Posted 113 days ago
MSA Conversations - Sharing our stories and hopes
By Eliacín Rosario-Cruz
“Hablando la gente se entiende,” (People understand each other by talking) goes a popular Puerto Rican adage, while a Chinese proverb says, “To listen well, is as powerful a means of influence as to talk well, and is as essential to all true conversation.”
For years MSA has been hosting what we have very “creatively” called MSA Conversations. Many of these conversations have been on issues of sustainability, spirituality, social justice, emerging church and others. We are not only excited to continue this area of involvement, but we are also eager to expand. We come to these conversations as listeners, partners and companions, understanding that the Spirit speaks louder in the voices of the many than in the individual. We at MSA serve as facilitators and catalysts for generative conversations. Call us provocateurs or rabble-rousers. We like to bring people together and see the amazing sparks of creativity fly all over the venues.
Last April, around 20 people crammed in our living room at the Mustard Seed House for a conversation about Social Media & Mission. I expected a group mostly of geeky guys (maybe gal or two) but to my delight it ended up been a very diverse gathering, with people as old as 70, about half of the participants were female, some geeks, some geek-wannabes (like myself) and some technologically-challenged. That diversity gave space to a wide variety of questions and interests in social media and mission.
The conversation started from the question of why we as followers of Jesus should care about the social aspect of the web. While many of us have experience with the social applications of the web, churches and ministries are still jogging in the “information” super highway by making their web presence a mere online copy of their church bulletin or ministry brochure. They don’t realize that the web is now more than a venue for information, it’s a venue social interaction as well. Before the conversation turned into one about new cool applications to attract more readership to our “missional” blogs or how to use the web for evangelization and to proselytize, Thomas Knoll who was the “web/social guru” of the night, was wise enough to stir the conversation to the importance of relationships, online and offline. He was very emphatic on the importance of the latter. From then on we moved from the virtual to the real.
Part of the conversation was dedicated to the topic of gatekeepers and their place in the church and in the web. Institutions that in the past were the repository of information and knowledge are not anymore. We live in an age where have access to the same information as seminaries and elite institutions of higher learning. Take for example MIT Open Course Ware which offers materials for nearly all its courses on the Internet for free. So the raw information is out there for us to get. Now all that is needed is a way to process that information in community and with relational mentors. This is where gatekeepers come to play. Gatekeepers can bring life by pruning and nurturing, being open and collaborative, or can squash it by command and control.
There were several online tools mentioned that can foster or enhance relationships that we already have with people – i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Seesmic, Ning among others. Tools like this serve to facilitate more conversation among smaller groups of friends for more authentic relationships, instead of the myspace syndrome of thousands of friends who do not know anything about each other. These tools, if used with a good plan, purpose and mission, can foster wonderful experiences of collaboration and participation among like-minded missional groups and organizations.
The “organized” conversation ended around 9:30 p.m., but many stayed around for coffee and more informal-/networking/get to know each other chatting.
Bloggers that were present:
Alex, Karen Ward, Thomas Knoll and Kimberly Knoll.
A good conversation about the need for more “blessing and release” and less “command and control” from the gatekeepers
Me (Eliacín) Dave Laird and Justin Beader.
One of the common topics we found ourselves discussing was the importance of intentional community for spiritual formation and giving expression to the alternative rhythms and vibes of God’s Kingdom.
We pick up threads of that topic here and there, as if every conversation is just part of one long, single conversation. As some of you know MSA is in a fantastic process of re-imagining itself as a greenhouse of and companion to 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. One of our desires is to be able to connect with others interested, involved and curious about intentional community. Community comes in many shapes and forms. Some are intentional residential, intentional non-residential, proximity intentional non-residential, communal, co-housing, and many other flavors and colors. Recently, we picked up yet another thread of this topic and invited some other conspirators for a casual conversation about intentional communities. We gathered in the yard of the Mustard Seed House for some good BBQ prepared by Tom and Christine.
After the delicious meal, Ricci and I invited everyone to shared their interest in intentional community, their dreams, frustrations and hopes. The groups was a diverse cross-section of practitioners and people interested in the subject. We explored community from the perspective of residential intentional, proximity non-residential, co-housing and other expressions of community. We were able to hear the wisdom and advice of our friends from Bartimeaus Community in Silverdale, WA whom have been at this for many years. We also heard the passionate desires of young communitarians in South Seattle and their process of re-evaluating what they have done in the past three years. Others shared their need for a place of deep relationships in a superficial church culture. Ricci share her views of communities as a new family. Everyone had the opportunity to listen, to respond with questions and share their stories.
Among many things, our gathering was a time to listen and be encouraged by one another. While some of us are involved in some similar conversations online, we realize there is a need for a relational network of kindred spirits in which we can seek wisdom, share our imagination and feel supported.
This conversation was the first of many to come on this topic of community. We will keep you posted as the seeds in this greenhouse of communities bring forth fruit.
If you are interested in having MSA facilitate a conversation at your community, church, group, coffee shop, park or any other of your favorite venues, do not hesitate to contact us at mail@msainfo.org
Reader Comments