St. Emma Monastery!

Our community took a field trip to St. Emma’s Monastery the other day.

The Sisters there pray at the following times every day: 5:25 a.m. Vigils, 6:30 a.m. Lauds, 7:00 a.m. Eucharist (Mass) followed by Terce, 11:45 a.m. Sext/None, 5:00 p.m. Vespers, 7:30 p.m. Compline. We prayed with them a few times.

While there, we also did some volunteer work in their soon-to-be Bed and Breakfast. We ate some meals with the Sisters. And in our down time we slept, journaled, walked the grounds, or visited the monastery gift shop.

Below are some images from our trip.

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5:25 a.m.	Vigils
6:30 a.m.	Lauds
7:00 a.m.	Eucharist (Mass), followed by Terce
11:45 a.m.	Sext/None
5:00 p.m.	Vespers
7:30 p.m.	Compline

5:25 a.m. Vigils

 

6:30 a.m. Lauds

 

7:00 a.m. Eucharist (Mass), followed by Terce

 

11:45 a.m. Sext/None

 

5:00 p.m. Vespers

 

7:30 p.m. Compline

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Jay’s List = 192 Things

As you may have seen in our previous post, we are tackling the 100 things challenge.

Our idea was to inventory first and then whittling down later.

Realization # 1: There are several different ways to count things.

According to one way of counting, I (Jay) currently have 83 things. But, that does not include my 48 articles of clothing. It also does not include the 61 things that Amber and I co-own together. Altogether I own 192 things. (83 + 48 + 61 = 192)

This does not include things we have in storage in Missouri, or things we are hold in common with Formation House this year, such as kitchen stuff and living room furniture.

There is probably room for more thoroughness in the way I have listed things below. Who is to say whether I should count individual handkerchiefs? There are no established rules for this sort of thing.

My rule of thumb, which I am trying to apply as consistently as possible, is: If I think of them as individual things (like my frisbees) I count them individually. If I think of  them as a unit (like my hammer and nails and screwdriver) then I count them all as one.

The real question is: is this just a mindfulness exercise for me, where I learn to appreciate the well-edited life, and the total number of items isn’t what is important? Or is this an exercise in being a spartan, a mendicant, whittling the list down strictly to 100 things? This remains to be seen. But I expect the answer for me will be somewhere in the middle. If I were to choose the latter, I would need a strong, specific rationale.

Realization # 2: I can stand to get rid of some stuff. For example, there are razors in my shaving kit that I’ve had for two years and have never used. I also have clothes that I never wear. What am I doing owning 16 t shirts??

So, I still have some editing to do. But for now, here is the working list:

– – – – – –

Toiletries

1.       Toothpaste

2.       Toothbrush

3.       Hair brush

4.       Electric trimmer

5.       Mustache scissors

6.       Bar of soap/shampoo

7.       Bath robe

8.       Pj pants

9.       Warm pj pants

10.   Towel

11.   Wash rag

12.   Fingernail clippers

13.   Hand cream

14.   Shaving bag

15.   Deodorant

16.   Toothbrush holder

Personal stuff

1.       Wedding ring

2.       Pocket knife and backup knife

3.       Wallet

4.       Keys/whistle/bottle opener

5.       Map of city/various bus schedules

6.       Handkerchief x 3

7.       eyeglasses

writing stuff

8.       Writing paper/notebook

9.       Pen

10.   Pencil

11.   Pen cup

12.   clipboard

13.   Journals

14.   Envelopes/stamps

15.   Letter box

Transportation

16.   Bicycle

17.   Helmet

Gadgets

18.   Cell phone/charger

19.   Wireless headphones

20.   Scientific Calculator

21.   Alarm clock / radio

22.   Battery powered alarmclock

23.   Voice recorder

shoes

24.   House slippers

25.   Waterproof shoes for winter

26.   Other shoes (Toms)

27.   Dress shoes (black and brown)

28.   Old pair of shoes

29.   Flip flops

Winter stuff

30.   Coat

31.   Hat/Scarf/Gloves

32.   Hoodie

33.   Fleece

34.   Umbrella

books

35.    KJV

36.    Anthology of texts of world religions

37.   Dictionary

Frisbees

38.   Ultimate disc (currently missing)

39.   Free style disc

40.   Golf disc putter

41.   Golf disc midrange

42.   Golf disc diver

43.   Other Frisbee

Misc.

