Month: April 2019

Just Embrace

 

I never know who I’m going to meet or run into at my local Starbucks. One surprise came when the barista suggested one morning that I try something different, like the dark roast. “OK” I replied and so began a two plus years getting to know Sher.

Sher Sheets I discovered lives right down the street from me in a large old frame home where she and her fellow companions live in an intentional community. When I was invited to join the Passionists’ of Holy Cross Province’s committee on community, I knew, I had to somehow share Sher and her community in our deliberations and so today’s interview and post.

Eight years ago after having taken a course in “The New Monastics” in the seminary Sher says she knew her calling. She wanted to live a simple life among the poor. Many of us have dreams while attending school. I don’t think many of us follow those dreams like Sher.

Today Sher tells what the Just Embrace Community stands for, how that stand becomes reality and her and the community’s hopes for the future.

Posted by Dan O’Donnell, a layman who has covenanted with the Chicago Community of Passionist Partners. In addition to the standard covenant, Dan promises to work at connecting all partners known and unknown, to a conscious following the the way of Jesus, the way of the cross which Dan believes transforms all failure, democratizing the human journey

 

A Conversation with Ann Marie on Community

I often feel challenged by the craziness I see in the world around me. I turn on the News and I hear about the latest killings, fires and mayhem interspersed with advertising (actually, a more accurate statement might read advertising interspersed with a little news) that insists I must take this particular medicine, or drive this new car, or travel to that corner of the world if I hope to experience life and be happy.

I believe there’s another way. I can search for like-minded people, persons who believe in collaboration and sharing and align myself with them in community. In the next couple of weeks I would like to tell you the stories and the opinions of some of the many good people I’ve met in my search for community. Today’s post starts with a conversation with Ann Marie Cunningham sharing what drew her to a religious community when she was younger, her experience of community then and today and her hopes for the future.

This interview appropriately took place at the Lakeview Presbyterian Church in Chicago where I and twenty or so other older adults, participate in the Senior Lunch Bunch five days a week.  I write “Appropriately” because this coming Easter, Pastor Joy Strome and her church members will dedicate their new “Third Space – a community building, building community”.  Hopefully more to come about this growing community in a future blog.

Posted by Dan O’Donnell, a layman who has covenanted with the Chicago Community of Passionist Partners. In addition to the standard covenant, Dan promises to work at connecting all partners known and unknown, to a conscious following the the way of Jesus, the way of the cross which Dan believes transforms all failure, democratizing the human journey