Rule of Life

Do you realize that Jesus had a Rule of Life?

Rev. David Pike was introduced to the concept of Spiritual Direction at seminary.  He met each week with his Spiritual Director, and at the end of his time at seminary, together they developed a Rule of Life for Rev. Pike.

What are the essential elements that should be part of your Rule of Life?

• Read the Bible everyday.  You should spend some amount of time in God's word.  Everything that human beings experience will be found in the Bible.   Rev. Pike reads through the Bible about every 18-months.
• He recommends that we read from a translation that's easy to read, apposed to King James -- we don't have command of Elizabethan English.  It's beautiful language, but not the most understandable today.
• Book of Common Prayer:  You can think of it as the Swiss Army Knife of the Episcopal Church.  Rev. Pike has it on his Barnes & Noble Nook.  I have it in two ways:  
• as a Microsoft Word document.  You can download your own here.    
• as a Amazon Kindle document.  There are many editions available on the Amazon Website.
• The nice thing about the digital editions from any source is that you can use the same copy on multiple platforms:  Home computer, phone, tablet, or e-reader.  The Nook and Kindle versions will show your bookmarks, notes, and highlights on all your authorized devices.  It's really no different than carrying a book.
• Rev. Pike mentions that it's handy on his Nook because he's always ready for a spur-of-the-moment Baptism, Ministration of the Sick, etc.
• He also recommends using the Daily Office prayer as a great way to start or end a day - or anytime in between.
• Jesus organized his life for worship and prayer:
• Luke 14:16
• Mark 6:45
• Studying the Bible and spending time in prayer are the foundation for a Rule of Life.
• Eucharist:  Should be central to our life.  It is required that we have the Eucharist every day during a Cursillo Weekend, and also during this conference.  We are in the presence of God.  We are at God's table, and closest as we can get to all the Saints.  Once a week is really not enough.
• Prayer, Worship, and Study is Action.
• Review the Rule of Life Card, and fill it out.  
• Use your schedule calendar (on paper or electronic) to schedule Appointments With God (AWG)
• Spiritual Direction is important.  Guidance and accountability for our spiritual formation is important.  Find a Spiritual Director.  Your Reunion Group also helps.
• There is no one right way to form your Rule of Life.  It's what's right for you, directed by God.

The key to success:  

• Start small, start with what you can do.  
• Don't load yourself down.  Allow the habit to build gradually.

Priest Dr.

I didn't find any on this street, but there were lots at the convention site...

Thursday Courtyard Serenade

Sorry this is out of order....
This year's conference was held in the heart of downtown Phoenix at a Hilton hotel that has lots of space for conferences. When I arrived at the hotel on Thursday morning, there were also meetings for many other organizations. I realized that the hotel was full, but not because of Cursillo.

Michelin Tire was among the conferences...


I think they had some district sales meetings.

Thursday night, a sing-a-long was scheduled. I had been engaged and learning all day, and I was tired, but I went. I thought it might give me a boost after a busy day. The music was infectious! We sang in heartfelt praise and with joy!

Then I looked around and fully realized our environment.

We were singing in a courtyard surrounded by glass! We were exposed to everyone in the hotel. Guests could see us from the lobby, from their balcony, or from some of the conference rooms that were still in session. I wondered if we were too loud - distracting other conference-goers. Instead, I found out later that some came to us, still in their business suits, asking "can I join and sing"? The answer was of course "Yes"! That's the power of a Christian Community in Action changing the environment where they conference!  (I just wish everyone would stand up when they sing...)

Ultreya!
-John

Pre-Cursillo

POP QUIZ ALERT! POP QUIZ ALERT! POP QUIZ ALERT!

What came first? The 3-day weekend or group reunion?

Answer: I'm not going to tell you... yet.

Our selection of candidates for a weekend should be approached as carefully and as prayerfully as we plan a weekend - - perhaps more.

Rachel Swaney outlined the process this way:
-Pray first
-Talk to the person's Priest, to find out where your Candidate is in their life. Are there any life changes (death in family, divorce, personal crisis) that would leave them distracted to the message of the weekend?
-Talk to God and pray some more
-They should be leaders in their family or in their vocations professional or otherwise.
-Pray.
-They should be members in good standing with the Episcopal Church, or in a denomination that's in full communion with the Episcopal Church. Both Bishops must agree with their participation.
-Pray some more.
-Talk to your candidate. Tell them of your prayerful consideration.
-Tell them ANYTHING about the weekend especially if you realize they must know EVERYTHING before they can decide to go. There are NO secrets. They will still experience the mystery and God's Glory, because words cannot fully describe the Weekend. And every weekend is different. Others may not want to know. They like being surprised.
-You know your candidate well. God knows them even better. Since you've been talking to God, you'll know to do.
-Pray.
-It is the sponsor's responsibility to remove obstacles from their candidate; so they may concentrate on the message of the weekend.
-Pray for your candidate. Have your 4th day community pray too.
-Do not allow a previous commitment during the weekend obstruct your responsibility to your Candidate. You have a 4th day community who also knows the Pilgrim - use them! They will be bolstered by the loving sacrifice made on their behalf. By your smiles, and joy they will realize it's God's love that makes this possible. They will realize it is more than kindheartedness.