44.   plastic tote

45.   Bottle cap collection

46.   Pillow

47.   Plastic drawers for socks

48.   Tool box

49.   Maglite

50.   Shot glasses x 2

51.   Hammock

52.   Luggage

53.   Memorabilia: rings, college pennant, yoyo, etc.

54.   Ceramics tools

55.   Backpack

56.   Green stuffsac

57.   Canvas backpack

58.   Lunchbox

59.   Mug

60.   No spill insulated mug

camping

61.   Tarp

62.   Rope

63.   Thermos

64.   Camp saw/hatchet

65.   Long underwear

66.   Compass

67.   First aid kit

68.   Stuff sac

69.   Twine

70.   Camp salt and pepper

71.   Call of the Wild

72.   Igloo water cooler

73.   Underarmor

74.   Small flashlight

75.   Carbineer

76.   Camping desk of cards

77.   Sunscreen

78.   Bug spray

79.   Cooking sterno

80.   Lighters

81.   Work gloves

82.   Camp Mirror

83.   Sweat pants

Clothes

84.   Black polo

85.   White polo

86.   Striped polo

87.   Many White t-shirts

88.   Sweatshirt

89.   Button down shirt short sleeve 1

90.   Button down shirt short sleeve 2

91.   Button down shirt short sleeve 3

92.   T shirt 1

93.   T shirt 2

94.   T shirt 3

95.   T shirt 4

96.   T shirt 5

97.   T shirt 6

98.   T shirt 7

99.   T shirt 8

100.            T shirt 9

101.            T shirt 10

102.            T shirt 11

103.            T shirt 12

104.            T shirt 13

105.            T shirt 14

106.            T shirt 15

107.            T shirt 16

108.            Long sleeve dress shirt 1

109.            Long sleeve dress shirt 2

110.            Long sleeve dress shirt 3

111.            Long sleeve dress shirt 4

112.            Long sleeve dress shirt 5

113.            Short sleeve dress shirt

114.            Shirt other 1

115.            Shirt other 2

116.            Shirt other 3

117.            Dress pants kaki

118.            Dress pants other

119.            Dress pants other

120.            Blue jeans 1

121.            Blue jeans 2

122.            Blue jeans 3

123.            Blue jeans 4

124.            Blue jeans 5

125.            Shorts 1

126.            Shorts 2

127.            Shorts 3

128.            Shorts 4

129.            Belt

130.            Dress belt

131.            Socks / underwear

TOGETHER LIST:

132.            Tiny Glass figurine of a a flamingo and a giraffe

games

133.            Chess

134.            Scrabble

135.            Settlers of Catan

136.            Risk

137.            Stratego

138.            Cranium

139.            Deck of cards

140.            Rook cards

141.            Blockus

142.            Racko

143.            Penta

144.            Boardgame remix kit

145.            Taboo cards

146.            Madgab cards

147.            Dice

148.            Travel scrabble

149.            Things cards

150.            Scatagories

arts

151.            markers

152.            crayons

153.            colored pencils

154.            oils

155.            acrylics

156.            brushes

157.            brush cleaner

158.            sketch book

159.            drop cloth

160.            tape masking, packing, duck, scotch

161.            paint thinner

furniture and room accents

162.            Desk

163.            Desk chair

164.            Bed

165.            Curtains

166.            Sheets – 2 sets

167.            Blankets – 4

168.            Detergent

169.            plant

170.            Framed picture

171.            Poster map of city

172.            Picture of family

173.            Scented candle

174.            Painting of flowers

175.            Painting of gumdrop tree

Transportation

176.            Car

Gadgets

177.            Laptop

178.            Ipod

179.            Camera

Camping

180.            Picnic set

181.            tent

misc.

