[Oe List ...] The Order and Oaxtapec

Sat Jul 1 21:41:06 PDT 2017

Am in accord with all the previous reflections and the need to share them. Our history together as a dynamic is overflowing with collective effulgent events that continue to the present. As one of the churches I have attended proclaims, "Let us grow our spirit together."
The passing of the baton, the torch and the cross have become corporate symbols of our commitment to the task which is no less than forging History and rebuilding the Earth.
May we continue to demonstrate the interconnectedness of all Beings as People related to The Source, The New Reality and the Course of Empathetic Energy to recreate the Will of our Creator with disciplined fortitude.
"We must not die the dead cry out within, 'Finish our Work, finish our work'" There is more than enough for a lifetime to carry forward into the future. Let our mindfulness and singleness of purpose allow us to rest in faithfulness to the task with hearts emblazoned with constant vigilance to the Call and our Response to actualize our sacred duty with honor, humility and compassion.

Peace, Hope and Joy,
Dawn
P.S. I started my journey of re-entry into the fold by rereading Journey to the East. I think it is something of a talisman to reigniting our passion for the Vision and Missional Engagement.

".Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Source is [amidst us]."-Philippians 4:4-5

On Saturday, July 1, 2017 1:05 AM, Isobel Bishop via OE <oe at lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:

 Hello John,Yes your questions are excellent and deserve further pondering and discussion.I saved your note  to return and have a further Refection.Thankyou for raising these profound points..In love and peace,Isobel Bishop  

Sent from my iPhone
On 1 Jul 2017, at 5:52 am, Joyce Sloan via OE <oe at lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:

Thanks for this, John. I totally agree and long for ways to sustain ourselves in our scattered state.
Joyce
On Jun 14, 2017 4:57 PM, "John Epps via OE" <oe at lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:

It has long been claimed that atthe Oaxtapec gathering, the Order was called out of being. That assertion haslong troubled me, and it seems time to clear the air.

IMHO, the statement is bothsociologically and theologically inaccurate. A more accurate formulation ofwhat happened in Mexico was that we went from a structured to a dispersed form.Something was definitely dissolved at Oaxtapec, but it was not the Order, onlya particular form of the Order.

On the sociological side, thereis still a lively “we” that once went under the name “Order Ecumenical.” This list-serve and the archives workshops represent some manifestations, but moresignificant are the personal collegial relationships that persist despite greatdemographic, cultural, and geographic differences. “We” continue to communicateand to celebrate the life milestones of each other. 

“We” continue to engage in themission of catalyzing and caring for those who care – in multiple sectors andwith far greater impact than a single organization could have managed. Someexamples include the ToP Network, the IAF, ICA community development work inIndia, Nepal, Australia, and South America, and environmental preservationefforts in the USA. “We” have published a good number of books making insightsavailable to a wide audience. Colleagues could fill out the list. 

Theologically, the Order is ahistorical dynamic that we’ve been privileged to participate in. It is notsomething we can disband, even if we wanted to. Just as Niebuhr described theChurch as the “sensitive and responsive ones…” that takes many forms, so alsois the Order composed of those awakened and catalytic ones who care for thosewho care. The notion that some of us could dissolve that dynamic confuses theform from the content (the baby from the bathwater to use a less abstractmetaphor). I’ve come (reluctantly) to see that we were led to dissolve aparticular structure so that the historical dynamic might continue in anenhanced fashion. 

Why does this matter? Is itsimply a verbal difference having little to do with anything except theneurosis of an old theologian? 

It matters because thinking thatthere is no longer an Order prevents us from wrestling with pertinentquestions: How can we remain in touch with the Profound Mystery? How can wecontinue to access our common insights? What rites and celebrations areappropriate to a dispersed body? How can we account to each other and supporteach other? How can we stay on the religious and secular edge? What (if any)forms are appropriate for the global and diverse participants in thishistorical dynamic? In a time when hatred and fear of differences is so rampant,what new experiments might make a difference? What might we learn from Journeyto the East?

Collegial comments,clarifications, corrections, and additions are most welcome.
Thanks for reading this.John Epps
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