Posted 237 days ago
Welcome to the Mustard Seeds Calendar 2009!
by Eliacín Rosario-Cruz, MSA team
Many of us have come to the realization that our daily religious devotion and creativity have been colonized by the big marketing strategists of the Global Mall, emphasizing passive consumption over imagination. Most of our days, weeks and months are marked by the next consumer holiday. In many Christian circles, the year is not mark by the ancient Christian Liturgical Calendar, but by the new one created by Hallmark. We have even unintentionally rejected many religious observances in favor of holidays created for the sole purpose of selling merchandise.
This is a popular conversation topic among those of us who want to intentionally experience a deeper sense of time and meaning in our lives. Because of this, we asked many of our friends to share the ingenious ways they subvert the Money-Making Machine. We are excited to share this project with you, which was and is a collaborative effort of many conspirators through out the world.
The event on our new calendar are divided into three general categories:
- Religious Observances: Deeper exploration of the Christian Liturgical Calendar.
- Celebrations: Innovative ideas for communities, local churches and families to celebrate in fun, whimsical, life-affirming ways, involving food, creativity, sharing and engaging with others.
- Activism: Suggestions and information about how to engage in global and local justice and need.
This is not a personal, private calendar. Most of the ideas, suggestions and information are designed for community. So gather your family and friends and join us and the many others around the globe in experiencing the year in an alternative way.
This is a living calendar, by which we mean that it is open for new ideas all year round. Think of it as a studio or a canvas of playful experiments in truth and life-affirming practices. We invite you to send us your ideas throughout the year. We would like to expand this concept in the years to come, so contact us if you are interested in dreaming with us about the future of this project.
With this calendar we hope to inspire you and your community to join other creative and passionate people in living and celebrating our year in a new way.
Add your comment or view comments » 9 people have responded
Reader Comments
John,
Thanks for your enthusiasm and suggestion. A hard copy/pocket book/agenda like calendar is one of our ideas for this
We are asking for other conspirators whom are interested in dreaming with us in the expansion and development of this project.
Peace,
Eliacin
I love the idea of a hard copy. It could have photos of small mustard seed communities all over the world that you have visited or people send in. Organic gardens, people celebrating worship/communion, maybe even a group marching in peaceful protest for a Christ cause!
Scott (Perth, Australia)
This is great! Our organization just switched to GMail, so I was able to add this calendar to my own.
I’d like to suggest adding World AIDs Day (although, maybe it’s already on there and I’m just missing it?) We have materials available at www.embraceaids.org
Wonderful, Eliacin! Eventually I’d like to start some kind of MSA small group here in Elysburg, PA, and following an alternative calendar could be one way to focus the group.
Jill Young » 223 days ago » Link
Our community here in South Africa will follow this calendar! Thanks for all the work in compiling this.
Re: Celebrations – Our one Christmas tradition is a tea party. The intent is to offer friends an opportunity for quiet time (and later loud time) in celebration of Christ’s birth. We usually have tea and cookies with a story/reflection time, and then a let the kids loose to go nuts.
Thank you so much for the fantastic calendar!
Hey Ya’ll-
Great work! I’ve been contemplating working on developing something like this for a long time. I’m in full support of the idea, and more than grateful that this alternative is coming into fruition.
The only thing I would say is that creating some sort of tangible form of this calender, you’d have a lot of people being willing to contribute in someway in exchange for a pocket planer of some sort with this calender in it. Somewhat like the Slingshot planner, but maybe a better alternative,
Thanks for your willingness to do the work to get started on a great idea like this.
Peace and
Blessings
John
John Hyde » 237 days ago » Link