182.            Medicine box

183.            Letter binder

184.            Ceramic bowls

185.            Space heater

186.            File box/important documents

187.            Calendar

188.            various towels

189.            Bag o chocolate

190.            Bag o candy

191.            Pile o burned cds

192.            A few (6) extra writing utensils

– – – – – – –

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100 Things Challenge

Hi Everybody!

Today I am excited about the 100 things challenge. A story in Time Magazine (2008) introduces the challenge this way:

“Excess consumption is practically an American religion. But as anyone with a filled-to-the-gills closet knows, the things we accumulate can become oppressive…Which is why people are so intrigued by the 100 Thing Challenge, a grass-roots movement in which otherwise seemingly normal folks are pledging to whittle down their possessions to a mere 100 items.”

I’ve been thinking about cutting back on the amount of stuff I own for a long time. This 100 things challenge is just the inspiration I have been looking for! I’m not sure if I can whittle down to 100 or not, but I’m going to give it a shot, and I’ll report back soon about how the challenge is going.

– – – – –

The 100 things challenge reminds me of the story of Saint Antony the Great, also know as Antony of the Desert. Many different lessons can be drawn from the life of St. Antony; but if Antony was anything, he was the poster child for simplicity.

At the age of 34 Antony decided to devote himself to Matthew 19:21, so he got rid of his stuff, moved to the outskirts of town, and became a disciple of a local hermit. Before long he decided that the outskirts of town weren’t cutting it for him, so he actually moved into some tombs which were nearby. He closed the doors of the tomb in on himself and was reliant on others to bring him food each day.

But Antony was not content even with this arrangement. Seeking still greater solitude, he moved into the desert. And when he finally found the ultimate retreat spot in the desert where he could be alone, of course, people came from everywhere to visit him, and he became extremely famous. Go figure.

– – – – –

The lesson here is: if Antony the Great saw simplicity as essential to his life and his faith, and if Antony had to live in the desert to finally find simplicity, then maybe it wouldn’t hurt for me to think about whether I need my box of chocolate truffles.

After all, here I am in an intentional community. We read the Rule of Saint Benedict aloud at mealtimes, for crying out loud! Where are we ever going to find a better setting in which to seriously explore the concept of the simple life?

That said, I have not yet sat down and drawn up a list. But I am excited to give it a shot. I will report back soon on how the challenge is going. If you would like to read more about the challenge in the meantime, you might try here, and here.

Wish me luck!

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Evening Prayer

Our community has a rhythm of praying together each night. It is quite beautiful! We have done tons of different styles of prayer – some that we have never tried before and some that we have grown up with. Here is a list of some of the prayer styles we have tried in the past few months:

• Lectio Divina
• Praying in Colors
  

  We like to light candles during prayer. These candle holders were made by my dad!

• Franciscan Liturgical Prayer
• Common Prayer – A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals
• Imaginative Prayer
• The Prayer of Examen
• Intercessory Prayer
• Taize Prayer (pronounced tuh-zay)
• Meditative Breath Yoga Prayer

Last night, Kari (who is a certified yoga instructor) led us in a meditative breath yoga session. It is a great way to really relax and reflect on life. After our time of prayer, we shared wonderful reflections. Several people in the community were feeling discouraged. Karen and Dave are in the process of purchasing a home in the neighborhood that will house Formation House in the future. It is a beautiful 6 bedroom, 3 bathroom, 3 kitchen house that is zoned appropriately for community. They were supposed to close on Monday but have had several delays that have been discouraging. Scott is still in the process of finding full time employment and is feeling pretty discouraged about that process plus his car got towed yesterday in an extremely frustrating situation. Kari is feeling a little sick with a cold lately.

