One of the formative experiences of my journey with Jesus Christ, was living in an intentional community from 1974-1978 at Koinonia Farm in Americus Georgia. While we lived there, Habitat for Humanity was born at Koinonia. This experience profoundly shaped my understanding of God and our purpose in the world.
I learned we are created for community to be in communion and with each other to share our deepest longings for the Holy One and to pass the love and mystery of Christ along to others.
We are created to belong and we cannot belong by ourselves.
Oh dear, a revisionist straight out of the commune. He adds,
[blockquote]”The Pride weekend was said to have been the best yet at Saint Mark’s.”[/blockquote]
Also on their web pages under “Adult Programs at Saint Mark’s—20s/30s — LGBTQ — Small Groups” you can find,
[blockquote]LGBTQ Ministry at Saint Mark’s
The Saint Mark’s LGBTQ Ministry is a welcoming, faith-based group that celebrates equality, inspires justice, integrates spirituality, and nurtures wholeness for youth and adults.
Saint Mark’s Cathedral is a warm and welcoming community with many LGBTQ members and allies. Through our monthly meetings, we plan events of support and outreach for our members and the greater Twin Cities community. [/blockquote]
Nuturing wholeness?
Run children, run…
To be truthful, I find the current TEC fad for adding “intentional” to any positively valued, purposive activity to be risible. (Reminds me a little of the “100% real genuine leather” stamped on the bottom of my shoes).
Nevertheless my query here would be this claim:
The Dean writes as if belonging is an end that ought to be or even can be cultivated in itself. On the contrary, belonging, comes through pursuing shared ends and common goods. (Thus the virtue of any particular “belonging” will be judged against the shared ends being pursued). Like human happiness, belonging flourishes, so to say, just out of the corner of ones vision. The Dean ought not to be so concerned with “belonging’ in general (that is pursuing any shared ends however far from God’s will) but “belonging to Christ”. That is, cultivating a thick sense of the human good, revealed in Scripture, that will captivate hearts and craft an obedient Spirit filled community.