I was preparing yesterday for a meeting with a team from Contemplative Fire who has over the years helped me discern our way forward.  As I was gathering my thoughts together I was outlining some of nudges I’d received during retreat times regarding Contemplative Fire both over the years and during my Sabbath Leave. Then something I hadn’t considered before emerged – What is Contemplative Fire’s True Self?

As part of my spiritual journey along the contemplative pathway, I’ve done lots of work around my own false self.  Again during my Sabbath Leave, I was taken to places that removed some more ingrained layers.  I appreciate Keating’s descriptive phrase ‘those childhood patterns of happiness’, those ways that we learnt to survive in life that no longer are needed. The contemplative work peels away layers of the false self so I might live more fully from my True Self. For me it has often been hard work, but healing work. I’m grateful for it. And I trust those who keep me company in this life appreciate it too!

So…do communities have false and true selves? Do families? Do marriages? I haven’t read anything about that specifically, maybe some of you have and could let me know. With church communities and families we will speak of generational sin and the accumulation of spiritual energy that can be very negative, but we seldom talk of the original vision of a community. Once, in Contemplative Fire, we asked the question, “Why has God birthed Contemplative Fire at this time and place?” Some wonderful discussions and images emerged.

As I return to my role as Community Leader with Contemplative Fire Canada, we are engaging in the process of discerning our way forward. I wonder if we might consider again, why Contemplative Fire was birthed. Do we have a True Self in our community calling? Perhaps then we can live more closely to our True Self, the fullness of who we are as a community.

Please pray for Contemplative Fire as we discern our way forward. Are you part of another faith community? Does it have a sense of why it was created, and is it living within the founding vision? Or your family? Your marriage?

Love and prayers

Anne

Community Leader Canada