HOME Community: May 2012

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

My return HOME

4/23/2012

My Home away from HOME – My return HOME

So on 1/20/2012 I decided in the presence of Sarah & Eric to take a 3 month fast from Community. I think I decided this for 3 reasons:

1) I was obsessing over Community.

2) I felt I was the only one who really cared about community & if I stopped working towards Community it would simply fade away.

3) I believe a novice discerning HOME Community must have an extended time separated from the life of Community

Since HOME yet has neither a tangible location nor members I felt called to take a mental separation.

These last 3 months were long & filled with an agonizing longing for HOME. I certainly did not fast perfectly but I strived to stop talking, reading, thinking, & planning about Community.

Well at 9:48 am 4/20/2012, the first thing I did was read all the blog posts that the other Community members, Sarah, Eric, Kelsey, & Molly posted on our HOME Blog.

I was hoping this fast would end with profound new insights on life in Community. Not sure it has.

I did however realize that all 3 reasons for my fast were good reasons … I was obsessing. … a novice would not be fully prepared for Community life w/o life separated from HOME for an extended time.

3 Insights/Points that have surfaced in the 3 days since the breaking of my fast

1) It will be difficult for me to let go of control of the individual/uniqueness/freedom/etc. of each member in the Community. I am drawn toward a need to control people’s responses/personalities/desires/joys/passions & when they are not like mine temptations to manipulate enter in. Forgive me for this & give me strength in this

a. Learned this point by reading the blog posts from Jan 20, 2012 à 4/20/2012

2) A sentiment that I so desire to always feel but also I long/pain for those who don’t & desire that priority #2 of HOME should be to foster this sentiment for “members” & “guest”

“HOME is where you can go without being a guest.” (page153)

“There’s always hope when you find the home where you’re not a guest. I sincerely believe that kind of home is found by choosing to have a personal relationship with God and fellowship with people who also have chosen such a relationship.” (page242)

This sentiment & quotes I found in a book I read during my fast, thinking it would be a safe book, not dealing with Community called “Castaway Kid”

3) I made point #2 = Priority #2 because; The one conclusion I realized today & inspired me to make this journal entry is I believe the largest insight this fast has afforded me. When I asked myself this afternoon, why do I want Community so intensely, why does the longing inside me make me HOME sick?

a. I think 3 months ago I would have had a whole list of answers as to why: Community would be good for me, easier to live simply, safer & more financially secure, sharing resources, easier environment to be good, great witness to the world how early Christians lived, freer to help more people in need, It seems like it would be tons of fun to live/work/play/pray with my friends!! The list would have been long. But today the only thing & first thing that came to mind was: Why? BECAUSE I WANT TO DO THIS FOR GOD. I want to live in Community as a gift for God.

b. I don’t know if He even wants this gift but I felt I ONLY WANT TO DO THIS TO PLEASE GOD.

To HIM Be the Glory

Who We Are

Our daily lives are structured around practicing the works of mercy as found in Jesus' teachings. We are committed to regularly feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, giving drink to the thirsty, welcoming the stranger, visiting the prisoner and the sick in the name of Jesus.

As followers of Jesus we understand our lives to be centered in God's Grace. HOME strives to be a "school" for Grace in all its dimensions, working constantly to undo poverty, racism and violence.

All of these can be summed up as the struggle to connect with the God of life. We pray that HOME be a space where all of us - the broken - can come to learn and relearn the ways of Jesus; a place to struggle together for God's call of love, mercy, peace and justice. A place we can all cal HOME.

What do we do

"What we do is not nearly as important as who we are -

and how much we give is not nearly as important

as how much love is in the giving."

- Shane Claiborne

A large portion of our community's common work is the work of 6:8:

6:8 is striving to Transform Communities by Making Service Personal through Intentional Community. We offer many opportunities, especially in Sauk Prairie, WI to serve. Here are some of our Programs:

Sauk Prairie Against Hunger - Feeding People Locally and Globally. We work with the Sauk Prairie Food Pantry and the Sauk Prairie School District Locally and Feed My Starving Children for meals to aid Globally. We are motivated by our love of Christ and His Children and His command to feed Him through the hungry.

Called & Gifted - God has gifted each of us and called us to share these gifts with those around us. 6:8 presents a one-day workshop twice a year and offers follow-up for those interested in discerning their charisms, or Spiritual Gifts. Not a personality inventory, this program, developed by the Catherine of Sienna Institute, discerns how God works in and through a person to make Himself known in the world. If we are working in our charisms, we will be effective AND not be burned out because it is the Spirit working through our gifts. 6:8 encourages volunteers to participate in this program whenever possible as it helps us make service more personal.

Community Garden - Located at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Prairie du Sac, our Community Garden grows food for those who plant, weed, and/or harvest to enjoy. We have set times for volunteers to come and we teach about planting, maintaining, and harvesting food from a Garden. Anyone who helps with the garden has the opportunity to share in the produce. Extras go to community meals/groups and the Sauk Prairie Food Pantry.

The Pines - 6:8 builds relationships with those in need of company by assisting at a weekly activity hour (Tuesdays 3:30-4:30) at The Pines Nursing Home in Prairie du Sac. Volunteers spend time with residents and help residents with active games, art projects, playing cards or games, and more.

MadCAAP High School Mission Trip - 6:8 takes 50 High Schoolers to Mississippi each summer to build a house for a family in need with MadCAAP, a local organization in Madison County Mississippi. Pre-trip Meetings, evening activities in Mississippi, and post-trip follow-up connect the students to local service opportunities in Sauk Prairie.

Feed My Sheep - 6:8 partners with Churches in the Madison Area to raise money and package 100,000 meals at the Catholic Multicultural Center each Lent (early Spring). The food is a vitamin and mineral mix, dried veggies, soy, and rice, through Kids Against Hunger. Half of the meals stay in the Madison/Sauk area and the other half go to a school in Nicaragua.

Fire on the River - 6:8 coordinates Sauk Prairie’s 4th of July celebration on the Saturday closest to the 4th. Fire on the River is a full-day family-friendly event that highlights the best of Sauk Prairie and invites participants into the creative process. Fire up your appetite with Flavors of Sauk Prairie; Fire up your imagination through the Art Corner; Fire up your pallet at the Beer and Wine Tasting; Fire up your ears at the live stage; and then enjoy the Fireworks to wrap up the night!

Silver Cord - Students at Sauk Prairie High School can register and submit their volunteer hours. Students who submit 160 or more hours throughout High School receive a Silver Cord to wear at Graduation. 6:8 gives out one $500 Scholarship each year to a Silver Cord recipient.

Men’s Discipleship Group - F.A.T. (Faithful, Available & Teachable) Men meet weekly to read Scripture, pray, talk, and hang out together as they grow in their role as Disciples and relationship with God.

Women’s Bible Study - A group of women who meet the 2nd and 4th Friday of each month (10:30-11:30am) to grow together as Sisters in Christ by praying, reading the Bible, and sharing life together.

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Tuesday, May 1, 2012

My return HOME

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