Incarnational Living

If you have read some of my other blog, or hang out with me at all, you've probably heard me talk about New Monasticism quite a bit. Over the past year or so, I've researched, written a paper, read, and spent countless hours thinking about this movement called "New Monasticism."

Well after all my research, these past 2 days (actually this morning) I finally got to experience first hand what New Monasticism looks like. 

Wednesday afternoon I headed off for Philadelphia to spend a couple days at the Simple Way, (Shane Claiborne's community in Kensington.) Needless to say, I was crazy excited! It felt like a dream come true! 

After struggling to get through Philly traffic, we didn't make it for morning prayer on Thursday, but they did stick around for about a half hour and just discussed their neighborhood, lifestyle, and different strategies for communal living in our situation. Thursday night, we joined them for a "mid rash" where they discussed a football league they were helping to start which got young men off the streets and helped dispel racism in the area. Then, this morning we made it for prayer.

It was truly a beautiful experience. 

The love that the people at the Simple Way have for the impoverished area around them is astounding and inspiring. They simply love Jesus, love those people, and stay put while building relationships.

A lot of people call their lifestyle radical - and I guess it can look that way. Living (on purpose) in the most impoverished area of Philly in order to love people that are mostly overlooked - not to mention - I met Shane and he certainly looks radical :)

But I want to live this way - incarnational living  

"Incarnational" - a very "Christiany" word but one that I think fits perfectly. 

The people of the Simple Way, and other New Monastic communities, are the incarnation of Jesus. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of ways to be Jesus in the world - (I'm working for a Church that lives this way, and they look nothing like New Monasticism)

But their lives are Simple really - live simply, love people, and serve those around you, 

Be Jesus

"Maybe we are a little crazy. After all, we believe in things we don't see. The Scriptures say that faith is "being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (Heb. 11:1). We believe poverty can end even though it is all around us. We believe in peace even though we hear only rumors of wars. And since we are people of expectation, we are so convinced that another world is coming that we start living as if it were already here." - Shane Claiborne

Silence

This is somewhat of a continuation from a previous post - the one titled "to be continued." Although I don't have much to say in this post either. 

Last Thursday, I spent 4 hours outside by a pond in complete silence with God alone. 

Let's just say, silence is a great spiritual discipline - and one that I need to remember to continue after this semester. 

The things you hear from God when you stop talking.

Case Studies (*cue the thunder clap*)

As a part of our internship, 3 times over the course of this semester we have what's called "case studies." (*cue the thunder clap*)

Ok, they aren't that bad....maybe ;)

Basically, we have to tell each other where we really blew it. Report about a time we screwed up. And then, while we sit silently, everyone else critiques us; saying what we could have done better or differently.

It's quite a humbling process.

But's it's incredibly beneficial.

I make all kinds of mistakes - some of them minor - but some not so much. And the wonderful folks at Mountain who created this program expected I would make mistakes and are now forcing me to learn from them. It also teaches me a lot about myself - my last two case studies kind of dealt with the same problem.

Thank goodness I'm making these mistakes now in an environment that forces me to learn from them. Hopefully what I learn will stick.

Home

I realized today that it's been two weeks since I posted about my semester. Well, it's been an interesting couple weeks here in Maryland - we just had a hurricane blow through. Thankfully, there was minimal damage here in Harford County.

I don't know whether it's the gloomy skies from the storm, the fact that Thanksgiving (and subsequently) Christmas are on the horizon, or the feeling that this is the first time I've stopped to breathe since the beginning of October, or more likely, a combination of all of these, but

I've been homesick these past two weeks. 

And it's a weird feeling, because I don't necessarily want to leave Mountain. 
Not at all actually. 
Just 2 nights ago I had dinner with a wonderful family, played with their two adorable little girls, and realized how much I will miss them when I leave.

But two weekends ago my mom came to visit me. And last Thursday I went up to DC to visit with my brother for a couple hours while he was nearby.

And I realized something:
As much as certain places can feel like home (as Mountain does) and as much as certain people can become like family (as many of my new friends here have), 

Nothing can replace family

I'm excited for the holidays in 3 weeks. 

But I'm not checking out yet. I've got some pretty exciting ministry coming up :)