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Retreat-Chapter 2009
Our 26th Year
| We gathered at Trinity Church, Seattle |
| For the second year were offer the hospitality of Father Paul Collins and the people of Trinity during our time in Seattle. |
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 Above: St. Margaret's Chapel, Trinity, Seattle. Right: Ascension Window, Trinity, Seattle |
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| Renewals of Professed Membership Scott Benhase and Bob Gallagher renewed the Promise during the Mass on Friday -- My promise is to seek the presence of Jesus Christ in the people, things and circumstances of my life through stability, obedience and conversion of life. The promise is taken every three years. The tradition of the Order is that along with the second time of making the Promise there is a life long intention. |
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Ascension Press Michelle Heyne, a Companion of the Order, was appointed managing editor.
Michelle will be responsible for seeing that these functions are performed -editing -promotion -harassing writers to get work done -anything else she can think of
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What Members have been up to
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Father Scott Benhase is the rector of
Saint Alban's Church, Washington, D.C.
Scott was elected as the 6th Presiding Officer of the Order in 2008. Scott was also the second Presiding Officer. Scott is part of the training team for the Church Development Institute in the Diocese of Washington
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Bishop Greg Rickel has been settling into his new work as Bishop of Olympia. |
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Father Lowelll Grisham is rector of Saint Paul's Church, Fayetteville, AR. The parish has established a Servant Leadership School. Lowell is continuing to write a bi-weekly newspaper column on the intersection of faith and culture. |
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Father Jeremy Bond is enjoying retirement after 42 years in parish ministry. |
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Royster Hedgepeth's
consulting work focuses on developing healthy organizations thorough
board development, strategic planning, and increasing fundraising
capacity. He is currently active as a board member helping revitalize
the Amherst Survival Center and is developing a model for mutual
ministry review.
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Father Robert Gallagher continues with his consulting and training. His book, Fill All Things,: The Dynamics of Spirituality in the Parish Church has been completed and is available from Ascension Press. |
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Companions: Michelle Heyne joined us for the initial social time before leaving for Boston on a work related trip. Michelle continues her work as a compliance officer in a financial advice firm and as an intern with the Church Development Institute. Bryan Carr was with us for worship, mutual spiritual guidance and part of chapter. |
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| Michelle Heyne | Bryan Carr |
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Being a Companion means: - You come with an interest in joining the Order. There's no decision to be made at this point by you or us. Just let us know if at any point you decide the circumstances of your life allow you to enter the formal discernment process. Being a Companion is not a permanent form of relationship (as it was earlier in OA history.) -You're welcome to attend the yearly gathering. -You will shape your spiritual discipline in a way that is congruent with the Rule (it's on the web site in the documents section). -The participation might have some limits on it. For example, if there was an issue that needed to be discussed by members only. Or we may want to say that your participation in Mutual Spiritual Guidance was just as this year (offer comments and feedback) or if you are in a consulting or parish leadership position we might invite you to do your own sharing. -The assumption is that you will make intentional progress toward Professed Membership during the next three years. That can be extended as` needed. The issue is seeing some movement. Doing the Church Development Institute is one example; coming to another annual gathering might be a second. -You will make an annual gift of $100 to the Order. -You may wear the medal of the order; if you agree to be a Companion on will be sent to you. -Pay your own travel and room costs to the annual retreat; meals would be paid for by the Order
The process of becoming a Companion is to participate in a couple of days of retreat/chapter, receive an invitation from the Order, and respond to that invitation.
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| Ascension Press Decisions Books and CD's in the works -- two books on spiritual practices by Michelle Heyne and Bob Gallagher, a handbook for prayer by Lowell Grisham, and The Hope of Glory: Congregational Options by Bob Gallagher, and a book applying spiritual life frameworks to three large parishes by Scott Benhase, Greg Rickel, Lowell Grisham, and Bob Gallagher. |
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2010 Common Life Gathering Retreat/Chapter May 2 - 7 We will meet at St. Hilda's House in New York City
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| News about our
Companions Bryan Carr and Amanda Klein were married at Trinity, Seattle on August 2, 2009. Bob Gallagher officiated. The picture below includes Gabriel, Amanda's son.
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| Michelle Heyne preached her first homily on the Feast of Thomas Becket 2008 in St. Margaret's Chapel, Trinity, Seattle. From her homily -- We are all products of our own era. We live in this age, with all of its attendant cultural, religious, intellectual, and environmental limitations. We are called to try to discern the will of God and to take seriously the temporal and eternal consequences of our actions, but I don’t believe we are called to get it right for ever and all time. We are called to step up to the plate, to recognize what is needed today, for these people, in this place and this time. ... We do our jobs, we take care of our families, we hang out with our friends, we try to do the right thing in the places we find ourselves. Sometimes doing the right thing is painful and frightening. Sometimes, it’s hard to know what the right thing is. It is easy and natural to become overwhelmed by competing duties, by our need to do everything correctly, by our anxiety that not everyone will like us or approve of us. Thomas, by virtue of his ordinariness, by virtue of his courage in the face of changing truth, helps us remember to focus on today, this place, these people, exactly where we find ourselves, knowing that God has brought the kingdom of heaven among us and given us the faith and hope to proclaim it. |
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