+ a neo-monastic | intentional community in Seattle, WA +

Archive for February, 2008

full house

In Communities, For the Common Good, Friends, In the House, celebration, dinner, events, hospitality, mustard seed associates, seattle, the new conspirators on February 26, 2008 at 7:41 pm

 As we get ready for The New Conspirators Conference (AKA Festival of the Imagination) our friends beginning to  arrive. Last night we enjoyed a delicious soup and homemade bread with the company of our kiwi friend Mark Pierson. Mark is one of the pioneers alt. worship, emerging church leaders.

Tomorrow I’ll (Eliacin) be picking up Mark Van Steenwyk. Mark is the pastor of Mission Dei, a new monastic community in  Minneapolis. I’m excited to have Mark around, he has an awesome laugh.

Shane Claiborne and Tom Balke will join us on Thursday during the day.

There will be about 14 of us in the MSH going and coming in for the next couple days. I’m looking forward the many stories to be share, morning prayers and great evening conversation over coffee and tea.

Monks, Community & Rule of Life

In Christine, Communities, For the Common Good, celtic, christianity, contemplative, family, hospitality, household economics, kingdom, monasticism, msa, mustard seed associates, mustard seed house, new monasticism, prayer, social justice, solidarity, spirituality on February 5, 2008 at 7:05 pm

Christine writes about our dreams and vision for Mustard Seed Associates, the Mustard Seed House and the Celtic Community Project -

Monks, Community & Rule of Life « Godspace

Yesterday the Boston Globe printed a great article The Unexpected Monks, on the move towards monasticism by many evangelicals. It is something that resonates very deeply with me personally as well as with all of us at MSA. In fact we are in the process of reimagining MSA as a network of communities with a common rule of life. We believe that God calls all of us to embody an incarnational faith in all aspects of our lives but we all need spiritual disciplines that enable us to live that out.

After the New Conspirators conference we plan to spend a extended time fleshing out what our rule of life should look like. Below is an outline I wrote for our Board meeting last Saturday that outlines some of our reasoning on Why Community? Even though we have been working on this for years we feel we are still very much in the early stages and would appreciate your prayers and comments as we move forward. Tomorrow I will post some thoughts on Why a Rule of Life? Lent – the season for reflection and self examination seems a good time to grapple with these issues.

Read more…

The unexpected monks

In Communities, For the Common Good, Friends, christianity, kingdom, monasticism, new monasticism, partners, saints, sharing, spirituality on February 3, 2008 at 5:42 pm

The unexpected monks – The Boston Globe
New Monasticism is part of a broader movement stirring at the margins of American evangelicalism: Evangelicals disillusioned with a church they view as captive to consumerism, sectarian theological debates, and social conservatism. Calling themselves the “emerging church” or “post-evangelicals,” these Christians represent only a small proportion of the approximate 60 million evangelical Americans. Yet their criticisms may resonate with more mainstream believers. A recent study by Willow Creek Community Church in Illinois – one of the most influential megachurches in the nation – discovered that many churchgoers felt stalled in their faith, alienated by slick, program-driven pastors who focus more on niche marketing than cultivating contemplation. The study suggested that megachurch members know how to belt out jazzy pop hymns from their stadium seats, but they dont always know how to talk to God alone.Read more…

Our friend Mark Van Steenwyck from the Missio Dei community in Minneapolis, is quoted in the article. Mark will be one of the conspirators at The New Conspirators: Festival of the Imagination in Seattle, later this month. Check it out.