Dear Friends,
Greetings from Omaha! I hope this letter finds you well. Chris and I are preparing for 5 weeks in South Asia. We leave Friday, June 13 and will return to Omaha on July 19. We will visit WMF communities in Bangkok, Thailand; Chennai, India; Kolkata, India; and Kathmandu, Nepal. Thank you for your prayers.
St. Francis and St. Clare Teach Us
We recently commissioned 7 new staff. It's humbling to witness the continued response of people like Brent and Melinda Snader, Kyle Scott, Tim and Amy Hupe, Liz Ivkovich and John Koon to the call of Christ to rebuild His church. These new friends among us, in addition to you all, are signs of hope in a violent and impoverished world.
During the commissioning time, I shared some reflections on the cross of the San Damiano and the life of Francis and Clare. I'd like to share some of those thoughts with you as well.
The cross of the San Damiano (pictured left) and all it represents has become a sort of icon for our community. Nearly 800 years ago, during a time of deep prayer and contemplation, St. Francis heard Christ as depicted on this cross speak to him asking Francis to rebuild his church. It wasn't long before the Franciscan ordered was born, pointing the church and society to the radical nature of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. St. Clare was the first woman to join the order, at a mere 18 years of age.
Though Francis and Clare lived in another lifetime, they have much to teach us about how to live out our calling. The lesser known Clare is said to have lived a spirituality that was a deep well to Francis' raging river. Their lives and faith expression complemented one another and together they birthed Franciscan spirituality. Biographers agree that you can't know Francis without Clare. There was something unique happening in the shared vocational lives of this man and woman—both made in the image of God. One led an expressive active life, while the other was more cloistered and grew deep roots in the contemplative. Together they reflect a way of being and doing that is not only sustainable, but life-giving and flourishing. Francis and Clare serve as guides for us.
In the company of a great cloud of witnesses, I believe Francis and Clare are cheering us on. Like us, they lived in a time of intense darkness within the church and society. They stood in the face of great opposition to radically commit to the life of Jesus Christ. They showed the world a different, better way.
Together they emulated Christ, redefined family, reformed the church and society in simple but profound ways; they were earth-conscious recognizing the connectedness and interdependence of all creation; they embraced gender equality, embodied a lifestyle of contemplative activism, and proclaimed an upside kingdom. These qualities are just a few of the ways in which these saints lived the way of Christ and opened up before the church and society a new reign filled with love, peace, forgiveness and healing.
As you continue to work out your vocation, it is my prayer that the cross of the San Damiano and the lives of Francis and Clare will remain encouraging companions in your journey.
St. Francis' biographers tell us that he was incredibly impacted by the words, "The Word was made flesh." It seems that Francis felt deeply drawn to Christ incarnate born in a manger. Francis' life marked one who was "passionately driven to make sense out of the responsibility of having the same stuff on his bones and in his heart as Christ had." (Light in the Dark Ages)
May you also be filled with the grace to make sense out of your humanity as you drawer nearer to Christ who has called you to live your life in Him.
Francis and Clare return us to the essentials of following the Poor Crucified: Give to the poor; preach good news in your life and with words; worry little about tomorrow; care for creation and its creatures; always show humility; and love your neighbor to the point of sacrificing your life for him. They indeed transformed the darkness of the Middle Ages—and of all ages—by their lives and teachings. What the Crusades could not do, burgeoning papal power did not accomplish, and the threat or promise of hell or heaven would never do, Francis and Clare accomplished with the help of the Holy Spirit. They transformed thousands, and then, over time, millions of lives with their way of life. To live in the spirit of Francis and Clare today is to model Christ in ways that will cause you to be dismissed as a fool, forgotten like the poor, reviled for your optimism, and yet, somehow, remain enormously attractive to the rest of the world who are seeking peace and meaning. Perhaps that is the sort of revolution we need today. (Light in the Dark Ages)
Calendar Review & Update
* May 7-10 To Write Lover On Her Arms. Chris traveled to Orlando, Florida for a few days to hang out some of his newest favorite people, Jamie and Byron from TWLOHA. Together they talked about where TWLOHA has come and where it's going. Chris shared from his own WMF journey offering an energized vision of a growing and effective community.
* May 14-18 Urban Youth Workers International Conference in Los Angeles. Chris was one of the keynote speakers and lead a couple workshops at the UYWI 08 conference—one of the largest minority urban youth workers gatherings in the US. He shared on "Legacy of Love: The Hidden Gift of Suffering," "Soul Care: Simple Spirituality," and "The Sacramental Nature of the Poor."
* May 16-17 Renovare, Atlanta GA. Phileena attended Renovare for Richard Foster and Dallas Willard's last regional conference together. The Renovare's objective is to benefit those seeking a balanced approach to Christian spirituality. The conference explored the Church's historic role in personal and corporate spiritual formation. This conference served to inform Phileena about the evangelical church's approach to spiritual formation and discipleship.
With love, respect, and prayer,