Questions posed at
CCR Annual Day 2009 and responses garnered
Background
At the annual Companions and Associates Day held at the
College of the Resurrection, Mirfield on 4 July, 2009, those in attendance were
divided into nine groups, each group being facilitated by a member of the Summer
School which was taking place either side of that day.
Three questions were posed by Fr Oswin to each group for
discussion:
- What
are some of the joys of being a Companion?
- What
opportunities do you foresee in the current changes to further the calling
of the whole CR family?
- What
may be lost and how can this loss be made good?
The groups were asked to record their responses to these
questions on flipchart paper and what follows is a collation of the contents of
these flipchart pages.
Some of the joys of
being a Companion
- Meeting
together with like minded people
- Belonging,
both in a family sense and in a spiritual sense
- Saying
the daily Offices (and saying these at the same time as CR and others)
- The
vision (the Resurrection) and the structure (discipline, self discipline
etc) of the Rule
- Access
to a “Spiritual Director” (or “Spiritual Counsellor” or “Spiritual
Adviser”)
- Local
groups
- The
infectious enthusiasm of others leading to the ability to grow personally
and spiritually
- Worshipping
together with other Companions
- Common
roots (place, prayer et al) for a dispersed community
- Walking
with prayer; support from prayer both via CR and Companions
- Fellowship
- Mutual
support and encouragement
- Importance
of spiritual direction
- Knowing
that other people are praying too when you are praying on your own
- Opportunities
for quiet
- Sharing:
(i) ethos – not isolated (doubly in communion); (ii) discipline/rule – distinct
rule, flexible but stable through stages of life; (iii) keeping
contact/praising God; (iv) annual renewal, recommitment
- Link
with CR
- Fellowship
with other Companions
- “Coming
home”
- Counter
to “isolation”
- “Stability”
- Being
a member of the Community without living here
- “Sharing”
in the joy of the Resurrection wherever we are and with whom we are
- Companion
is a way of expressing being a supporter and being valued; two way
- Something
we can do anywhere. Value of coming home
- Encouragement
on journey
- Sharing
with the Community
- Feeling
of companionship, of being part of a family
- A
place of renewal, meeting friends of same ilk.
Opportunities to
further the calling
- Engagement
with younger people, empowering the whole community (CR, CCR etc),
trust God, model handling of change for wider church/world
- HR
is like a home port but as Companions we can/need to put an anchor down
elsewhere – have retreats wherever we can
- Helping
to find a spiritual life is the quest of many who are looking/searching
- New
growth and opportunities; new life to enable people with a calling to a life
of common prayer to work in local churches
- Something
unique
- Regional
gatherings with a member of CR
- Technology,
i.e. recorded sermons on-line; CR Quarterly on-line
- Buildings
as a means not a burden
- Strengthening
when Communities under threat
- Smaller,
specific building a strength
- A
magnet for the whole. Holy place to inspire those who come so that they may
be inspired to proclaim Jesus
- Focus
on future
- Church
better place to visit/experience Community
- More
inclusive of all
- Better
attractions for people considering vocations to the Religious life
- Wider
opportunities to reach out through the re-ordered church
- Spiritual
pilgrimage/journey i.e. people coming to Mirfield
- Perhaps
the younger people would see this new beginning and join the Community
- Place
of learning for all kinds of people.
What may be lost
- Those
who can’t cope positively with change
- Brethren
distanced from visitors
- Silence/tranquillity
for others in the grounds by allowing private tenants on the site (possible
answer: consider very carefully how the site can be divided and developed.
Think ahead!)
- Further
separation of the College from the Community (possible answer:
reconsider/strengthen the links)
- Possible
loss of people who don’t like change (possible answer: communication
vital)
- Changes
too sweeping; a danger of parts of the baby being thrown out with the
bathwater (possible answer: exercise utmost care at every stage)
- Mystery/majesty/silence
of the church being lost (e.g. through educational tours etc) (possible
answer: soundproofing/screening)
- More
people visiting = more noise but the new monastery means greater
opportunities for silence for the brothers (there has to be a
trade-off/balance between the two)
- Taking
away the physical reminders of the good times
- The
atmosphere of prayer may be lost for a time but will return
- The
acoustics may be affected by the changes
- Our
society today needs to rediscover a spirit of community; pilgrimages are
popular
- Loss
of annual reports; annual renewal needs to be “bigger”
- Not
having a CR Spiritual Director could weaken the link; need to keep direct
contact somehow to be sure we are going the right way
- Difficulties
of geography
- Heritage
- Hemingford
Grey and
London
chief losses. Branches with a new and vital role could help overcome these
- For
CR, loss might be strength; not need to spread themselves out
- Challenge
to branches to look beyond themselves and provide opportunities for others
to grow, develop and question
- Loss
of bricks and mortar. Also having to adapt for the
Superior
, Fathers, Brothers
- A
time of change for everyone, underpinned with prayer
- Buildings
can be pulled down but the Lord’s work goes on.
Transcribed by Kevin Sims 4 July, 2009