Order of the Ascension - To make ourselves at home

THE PROGRAM: To make ourselves at home

Follow up material on sessions -- Material related to each session's work will be posted.

A three-session opportunity in September to reflect on the spiritual dynamics of "making ourselves at home in all circumstances," including in times of isolation and loneliness, division and polarization, illness and death. Done using Zoom. Participants will be from parishes throughout the country. There is no fee for the program. About the leaders

DOES YOUR PARISH WANT TO PARTICIPATE?

The program is open to members of your parish. Here's what you need to do to participate.

1. A priest of the parish needs to send an email to Sister Michelle letting her know of your participation.

2. You need to have a parish contact person who will receive the names and email addresses of members wishing to participate. There's no norm about numbers. It's fine if there is just one person or ten interested.

3. You need to advertise the program within the parish by whatever method seems best to you. You may make us of all the information below in that effort.

4. By September 5 your contact person needs to send Sister Michelle a list of names and email addresses of those participating from your parish. We'll then send each person the reading for the first session along with other information on the session. They will receive a Zoom invitation at least one day before the session.

DATES: September 10, 17, and 24, 2020

TIME: 1:00 pm Eastern; 12:00 pm Central; 11:00 am Mountain; and 10:00 am Pacific

EACH SESSION: Will last between 50 and 75 minutes.

PARTICIPANTS: The invitation is being extended to all parishes. Our starting place was with parishes in which a Professed Member, novice, or associate of the Order of the Ascension is involved.

FEE: There is no fee

ZOOM: We will gather from parishes across the country on Zoom.

ADVANCE WORK: You'll be asked to read three or four pages before each session and to consider the issues and questions offered in the reading. The readings will be made available several days before each session.

EACH SESSION: Each session will include -

Prayer

Small group sharing at least once during the session. The groups are by random assignment. You may find yourself with people you know or people from across the country. Please, share only what you want to share.

A presentation

Conversation and Q&A

Background

On the Feast of the Ascension members of the Order of the Ascension gathered on Zoom for prayer and conversation. Our Presiding Sister, Michelle Heyne, OA offered a quote from Father Richard Benson, SSJE.

We must be as religious cherishing a habit of at once jumping into our place and finding ourselves at home in it, just as much at home there is anywhere else. ... The religious life is not to be a dreamy dissatisfaction with the present state of things, it is not to be a mere not knowing what to do next, because things about us are as they are, but it is the consciousness of being able to make ourselves at home under all circumstances and able to turn everything that happens to account. This is what the religious should be — ready; ready but not fussy. Fr. Benson, SSJE

He is of course correct that one of the tasks of those of us in the Religious Life is "to make ourselves at home in all circumstances." And to turn that to good account. It's also the task of every Christian.

The idea: The idea for this program emerged after about a month into the nation’s (the world’s) efforts to cope with the pandemic. We noticed an increase in people talking about feelings of loneliness and hostility. For some who lived alone there was an increase of anxiety and depression; for others it expressed itself in excessive drinking or suicidal thoughts. For people who lived with others there was too much togetherness. Both conditions set loose feelings of annoyance and irritation, even anger and resentment in some people.

And the impact of the pandemic came on top of an already existing societal decline of close friendships and a growing increase of political polarization. Then came an economic recession and protests over policing and race.

We begin with hostility because it may be the easiest force to see. We all experience hostility. Hostility within ourselves. Sometimes expressed toward others. Hostility directed at us. In these times it may seem that the hostility is on the increase. It may take the form of an increased level of annoyance with others or a restlessness within.

The focus: The relationship among loneliness, solitude and hostility in my spiritual life. How as Christians we can "make ourselves at home under all circumstances"--including in times of isolation and loneliness, division and polarization, illness and death.

We'll draw on the life and work of a variety of writers on the spiritual life including: Henri Nouwen, Evelyn Underhill, Lowell Grisham Thomas Merton, Esther de Waal, along with material from the Sisters of the Love of God (SLG).

Learning objectives:

1) To increase my understanding of the spiritual dynamics

2) To learn a few traditional methods of the spiritual life

3) To learn a broader spiritual map

EXPECTATIONS:

1) Participants need to access the session through a Zoom invitation that will be sent out at least one day prior to each session. You need to have both the video and sound active. We want to be able to see all the participants and have them see one another.

2) The meeting site will be open about 5 minutes before we begin. Please be on time. We will close the meeting at 5 minutes after the hour.

COFFEE & TEA: Made just as you like it, by you at home

PROGRAM LEADERS: Michelle Heyne, OA & Robert Gallagher, OA. About the leaders

THE ORDER OF THE ASCENSION: Is a dispersed Benedictine community of the Episcopal Church, founded in 1983. For more information