Wow, this is getting sorta long.

Suffice to say, this detail hints to it's importance in the Cursillo movement. For more information, refer to booklet 9 in the Cursillo Library. Don't have one? You can purchase one here.

Which came first? The Reunion Group. Click here for a little history lesson.

Ultreya!
-John

P.S. Share your sponsorship experience in the comment section below...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

The Authentic Three-Day Weekend

What is an AUTHENTIC weekend?
15 Rollos, 5 Meditations, Eucharist everyday, and music. That's all required by NEC to have "The Best Cursillo Ever".

When you attend a Clausura (Closing), what do the new Cursillistas mention in their testimonies?
Agape love?
Make a friend, etc.?,
Christ is counting on them?
The 4th day?
The concept of Ultreya?

Hopefully they don't mention something about people wearing Chicken Suits, or some silly antic. I know it is used by well-intentioned teams to illustrate an important point, but if that's what a participant recalls, did the team miss the point? Did the new Cursillista? Hard to know for sure.

The point is that the elements of a basic 3-day weekend are few. When we add extra stuff we need to make sure it enhances the message. The weekend's priority is on the participants and what we need to teach them - not on the fun we can have on team. Our joy should derive from a message that "sticks".

Ultreya!
-John

P.S. I would like to hear your thoughts on what makes the best Cursillo ever. Please add your comments.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Group Reunion

Group Reunion is why Cursillo exists! (see 4th Day First)

Ted Ederer thinks of it like the blanket of "Peanuts" character Linus.  It provides us with insurance that what we learned at the Weekend is not lost.

It is a small group of friends meeting with Jesus (on a regular basis) to share, pray, and review for their life of Grace.

Group Reunion helps us:

• With our Rule of Life (Piety, Study, Action)
• To help us become the Church in the world.
• To strengthen us in our commitment of evangelism in the home, workplace, and the world.
• To share our Christian life.

Jesus had a group reunion (Peter, James, and John).

Different types of Group Reunions:

• Close friends
• Floating - as at Ultreya's
• Environmental - to transform those particular environments.  It could be a clergy search committee, an outreach ministry.  You don't necessarily need to use the Group Reunion card, just review lives in the context of Piety, Study and Action.
• Leaders - Cursillo Leaders focusing on the Movement

Remember:

• ANYONE can be part of a reunion group!  
• One does not have to be a Cursillista to be part of a group.  
• Further, one does not have to be a member of a Church, or even an acknowledged Christian.  If we are gathering in His name, He will be with us.

Servant Community

What is a servant community?  Is it the Secretariat?
Yes, and no!

It's common that Secretariat members are part of the Servant Community, but shouldn't be THE Servant Community.

A servant community should (in no particular order):

1. Develop leaders
2. Study
3. Be a method for linking

With this you have a group of people who link the Diocese, to study how to strengthen the Movement, and in the process develop leaders.  The Servant Community sole purpose is NOT to put on Weekends.  (Remember:  4th day First)  Read booklet 7:  Servant Community.

The Servant Community studies their own movement and studies the Cursillo Library.  What is the Bishop's Pastoral Plan?    How does the Cursillo Community fit into the Plan?  Study the environment of the Cursillo community and the communities of the 4th day community.

Often a Servant Community will break up into sub-committees.  It's a good model, but not necessarily easy to maintain:

• Pre-Cursillo:  How do we identify those who will benefit by attending a weekend?  How do we work to bring these leaders to a Weekend?  How do we find Cursillistas to serve on team?
• The Weekend
• The 4th Day:  How do we continue to support the community after the weekend (Group Reunion, Ultreya, DDU, and other Cursillo events).
• Communication:  How to we keep in touch with the Cursillo community and promote fluid communication to the 4th Day community and back to those who lead (Servant Community, Secretariat).

As a governing board, the Secretariat is part of these sub-committees to guide and facilitate their efforts. With an active Servant Community, there is strength in numbers.  Remember that Jesus showed us the Way, but left the work to us; equipped and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Ultreya!
-John

The 4th Day First

In Spain, Cursillo started as a 4th day community.

