Living Simply with Kids Workshop

Ricci Kilmer and Eliacin Rosario Cruz will be hosting a workshop entitled The Revolution Starts at Home: Living Simply With Kids, October 11th at the Mustard Seed House.  Read more

Saying goodbye and commissioning Anneke and Peter

 

 

Today is a sad day at the Mustard Seed House. Our friends, family and fellow communitarians Anneke and Peter Geel are embarking in a new journey today which is taking them away (only physically) from us.

They have been a great influence in shaping the life and rhythms of the Mustard Seed House. We will miss the deep conversations, the sarcastic humor, the strong sense of togetherness and love from them.

Last night was our last community dinner with the Geel. We said our “see you later” and commission them to keep planting mustard seeds of hope where ever the Spirit might lead them.

Prayer of Sending for Anneke and Peter

(Ricci)

 

Then I heard a voice in heaven saying,
“whom shall I send?
and who will go for us?”
Then said I,
Here am I, Send me.”  

“I will go, Lord, if you lead me:
I will hold your people in my heart.”

 

We pray for Anneke and Peter,
with thanksgiving for their gift of friendship and faithfulness.

(Tom & Christine)

Deliver them, Lord, from every evil
and grant them peace in your day.
In your mercy Lord,
Keep them away from sin
and protect them from all anxiety
as they wait in joyful hope
for the coming of our Savior
Jesus Christ,
Let your Kingdom come, Lord, in them.

(Eliacin & Ricci)

We pray the protection of Christ to clothe you,
Christ to enfold you,
to surround you and guard you
this day and everyday.  

We will journey with you.
We will keep before us, your love and faith,

 

We send you with the love and guidance of
God, your Creator
God, your Redeemer
God, your Sustainer
to do justice,
to love mercy 
and to walk humbly with your God.

(Catie gives mustard seeds to Anneke & Peter)

We send you off with these mustard seeds,  as members of our family and community, 
for you to plant them, as hopeful signs of God’s in-breaking Kingdom 
where ever the Spirit leads you.

(Eliacin) The Lord bless you, and keep you; 

(Ricci) The Lord make His face shine on you, 

(Tom) And be gracious to you;

(Christine) The Lord lift up His countenance on you, 

(Catie & Gabriel) And give you peace.’

Amen

 

Reflection: A year at the Mustard Seed House

By Anneke Geel

When Peter and I and moved into the Mustard Seed House, we didn’t know whether it would be for 15 months or several years. As it has happened, it has been the shorter option because we are now moving across the country so my husband can pursue a PhD. Throughout the discernment process over whether to apply, where to apply, and ultimately whether to accept this PhD opportunity, it has weighed heavily on our hearts to think about living away from the friends at MSH who have quickly become part of our family.

From the moment we decided to move here, our choice to live with other people rather than alone has been a tremendous conversation starter and point of curiosity for people in our lives. At first I sometimes found it hard to explain to others why we had decided to move (again—this is the third place we have lived in less than 3 years of marriage) and what exactly we had moved into. People ask, “Is it like a co-op?” Well, sort of. Sometimes when I described our latest move, I could almost hear the person thinking, “This is one of those weird hippie communes.”

I finally settled on saying something along the lines of, “It’s a community house where we live with other families who are also Christians. We help each other out in life, pray together, and try to care for creation together.” That, of course, is not a comprehensive summary of why we are all here, but I think it’s a good start. I have found that for most people, the tried and true “come and see” principle Jesus taught us has been the best. Every time I have a friend or family member over, it seems to help them understand why we would want to live with these great people. They also see that the values we share are in many ways more fulfilling when we live them out together than on our own.

One of the things I have loved about living in this home has been the sense that everyone expects the best of one another’s intentions. Even when there is a disagreement or misunderstanding, we have worked to create a community environment of assuming that we all want right relationships with one another, and we try to keep accounts short. There is also a tremendous sense of respect for each of the families living here, both in the different ways that we do things, but also in our need for time together. As a very social extrovert who tends to overextend myself, it has been so helpful to be supported by this community in protecting time that is just for me and my husband.

Seeing two of our housemates, Ricci and Eliacín, raising their children over the past year has helped both my husband and me feel that having children was something we could actually do too and for which didn’t want to wait any longer! We have had a pretty up-close look at some of the challenges that children bring, like lack of sleep, and trying to interpret this very complex world in a way your child can understand. We have also seen the joy our housemates experience in their children’s growth and affection as well as how they meet God as they parent. It’s partly as a result of having seen this real joy in their lives that Peter and I are expecting our first child in January.

In some ways it feels this past year has been a launching pad for us, a foundation from which we will spring forth into a new city, new community, and into parenthood. We also pray to continue to deepen our understanding of how God has called us to live in His world.

As we leave, we are not sure what our next experience of community will look like; whether it will be similar in the sense that we physically live with others or whether we pursue community in other ways across the bounds of separate homes and apartments. However, we are definitely sold on it as a way of life!

The Revolution Starts at Home – New blog

Check out the new homegrown plot to transform the world by the Rosario-Kilmer tribe.

Ricci just launched a blog in which she will reflect on holistic life and spirituality from the perspective of a practitioner, revolutionary, mother, wife, communitarian and homegrown critical educator.

The Revolution Starts at Home

Making coffee to open our eyes in the morning, food preparation to sustain our bodies, washing clothes, cleaning our homes, nurturing our children, sleeping (maybe?). The list goes on. These activities and hundreds more like them take significant blocks of time out of our days and weeks. In our society which tries to “box” everything into neat little categories, these things are in the, “Ugh, Do I have to do that again?” category. Which in my mind brings up several questions:

• How many hours do we really spend on this stuff each week?
• Are these sacred or secular activities?
• If secular, does that mean that much of our lives are godless?
• If spiritual, WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT IT!?

That’s what this blog is about. Reclaiming those areas of our lives, by many viewed as boring and dull, to be sacred and taking small steps each day to bring them back into the spiritual realm of our lives; or better yet, expanding the spiritual to leave nothing out.

You are invited to the 17th Celtic Prayer Retreat

17th Annual MSA Celtic Prayer Retreat 2008

When: Saturday August 9, 2008 (some of us camp from Friday to Sunday, Aug. 8-10)

Where: Camano Island, WA (map)

There are times when we need space. . . space to breath, hear and respond, space for transformation and renewed clarity in our lives. Join us for all or part of our weekend Celtic prayer retreat on a wild piece of land on south Camano Island. On this spacious and undeveloped piece of land, we will set aside the busy clutter in our lives and greet a quiet space for prayer and renewal. Following the Celtic Christian tradition, this retreat will incorporate the rhythms of work and rest, community and solitude, prayer and biblical study.

Throughout the day, we will meditate on scripture and listen for the movement of the Spirit in our lives. Encounter God as we walk the Labyrinth and the Prayer Trail. Help us care for the land and prepare our outdoor sanctuary for worship. Spend time in community worship and sharing a pot-luck at lunch and BBQ dinner. There will be time for silent retreat and rest. The day will end with the Eucharist celebration and pot-luck BBQ. Truly, this will be a spiritual retreat to restore rhythm in our lives, rebuild our souls and renew our call out into the world.

Register Online Here