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Greetings everyone!
Please mark your calendars for the weekend of January 4, 2009 (known in some circles as Epiphany)--when Jorge and Le Anne will celebrate our wedding in Mason City, IA.
If all goes well in the planning, it will be during the regular Sunday service--something that used to be quite common, but is not often seen these days. It is our joy to be surrounded by the congregation and local community as well as our family and friends from places further afield.
We are still figuring out how to do a low-key, non-materialist wedding, but know that no one will have to rent a tux or buy a polyester bridesmaid dress :) We are looking forward to a potluck reception, so that we may include everyone as honored guests and turn no one away.
For those of our friends who are unable to travel to Le Anne's hometown, we will also hold a potluck celebration in Hyde Park, Chicago, over Valentine's Day weekend.
Plenty of preparation remains to be done, but we do hope that you will be able to join us in the celebrations!
peace,
Le Anne and Jorge
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Monday, September 01, 2008
September Update
It's been a while since I've written, which always means I've been busy. This time, it's been welcoming in the next batch of new folks to our GlobalServe Interfaith Volunteer Community, which is about to expand to five buildings and fifty people if all goes as it is currently. Thirty are moved in, with another twenty to arrive in the coming month. There will be challenges--there always are--but it's also very exciting.
We're getting an office for the Peace Center, which will be in a little-used downstairs living room in our 'Motherhouse,' the preferred name among the community as a whole for our original building on Harper Avenue in Hyde Park. I'm relieved, since it's not been the easiest for me to have my office in my bedroom; I neither sleep nor work well under that arrangement. And now there's a little space in order to have interns and volunteers.
We've welcomed a cat, and may have more soon. She's adept at hiding, and we only really know she's still here by her litterbox and food plate. But on the day we sat in the back stairwell for twenty minutes, I speaking softly and scratching behind her ears, I did even finally get a purr from her. So gratifying it was!
I've become a foundress, and I'm having trouble with the term, just like I chafe at the term 'Executive Director' or even 'boss.' I don't like to be in charge; I prefer to support people in being the good that they hope to be. And, for example, in a cooperative community you simply can't have one founder; there's only co-founders. But sometimes the terms are passed around. Perhaps I should accept them as compliments, which I understand is their intent. Neither would I want to get too smug.
But, 'foundress.' The Order of St. Elizabeth, for which I sent out an invitation letter about eight weeks ago, has found a recruiter among the Catholic religious orders. I have nearly twenty applications in my box to be answered. I did not know that you had to be under a certain age, out of debt, in very good health, and with healthy parents in order to join many religious orders. Although, I suppose the Peace Corps has most of the same requirements. I think I would be happy with nearly everyone I've been sent. And if their parents are not healthy, why not send them home to care for them a while? We will see. If people want to give their lives in service to others, I think no one should stand in their way.
peace,
Le Anne
We're getting an office for the Peace Center, which will be in a little-used downstairs living room in our 'Motherhouse,' the preferred name among the community as a whole for our original building on Harper Avenue in Hyde Park. I'm relieved, since it's not been the easiest for me to have my office in my bedroom; I neither sleep nor work well under that arrangement. And now there's a little space in order to have interns and volunteers.
We've welcomed a cat, and may have more soon. She's adept at hiding, and we only really know she's still here by her litterbox and food plate. But on the day we sat in the back stairwell for twenty minutes, I speaking softly and scratching behind her ears, I did even finally get a purr from her. So gratifying it was!
I've become a foundress, and I'm having trouble with the term, just like I chafe at the term 'Executive Director' or even 'boss.' I don't like to be in charge; I prefer to support people in being the good that they hope to be. And, for example, in a cooperative community you simply can't have one founder; there's only co-founders. But sometimes the terms are passed around. Perhaps I should accept them as compliments, which I understand is their intent. Neither would I want to get too smug.
But, 'foundress.' The Order of St. Elizabeth, for which I sent out an invitation letter about eight weeks ago, has found a recruiter among the Catholic religious orders. I have nearly twenty applications in my box to be answered. I did not know that you had to be under a certain age, out of debt, in very good health, and with healthy parents in order to join many religious orders. Although, I suppose the Peace Corps has most of the same requirements. I think I would be happy with nearly everyone I've been sent. And if their parents are not healthy, why not send them home to care for them a while? We will see. If people want to give their lives in service to others, I think no one should stand in their way.
peace,
Le Anne
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Another Unlikely Monastic
My last post was a little bit from my side about making the move from a solo monasticism to becoming a monastic co-journer; by way of getting engaged. Since then, my partner, Jorge, has written the following reflection on his own journey. He has kindly allowed me to share it below:
Dear brothers and sisters, please read the following message that I want to share with all of you:
I was born in a place known as Juayua, that I propounce (JUAJUA), in the little country of El Salvador in Central America. Being from there, of course I love pupusas, chilate, atol shuco, atol de helote, loroco, nisperos, jocotes, pacaya, manzanas pedorras and tenquiques, foods which we have a lot in our country town, which is also a semi-rural coffee plantation area, where I worked as a youth.
