- sweet or bitter- might it produce?

Appleseed.

The size of the cluster of cells in my wife's womb 5 weeks after conception. In the arenas of politics, religions and science, the question might rage as to whether this little Appleseed constitutes life. However, those arguments are meaningless to us. Life or no, it represents the all the hopes and dreams of our shared love. All we can do is celebrate!

I find myself, at night, lying awake in my bed, wondering about Appleseed. Will she be a fussy baby? How many lost hours of sleep will he claim? Beyond that, I imagine the child, running around the yard with the dog. I imagine catching him on the internet, "discovering" the fairer sex. I imagine myself hating the boys who take her out on dates. I see him leaving for college, pursuing a dream I may or may not support.

As I lay there, my heart begins to race at the implications. Appleseed will have his own children. She, too, will lay awake wondering about the future of her children. Within this little, seemingly insignificant promise of life, there contains the potential for generations- literally thousand of lives, shaping and changing the world, the landscape of history. What a terrifying and thrilling responsibility to bring a life into this world!

However, Appleseed is not with us anymore. As we begin to let go of the joy of what was to come with our little one, we cannot let go of the questions. We cannot but wonder how the world will not be changed by her life.

Appleseed.

A tiny, seemingly insignificant promise of life. So much potential, so many possibilities. How would the world, the landscape have been different if this seed had taken root? What fruit- sweet or bitter- might it have produced?

*Disclaimer: This post is by no means intended to be a political or moral statement. It is not meant to affiliate myself with "Pro-this" or "Pro-that". It is simply an honest expression of where I am at. (written April 11, 2005 by Jamie Arpin-Ricci)


Prayer Miscarriage

So far we have looked at the first eight marks of the New Monasticism (Parts 1, 2 & 3). Here we finish with the last four:

9) Geographical proximity to community members who share a common rule of life:

This mark is part of our missionary values here in Winnipeg. While most of our staff living in the same house in intentional community, our value is only that we all need to live in geographical proximity. We are working towards supporting our local economy, which has been very rewarding relationally. I personally swore off shopping at certain store (i.e. Wal-Mart) and have not been back in some time. It's one small, but important step for me.

I think this value is far more achievable for the local church. Be it the commuter culture or the consumeristic approach to chosing a church, we need to recognize the importance of building lives that are rooted together in a shared community. When our church lives exsist in a separate place to the rest of our lives, we simply reinforce the false division of the sacred and secular, further distancing ourselves from the world we are called to serve and reach. The significance of supporting a local economy in the community your church calls home cannot be understated.

10) Care for the plot of God’s earth given to us along with support of our local economies:

It has been far too easy for us to ignore our responsibility to Creation in the busyness and demands of urban missions. Most of our efforts have been motivated more out of economic necessity than a sense of eco-commitment. However, we are beginning to learn how deeply connected our relationship to Creation is to our relationship to the Creator. In the urban context, it is even more critical.

I should note, as I have many times before, that I do not think that the environmentalist movement is the primary answer for the Church's relationship to Creation. Do not misunderstand, we should be involved in the movement, but environmentalism cannot provide an adequate framework needed. A theology of Creation- what I like to call a sacramental ecology- is deeply necessary. It is deeply connected to missionality on many levels, but it is also part of the original mandates God gave to humanity.

11) Peacemaking in the midst of violence and conflict resolution within communities along the lines of Matthew 18:

As you know, we live in an inner city neighbourhood in Winnipeg. Violence is all too present, be it domestic abuse or gang conflicts. Recently, violence has been on the rise, with Winnipeg (namely our neighbourhood) being cited as the community with the highest number of murders committed by youth. Part of what we do to be a peacemaking presence is our refusal to leave or to hide in our homes. However, we are struggling on what more we can do. It can be very overwhelming, as violence breed more violence, while fear drives away both people and hope.

Sadly, due to many factors (such as a flawed eschatology and a weak ecclesiology) the church has too often neglected to recognized its obligation in respect to issue of peace and justice. Our commitment to peacemaking must extend to every aspect of lives, big and small. And this extends to more than just the local church, as groups like YWAM are just as guilty. We need to be active agent for peace in the world, which is going to make for some real chaos, but necessary chaos.

12) Commitment to a disciplined contemplative life:

Like many in the local church, the busy-ness of ministry and life means that a disciplined contemplative life tends to be the first on the block for cuts. This is too bad, as it brings life. While I am the most guilty person in this respect, I also have seen an unfortunate pattern with pastors and missionaries where pressures for them to "earn" their cheques pushes them into excesses by congregations and supporters. This is a sad commentary on our values. Beyond that, any commentary from me would probably be hypocrisy.

So here ends the series on the New Monstacism. What is yoru perspective on these last four points?

New Monasticism Missional

In the previous posts in this series on the New Monasticism, I introduced the 12 marks of the movement, exploring the first four points. Here we continue with the next four:

5) Humble submission to Christ’s body, the church:

This is perhaps the most complex of the marks. For our ministry, which is an intentional missional community itself, our relationship to the local church is intentional. In addition to each of our staff actively participating in a local congregation, our ministries are intentionally designed to participate with the local church community. However, we also firmly reject the notion of being "para-church"- that is, outside of the Church. We acknowledge the essentiality of the local church, but also affirm our own mutual importance as a different expression of the Body.

While we are encouraged within the mission to be personally submitted to the spiritual leadership of our local pastor/church, we are called to acknowledge our YWAM community (which includes our region and the international organization) as our primary spiritual authority where our ministry is concerned. This, of course makes perfect sense. However, in reality, our personal and communal and ministry contexts are by no means separate spheres, so the obvious questions and challenges arise.

