[Dialogue] “And now we know why”

Wed Sep 4 07:17:40 PDT 2019

To suggest that we succeeded or failed at, for example, the renewal of the local church, is to me a little arrogant in that it seems to assume that we were the only influences at work in that effort, and that it all began and ended within the parameters of the time during which we were engaged in the work.

I will say that at the time we declared that the church was renewed, and then did the “turn to the world,” the renewed church did not look like what I had envisioned the renewed church would look like. Nor does it today.

So for me the question is not did we succeed or fail, but were we faithful to the call and to our covenant as a community. I believe we were, and therefore I am at peace with Bonhoeffer’s proclamation that “it is God who sees the heart, weighs the deed, and directs the course of history.” (Did I remember that correctly?)

Meanwhile, as we all well know, whatever we choose to call it, success or failure, is indicative of little more than the relationship we take to the reality we have.

Randy

> On Sep 4, 2019, at 4:50 AM, Nancy Trask via Dialogue <dialogue at lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:
> 
> The Water Warriors in Cannonball ND are another example.
> 
> Nancy Trask
> 515-505-0456
> nancy50273 at centurylink.net
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Paula Philbrook via Dialogue <dialogue at lists.wedgeblade.net>
> To: Colleague Dialogue <dialogue at lists.wedgeblade.net>
> Cc: Paula Philbrook <paula.philbrook at gmail.com>
> Sent: Wed, 04 Sep 2019 00:42:20 -0400 (EDT)
> Subject: Re: [Dialogue] “And now we know why”
> 
> Thank you all for your reflections.
> 
> At an Order youth meeting at the South House, JWM spoke.  The only part I
> can remember was when he said, the "real" impact of the Order will be seen
> in its third generation.
> 
> I hear on Facebook tidbits from gen 2 about their lives, cares, &
> activism.  Sometimes, I get a glimmer of gen 3. And I smile.  Watch your
> grand children! My daughters have grown to be amazing women.   As I witness
> their self understanding, world view & global care.
> 
> I had the gift of Mangla & Hiramon's daughter here in Chicago for a couple
> of years.  What a testimony to the Blue shirts!
> 
> I have no doubt the Spirit Movement made an impact.  The Journey itself is
> the victory.
> 
> Paula
> 
> On Tue, Sep 3, 2019, 8:56 PM Mari Crocker via Dialogue <
> dialogue at lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:
> 
>> I love Jim’s probing questions in response to Jack’s pronouncements about
>> all the places “we failed.”
>> 
>> And I appreciate Dick’s gentle defense, based on his experience in the
>> trenches of each.
>> 
>> I also appreciate Jack’s subsequent expansive philosophical commentary
>> that, as only Jack can, enlarged the context such that none of us really
>> disagree.
>> 
>> But I do.
>> 
>> I believe we DID win in renewing the historic church as it existed in the
>> latter part of the 20th century  (via RSI and our comprehensive curriculum
>> -the Academy), in large part by expanding Religious Houses (via initiating
>> the LCX and Parish Outreach Projects), and globalizing our work via HDP
>> Replication (via Town Meetings, HDTS and Global Collegia such as the
>> IERD.). And then the “we” had become the “us” — so many people of myriad
>> cultures, languages and faiths, working “as local people, to build the
>> earth, the planet earth."
>> 
>> I measure our “win” versus “failure” in the words of human beings whose
>> lives were “utterly changed/transformed” by their interaction with us, the
>> OE, the ICA, the “blue shirts”, etc…….Joe and I  have heard those words,
>> over and over again.  These need not be documented in polls or quantitative
>> research.  I trust these voices are echoed in our archives and can
>> contradict themes of “failure.”
>> 
>> Grace and peace,  Marilyn (and Joe)
>> 
>> On Sep 3, 2019, at 10:05 AM, Jack Gilles via Dialogue <
>> dialogue at lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:
>> 
>> Dick,
>> 
>> I just wanted to affirm your response to my rather glib use of the word
>> “failure”. All of creation, through a sensitive and response capacity,
>> experiments with new forms. They are then constantly refined in the
>> creative process over eons of time to what became lasting. So do we humans.
>> We evolve through experimentation, learn from that experience and adjust.
>> So we certainly were trying to be responsive to a vision of, (HDP, for
>> example), what the new local needs to look like. We may not have succeeded
>> but we learned. And it is that learning (and experimenting) that needs to
>> be shared with other awakened one; and the time is short. You are exactly
>> right: “failure is what drives life”. One thing clear to me is the new
>> paradigm *is* here. The question is how fast that new paradigm becomes
>> the operating paradigm. Telling the New Story is the new evangelism.
>> 
>> Thanks!!
>> 
>> Jack
>> 
>> On Aug 30, 2019, at 16:18, Richard Alton via Dialogue <
>> dialogue at lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:
>> 
>> Great question Jim: I did a lot of replicating and would not describe any
>> of them as failures or for that matter the 3 religious houses and for that
>> matter a life time of church renewal- all have been awesome experiences,
>> although would agree if you are saying the basic nature of life is
>> failure....failure is what drives life
>> Dick
>> 
>> Sent from my iPhone
>> 
>> On Aug 30, 2019, at 1:15 PM, James Wiegel via Dialogue <
>> dialogue at lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:
>> 
>> Jack:  you said in a recent email . . .
>> 
>> 
>> We failed at replication, but now we know why.
>> 
>> 
>> We failed at expanding Religious Houses, but now we know why.
>> 
>> 
>> We failed at renewing the historical Christian church, but now we know why.
>> 
>> 
>> I tried hunting around the archive website and looked a bit around
>> wedgeblade.net.  Is there a document somewhere that outlines these
>> “why’s”?
>> 
>> 
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