I am also a survivor of the Salvadoran Genocide perpetrated in the 1980's. Bishop Oscar Romero, Ita Ford and three other American nuns were martyred there during this time. My interfaith and ecumenical connections helped me to understand more about who I am and what I need to accomplish for life to be more enjoyable and looking for happiness and love. Being part of efforts to humanize myself and this world let me have more passion for hope and to believe in social change, peace, harmony, the need to build common ground and journeys for appreciation and personal care.
Spirituality plays a great role in my life, where I found myself, my inner peace, my weakness and strength. I love Native American culture, music, poetry, drumming, and meditative walks. I believe my interest in learning about other cultures and faith traditions has grown in the past few years, after my graduation from McCormick Theological Seminary and later becoming a Christian minister. Being able to be in touch with people that believe in social change, peacemaking and human rights has helped me to have more sensitivity and understanding of who am I and my personal response to social and worldwide issues. My interest in multicultural efforts to 'cross-culture' myself it is something that I am still learning and I hope myself to strength and develop more and more.
This past Sunday (August 3rd), I went to Trinity United Church of Christ (TUCC) with Le Anne Clausen, who is now my fiancee. It was a blessing and powerful experience both of us. To be at TUCC church, gave me a good sense of what church is and means, a powerful journey for God's service and loving Gospel songs of this unique Afro-centric and moreso, an inclusive Christian community on the South Side of Chicago. My presence on this occasion was because I wanted to express my personal solidarity with the TUCC community after they have been overwhelmed from intensive media harassment and other prejudices following Rev. Jeremiah Wright's theological speeches and his prophetic view on race, politics and social disparities. Le Anne is a person who not only has a natural and original smiling face, but her charismatic personality is extremely contagious. As a woman, she is for me not only a great match for a loving relationship but also a perfect complement for practical ministry and community life. We both have a clear vision and focus on worldview issues such as peacemaking, social justice, social change and community life that respect diversity, gender orientation, interfaith relations and inclusiveness. And in addressing the continuing struggles of Central America, Le Anne herself has been part of this journey for social justice and peace.
And for this reason I am glad to officially announce to you this wonderful news.
Rev. Jorge Montes
Dear brothers and sisters, please read the following message that I want to share with all of you:
I was born in a place known as Juayua, that I propounce (JUAJUA), in the little country of El Salvador in Central America. Being from there, of course I love pupusas, chilate, atol shuco, atol de helote, loroco, nisperos, jocotes, pacaya, manzanas pedorras and tenquiques, foods which we have a lot in our country town, which is also a semi-rural coffee plantation area, where I worked as a youth.
I am also a survivor of the Salvadoran Genocide perpetrated in the 1980's. Bishop Oscar Romero, Ita Ford and three other American nuns were martyred there during this time. My interfaith and ecumenical connections helped me to understand more about who I am and what I need to accomplish for life to be more enjoyable and looking for happiness and love. Being part of efforts to humanize myself and this world let me have more passion for hope and to believe in social change, peace, harmony, the need to build common ground and journeys for appreciation and personal care.
Spirituality plays a great role in my life, where I found myself, my inner peace, my weakness and strength. I love Native American culture, music, poetry, drumming, and meditative walks. I believe my interest in learning about other cultures and faith traditions has grown in the past few years, after my graduation from McCormick Theological Seminary and later becoming a Christian minister. Being able to be in touch with people that believe in social change, peacemaking and human rights has helped me to have more sensitivity and understanding of who am I and my personal response to social and worldwide issues. My interest in multicultural efforts to 'cross-culture' myself it is something that I am still learning and I hope myself to strength and develop more and more.
This past Sunday (August 3rd), I went to Trinity United Church of Christ (TUCC) with Le Anne Clausen, who is now my fiancee. It was a blessing and powerful experience both of us. To be at TUCC church, gave me a good sense of what church is and means, a powerful journey for God's service and loving Gospel songs of this unique Afro-centric and moreso, an inclusive Christian community on the South Side of Chicago. My presence on this occasion was because I wanted to express my personal solidarity with the TUCC community after they have been overwhelmed from intensive media harassment and other prejudices following Rev. Jeremiah Wright's theological speeches and his prophetic view on race, politics and social disparities. Le Anne is a person who not only has a natural and original smiling face, but her charismatic personality is extremely contagious. As a woman, she is for me not only a great match for a loving relationship but also a perfect complement for practical ministry and community life. We both have a clear vision and focus on worldview issues such as peacemaking, social justice, social change and community life that respect diversity, gender orientation, interfaith relations and inclusiveness. And in addressing the continuing struggles of Central America, Le Anne herself has been part of this journey for social justice and peace.
And for this reason I am glad to officially announce to you this wonderful news.
Rev. Jorge Montes
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