[Oe List ...] Adding to the conversation

[Sharon Fisher]

Marsha,

Thank you for sharing your experience of the Order, Marsha. At 24, I met
you and your mother at Academy in 1974 on the Westside. You were a young,
bright young adult with a good sense of curiosity. Meeting you since as
older adults, I so appreciate your journey -- all of it. The observations
and counter perspectives you bring to our reflections on the Order are most
helpful.

One thing that I did not experience for myself was being trapped in the
"only path" indicative. Certainly, I felt the call to join the Order and
was excited by its mission, but I felt it was a good path choice *for me*
and not the only path. After marrying, Bruce and I took assignments for
over three years, then returned to be active in the Seattle Region. When we
rejoined the Order in 1983, we held assignments for five years. I guess the
lines of "in" or "out" of the Order were blurred for us. We saw folks
"leave in the night" and felt that it was disingenuous for us and
undignified for the Order. We did see the shunning of folks who left but
felt the shunning was unnecessary and cruel. On various occasions I did
call it out.

I don't mean to argue the good points you made about the only path. I, too,
saw its manifestation. I found it to be an unuseful Order fundamentalism.

Again, thank you for sharing, Marsha. My heart goes out to Shelly, as well.
The shame of her experience is on us all. Repentance is definitely in
order. May turning our backs on those behaviours and abuses be total and
healing, and ongoing.

With gratitude,
Sharon



On Mon, Jun 30, 2025 at 1:40 PM Debra Harris via OE <oe at lists.wedgeblade.net>
wrote:

> Thank you Marsha. The Archives does need more of the second
> generation “EG” & youth perspective. There were definite mistakes as many
> younger gen were sometimes or often seen as secondary to the “Mission”. Or
> seen as a way to become bext generation “seconds” to perpetuate and
> “further the mission”…
>
> I know some was discussed after the Millennial Connection. However I’m not
> sure what was  documented. Since my age is inbetween & actually closer to
> Second Generation, I am aware of a handful of your perspectives.  I became
> friends with some of you, and know you have an active connection with each
> other.
>
> I eagerly read “Iron Boy” and was surprised how much I didn’t really know
> about earlier days of the Order, particularly youth perspective (having
> joined in ‘84).
>
> I will read your pdf with equal attention Marsha. And wonder how many more
> have written about their experiences. Of course there is the book titled
> something like Grits & the Holy Ghost (I forgot the exact title).
>
> Thank you David & Marsha
>
> Debra Harris Watson
> Houston
>
>
> Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone
> <https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&c=Global_Acquisition_YMktg_315_Internal_EmailSignature&af_sub1=Acquisition&af_sub2=Global_YMktg&af_sub3=&af_sub4=100000604&af_sub5=EmailSignature__Static_&af_ios_store_cpp=9d3a686e-218d-4849-8298-b480188dc8ac&af_android_url=https%3A%2F%2Fplay.google.com%2Fstore%2Fapps%2Fdetails%3Fid%3Dcom.yahoo.mobile.client.android.mail%26listing%3Demail_signature>
>
> On Monday, June 30, 2025, 12:49 PM, Zoe Barley via OE <
> oe at lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:
>
> Marsha
>
> I very much appreciate your willingness to share these often painful
> reflections. I've forwarded them to Gwyn. She too has struggled with the
> years we spent in the Order altho we chose to leave when she was due to
> join the 6th grade house. We too experienced the 'we won't talk with you
> about your leaving - shunned. But we were called to a Galaxy church which
> did make things different until the Move to the World.
>
> I agree this discussion should have happened long ago.
>
> Zoe
>
> Sent using myEarthLink
>
> On Mon Jun 30 10:46:29 EDT 2025 Marsha Hahn via OE wrote:
> For several months, I have been doing some writing, the intention of
> which was to spur some self-critical reflection about the Order. I had
> been thinking I might send it to the archives, but the last couple of days,
> as David, Shelley, and others have raised challenging but important topics,
> made me decide to go ahead and share it in this forum. If memory serves,
> one of the original purposes of this listserv was to create a space for
> inter-generational dialogue. There hasn't been a lot of that, but here we
> are.
>
>  It's a little too long to include in the body of an email, so I'm
> attaching a PDF.
>
> Hoping it's a helpful contribution to this conversation.
>
> In love and respect,
>
> Marsha
>
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