For the larger Church, this question is equally complicated. As Evangelicalism is coming to see the need for a more grounded ecclesiology, in addition to the shift from hierarchal leadership to communities of service and mutuality, what it means to submit to the Body will need to be seriously considered. I will look for at this point on Friday for my "Fridays With Francis" reflection.

6) Intentional formation in the way of Christ and the rule of the community along the lines of the old novitiate:

This point is one that I can see the value in, but approach it differently in our context. While not inspired by the novitiate, we do have something of a shared pattern of prayer, spiritual formation and ministry. We hope to be more intentional about this, no doubt drawing from some of the practices of the old orders.

Personally, while I affirm the need to approach life with a sacramental view, I do not think this has to take on forms that so closely resemble liturgical models. Not that there is anything wrong with those, but I have been far more drawn to some of the sacramental approaches of indigenous cultures. Again, there has to be significant sensitivity in this, as we don't want to co-opt another culture for our own consumeristic purposes. However, I think we need to broaden our imagination in respect to what it means to embrace a "rule" or pattern of community.

The most critical shift needed in the local church to make happen will be the humble acknowledgment that intentional formation in the way of Christ cannot primarily come as a result of training, education or programs. Rather, it will require the transformation of our lives at their most (seemingly) mundane levels- where we live, how and with who, how we spend our time and money, the nature of leadership, communal child-rearing, etc. Only when the church moves towards real change on every level will we see this formation take place.

7) Nurturing common life among members of intentional community:

For almost 15 years I have lived in varying degrees of intentional community, with my current situation (living in a duplex with our enitre YWAM community in the heart of our inner city neighbourhood) being the most effective. Perhaps because our current staff have all expressed a significant time and life commitment to our shared vocation of late, but I feel as though we are become true community more and more every day. We are making steps to be more intentional about this as well. It is hard, but wonderful.

I know that every Christian cannot live in intentional community like we do, but I do believe that the level in which individualism, privacy and self-sufficiency has infiltrated the Western church is one of the most critical ecclesiological issues in the world today. It grows from the same insidious roots that allow us to live in a culture where tens of thousands are dying of excessive consumption while millions of others die daily from easily defeated problems such as malnurishment, disease, impure water, etc. How horrific a disease that lulls the powerful into a self-destruction all at the cost of the millions of souls we claim to be so concerned about saving. Living in intentional community is one of the most powerful antidotes to this kind of selfishness- a local solution with potentially global impact.

8) Support for celibate singles alongside monogamous married couples and their children:

YWAM has always affirmed the need to support families within the mission. I have seen how hard it is to raise the support and function in the demanding life of missions while trying to sustain a family. Sadly, many fail in the attempt, which we strive to overcome as much as we can. At the same time, there can be the unintentional abuse of the flexibility and (often) youth of singles, in which their lack of family commitment often lands them bear more than their share of the burden. This is a dynamic tension in YWAM.

Local churches can often (unintentionally) be a place where married people with children receive the greatest attention. Based on the models that have shaped church growth, this isn't suprising. However, this will need to shift in order for the church to truly engage in its missional vocation. While there is some value in having specific ministries or groups for singles, youth, etc. I believe that there is a greater need for integrated, relationally driven gatherings, where people are mutually investing that which is unique from their experience and context.

What do each of these marks mean to you? How have they impacted you life and/or where do you wish they were more important?

I will finish up with the final four marks later this week.


Missional New Monasticism

Things have been wild and crazy here as we have been trying to put the finishing touches on The Dusty Cover. The kids section is nearing completion and the serving area is the last major project. We are even making good headway with the red tape that the city of Winnipeg has tossed our way. All in all, we are getting really excited about opening the store. That's the good news.

The bad news- and it more annoying than "bad"- is that the book store won't opening until December. Here's the snag. Because we are selling second-hand good (aka used books), we fall into the same category as pawn shops. Understandably, the city wants to make sure everyone involved is above board, so there is all kinds of paperwork, police checks and even a community meeting. As a result, we will be opening some time in December and try to do a grand opening event in February of next year.

While it is a little discouraging, it is what it is. Please keep us in prayers as we try to get everything in place, volunteers and staff trained, etc. I will keep you posted.

The Dusty Cover Missional Third Place

Once, a theologian approached St. Francis and asked him how he understood the following Scripture:

"When I say to the wicked, 'O wicked man, you will surely die,' and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require from your hand. But if you on your part warn a wicked man to turn from his way and he does not turn from his way, he will die in his iniquity, but you have delivered your life." -Ezekial 33:8-9 (NASB)

Here is his response (my paraphrase):

"The life of the Christian should be burning with such a light of holiness that by their very example and conduct, their life will be a rebuke to the wicked."

We must remember that St. Francis was a missionary who functioned largely within a Christian context. In otherwards, as missional as he was (and acknowledging his few trips abroad), his vocation was to call the Church to Christlikeness. The church of his day had many, many faults, which Francis was clearly aware of. However, so deep was his love for God and His Church, that he chose not to approach that vocation with prophetic reproof, but by embodying that which he was convinced was the way of Christ.

I believe that this represents a powerful and essential model for the church today, especially for those of us who believe that the Body of Christ desperately needs to rediscover what it means to be the incarnational, missional community we are called to be. While there is certainly space (and even the need) for articulated critiques and prophetic cries for change, these will only authority if the come secondarily to the daring example of lives lived differently.

What are you most passionate about seeing change in the Body of Christ today? In what ways can you embody this more intentionally, both as an individual and as a community?

St. Francis Missional