As I write this I am looking forward to the second day of the course here at St. Deiniols. The topics today are
- Rules of Life
- Finding a rhythm: not being driven
- Values of ‘the universal monk’ in us.
I am very hopeful that there will be something there not only for my own walk as a Franciscan but for my novices or those that come to me for spiritual direction.
However, it is a question from yesterday that has been playing on my mind: What is needed for a dispersed communities to be bonded and sustained? I believe this question touches the on the present state of my own Third Order as we continue to discuss how we create a sense of community amongst a wide spread and diverse group of people.
Perhaps the answer lies in two of the answers given to that question.
- Being accountable to each other
- Having a common task
There is no doubt in denying that we tertiaries do not see ourselves very accountable as the system stands. We fill in one side of A4 paper once a year answering a few basic questions: hardly accountability. Nor does the Order have a common task. We have our Principles which we are supposed to read every day, small groups are involved in peace, justice and social issues, but as a whole we are a confederation of individuals doing individual things.
I doubt that,as things stand, the Third Order as a whole will ever be a part of the New Monastic Movement. What I think will happen is that individuals will take their experience as they join with some of the new groups. I can already see this happening and, indeed, I am in contact with one or two who have done just that. Hopefully, those individual will feed back to the Order new ideas and ways of working.
It is important that Old Monasticism does not see the new as a threat; we are both different and I believe we have something to offer to each other.