Young Christian men got together to talk about how they would change the places they lived and worked day by day.

Three day weekends started later.

When Cursillo came to the U.S. through the Catholic Church, it started as a weekend.  And at times, we put the Weekend as the life-changing event.  But really, it's just a set of Christian "jumper cables", used to repurpose and refocus our hearts, minds, souls and bodies.  After we're jump-started, how do we keep going?

We strive for a disciplined and purposeful 4th day.

-Rule of Life:
When we commit to a Rule of Life - if we are not disciplined in our focus on God and His purpose we often stray.

-Weekly Reunion:
This regular meeting among friends to talk about the Rule of Life (Piety, Study, Action)  allows us to share our journey in this secular world while we try to be Holy.  Although we are smart, courageous, and filled with the Spirit, we can't do it alone.  Christ knows that we must work as a community to fulfill His purpose.

-Ultreya:
Ever tried to grill a steak with with just one charcoal briquet?  Regular Ultreya's serve to recharge our batteries, or using the BBQ metaphor, we glow more brightly after Ultreya.  Why?  We share with the larger Christian community.  We hear how others meet the challenges of our daily life.  By just showing up, we encourage each other to keep going forward - Ultreya!

-Spiritual Direction:
Having a objective coach to help guide your Piety, Study, and Action is a great way to help us hit the Home Run in our spiritual lives as we work to change our lives and environments.

Our 4th day is there to help us make a friend, be a friend and bring a friend to Christ (not bring a friend to Cursillo).  The Weekend is just a tool in God's toolbox to bring the world to His purpose, not an end unto itself.

-John

Helloooo Phoenix!

The cat managed not to freeload a trip, and I didn't forget my toothbrush.


I'm here with 5-minutes to spare (so typical) and all I have to do is find where the ECLW is meeting.

BTW, what IS an ECLW?  Why no Spanish phrase like:
"Pequeño curso de Cursillos de Cristiandad"?

What is an ECLW?

Short answer:
ECLW = Episcopal Cursillo Leaders Workshop

Longer answer:
According to the 2011 Conference Brochure (paraphrased a bit...)

• To clarify the purpose and method of the Cursillo Movement.
• To provide a background on the intent of the founders.
• To give people involved in Cursillo a clearer understanding of their roles.
• To learn about the tools available to make Cursillo an effective instrument in the work of the Church.
• To strengthen Diocesan Cursillo Movements and make them more effective.
• To deepen our commitment to Christ

Sort of like a Cursillo weekend, you could think of it as one long talk divided into, in this case, 11 Rollos, over all day Thursday, and a couple hours on Friday.  At this point, we've finished day one.

The presenters are (alphabetical order):

• Ted Ederer <Kirkland Washington, Western District>
• Nina-Jo Moore (ECLW Coordinator) <North Carolina, Southeast Dist.) 
• Rev. David Pike  <Lansing, MI, Northcentral>
• Rev. Rick Simpson <Long Island, NY, Northeast>
• Rachel Swaney <Independence, MO, Southcentral>

Here is a very brief overview of one of the first talks and it's message.  Check back to this blog and I will outline the other talks

Cursillo and the mission of the Episcopal Church (The Very Reverend Rick Simpson)

Cursillo is NOT an end to itself!  It is NOT about us.  Cursillo is a continual rehearsal of living the Christian life.  When we forget that mission on our Weekends, the mission of the Church is lost.  The Episcopal Cursillo empowers and equips leaders for the Episcopal Church.  The mission of the Church is to restore all people in unity with God and with each other in Jesus Christ.  The mission of the Cursillo movement is to work with the Holy Spirit to help the Church fulfill its work.  The Cursillo movement works with the Church to fulfill it's mission - we do not have a separate agenda.  

How do we keep to the mission?  Know the mission, Read the Cursillo Library.  Keep it simple.  Focus on the mission, not the little stuff.  And of course, Cursillo is not about the Weekend, it's about the 4th day.  The 4th day must be first, otherwise the Cursillo Movement will flounder and most importantly, not further the mission of the Church.

What should I take?

No, I'm not talking about suit versus dressy jacket, or toiletries and such.

I'm coming to the conference to learn and share.  I'm gathering with the most widespread community in my 4th day.  Cursillo Leaders coming from many different situations and ideas.

So, what should I take?

Of course the blessings and prayers from my Diocese.

The conference asks us to bring our Rosters, ok.

I can bring a list of questions from my Diocese.

Oh, and I can bring an open mind to absorb all that is put before me.

All I have to do now is make sure that the cat doesn't end up in my bag and I don't forget my toothbrush...

-John