Community is a vital concept in understanding and experiencing Christ in the cultural context where we live. The New Monasticism (NM) presents 12 Marks that define the core values that guide their community life. The humility, thoroughness, and visionary realism of these 12 Marks is encouraging to see the diversity of the 12 contribuitng authors. My critique is that these 12 Marks are not the same as the ordung or rule of a Catholic monasticism community which has been pruned and lived for many centuries. Nevertheless, these 12 Marks are refreshing and indicate that God is doing a new/old thing in this quest for community. John Michael Talbot's monastic community, Little Portion (I visited there last August), is recognized by the Pope and has many of these same 12 Marks.
[The Rutba book will turn the heat up; please feel free to interact, lament, critique the authors, me, or your class peers. The blog format is intended to foster interaction and generous debate and discussion.]
1) Describe the benefit and pitfalls of intentional communities like the NM movement.
2) Reflect upon Miroslav Volf's (he is considered by some to be the brightest contemporary theological star in the cosmos) brief comment (p. 45) on his primary theological maxim--hospitality-->the God who welcomes. [In the OT, hospitality is a sacred rite, the NT also reflects this theological principle in community life. Jesus turned the water into wine in a little Cana town as an act of hospitality; he invites his followers to table fellowship--communion, at the marriage supper of Lord--and we are again invited to table fellowship-->come! Generous hospitality is based upon grace and invitation that are organic to our new nature that reflects God heart.]
3) What does it mean to lament as God's people (p. 62)? Describe a lament experience in your church life.
4) Consider the discrepancy between the novitiate in a NM and the local church. Discuss your insights regarding how you would design the formation of disciples in your church, contrast with what presently utilized.
5) Reciprocal living in koinonia is the nature of the NT church with harbingers of this kingdom community foreshadowed in OT Israel. Reflect upon the concept of church covenant with annual membership renewal.
6) The Rutba and Las Abejas stories can provide a backdrop for this question. How can we work for peace and justice to be signposts of the kingdom of God-->prophets in our context?
7) How does any of the NM 12 Markers connect with your experience and church life as a community of the kingdom of God?
The following questions are suggestions for interviewing persons who live in some type of alternative, intentional society (Please adapt as you sense the need to change the focus and follow the flow of the interview):
1. Describe how you became a member of your group, and why you remain active in it?
2. What are the core values, rules, and rituals of your group?
3. How do leaders function in your group?
4. What purpose or need does your group fulfill in your life?
Post a summary report for the class to interact with in the blog. Thanks!
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