In the midst of all this discouragement, prayer last night was uplifting and truly beautiful. Kari reminded us to think about the Old Testament and how they built monuments as a way to remember God’s faithfulness and provision in various places. She invited us to take a moment to remember God’s blessings in the past. This resulted in everyone feeling better and more encouraged.

Reason number 486 whyI love community.

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On Community Life

A Brief Meditation on Community Life:

A tension exists in every individual: the need autonomy and the need for connection with others. Living in intentional community provides a unique space to learn the skills that can help us balance these competing needs in a healthy way. For this reason, intentional community is a challenging but enormously fulfilling lifestyle. The tools we acquire over the course of our time in community will benefit us throughout our lives, wherever the future leads.

While mistakenly viewed by some as a herculean feat of spiritual maturity or as a mysterious practice reserved for the elect, there is really nothing magical about community life; it consists largely of small things. Like cleaning the dishes. People participate in a regular old household routine, but we do it together. So the small things of life become small things with great love, and this is the reality out of which the beauty of life together springs.

 

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What Have You Been Doing Lately?

We’ve had a lot of fun experiences over the past week or so. I wanted to highlight a few of them.

A Fair in the Park

We went to A Fair in the Park, which was held at Mellon Park, 16 beautiful acres within walking distance from our apartments. (Some of us have unofficially, affectionately dubbed our apartments “The Ranch.”)

The Fair featured fine arts and crafts made by the Craftsmen’s Guild of Pittsburgh. I was particularly impressed by all the pottery that was available. (It was a lot like Springfield’s ArtsFest, if you’re familiar with that.)

Taizé

We also went to Taizé prayer at East Liberty Presbyterian Church.

East Liberty is a truly magnificent building, built in the style of the Gothic cathedrals of Europe. When the architect was hired by the Mellons to build the current East Liberty Presbyterian Church building in 1935, he was given “absolute freedom to build the finest and most beautiful church to the glory of God that he could create.” In his own words (from the Presbyterian Banner, May 23, 1935), “Of all the cathedrals and churches I have built this is my masterpiece. This church has been the most profound spiritual experience of my life.”

Taizé prayer is a form of prayer that is centered around singing. It is held in the chapel with the red curtains shown above. Taizé prayer is named after Taizé France, and the praying community that formed there in 1940. Click here to listen the the kind of songs typically sung in Taizé.

Ceramics!

Above is a picture of the ceramics studio where I (Jay) get to hang out every Saturday from 2:30 to 4. This huge ceramics studio is housed in the basement of Braddock Carnegie Library, where I am a full time AmeriCorps member. Therefore I get to not only throw my own pots but also teach youngsters how to throw as well.

Operation Better Block

Amber has also been enjoying her AmeriCorps placement, Operation Better Block. She and I both recently participated in an event that the organization held called the Homewood Childrens’ Village, designed to help connect children and parents to the community resources that can help them toward their goals.

It’s been a fun couple of weeks. We’re really enjoying our time here!

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On Chores

How are we to coordinate chores in intentional community? The following are a few thoughts:

Chores may be divided into two categories: rotating chores and standing chores. Rotating chores are the kind of chores that are performed on a regular basis; whereas, standing chores are preformed on an “as needed” basis. Standing chores are less involved than rotating chores. It seems to me that rotating chores involve overseeing a process whereas standing chores generally deal with the completion of tasks rather than processes.

• Example of Rotating Chores:
  • dinner prep
  • dishes

• Example of Standing Chores:
  • Trash/recycling
  • Watering plants
  • Sweeping/dusting

In a community setting, having a system based mostly on Standing Chores is preferable to a system based on rotating chores. This allows people to get into a rhythm, and everybody knows what is expected from who. However, keeping that rule of thumb in mind, it is still necessary that some chores be rotational in order to prevent burnout.

For us, the rotating chores have been rotating daily. That means one day Amber and I make dinner, the next day somebody else makes dinner, etc. So far we’ve been posting a paper on the wall and signing up for dishes, etc.

We still have some things to figure out. With some chores, it is a little unclear whether they lend themselves more to standing or rotating.

We’re still deciding on the best way to tackle these tasks. Also, we might decide to not use the word “chores,” because chores is a tiring word. Maybe we’ll use “responsibilities,” or “tasks” instead.

Following is a list of the chores we have identified so far:

• • Trash/recycling
  • Check mail
  • Washing kitchen linens
  • Watering plants
  • Sweeping/dusting (floors/surfaces)
  • Bathroom (shower/toilet)
  • prayer/worship facilitator
  • farmers market
  • meeting chair (keeps the group meetings on track, etc.)
  • grocery shopping
  • dinner prep
  • dishes

p.s. We have this great chart about menu planning! I hope Amber will blog about it soon. 😀

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Ten Minute Stories

Yesterday was a beautiful day in Pittsburgh, and it was a beautiful day for our community! One need that everyone has expressed is a desire to get to know each other better. To meet that need, we spent the afternoon in Schenley Park sharing ten minute stories.

Our view of Oakland from Schenley Park.

What is a ten minute story? It is where every community member gets ten minutes to answer the question “What are the key experiences that have impacted who I am and how?” Everyone is allowed ten minutes to help them narrow it down to a manageable amount of information and to make it into a meaningful narrative. Also, the ten minute time-frame is there to make sure each member gets heard equally.

It was such a great time of learning about one another. I so enjoyed hearing about how all the other members got to the point they are at today. This is a skill that I will definitely take with me and use in the future.

Getting to know one another is vital for successful community. It is this knowledge of one another that acts as a foundation for the group. We are going to continue to do activities such as this to become familiar with our housemates. I am eager to learn about all of them.

On a different note… Today was the first day of Americorps training. It went well. Lots of paperwork and contract figuring out and logistics. We have two weeks of training ahead of us that we pray is not too dull. Tomorrow our training exercises include a ropes course and a walking tour of the city. Should be pretty awesome! 🙂

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Common Spaces (in Pictures!)

We’ve put together a slide show of our common spaces. There are 9 pictures in all. You’ll probably want to use the pause button on the slide show, because they cycle pretty fast. Enjoy!

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Settling In

We have been in Pittsburgh for 10  days now and it has been a whirl wind adventure! In our last post we wrote about all the exciting things going on. We both decided to move forward with the Americorps option for the year. Jay is working the rest of the week at Baskin Robbins and a few nights next week, then he is all done with that. I work tomorrow and Friday at the preschool just to fill in because everyone is taking off this weekend, then I am done with that. We start Americorps training on Monday. They have a game night scheduled for all the Corps members on Friday which we might attend in order to meet everyone prior to training. Currently, neither of us have Americorps site placements set in stone, but we are interviewing this week. Jay had an interview today that went well and he has two tomorrow. I have had two interviews with one offer at a YMCA coordinating an afterschool program. I am hoping to interview with the science center here for a really great program that they do that partners with Pittsburgh High Schools, but I haven’t yet heard back from them. We will see where this journey leads.

As far as community goes, everyone is settling in. All of our schedules right now are erratic, so it is difficult to develop rhythms of life together right now, but that is going to change soon as we all start our jobs and such. We are developing chore lists and cooking rotations. There are so many small things about community life that would be easily overlooked. Ryan mentioned this the other night at prayer and he is so right. We really take for granted the background preparation that must be done in order to make this work successfully.

We are praying nightly at 9:00, and I am so grateful that we have started this rhythm. We are all aware of the fact that it would be easy to go through the whole year just doing life and forgetting about the spiritual formation that should be happening. After we all start our job placements, we are going to begin the curriculum that was planned for Formation House.

It’s all so exciting to be here and be a part of this adventure. Many of you have asked us to show pictures of our living spaces. That you have to look forward to! We will take some pictures of our common spaces and share what happens in them with you in the coming posts.

By the way, trees are starting to change here in PA. I have even stepped on some crunchy leaves. All too soon!

Love to all.

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