okay, so it didn't all happen in the house, but i wanted to share some snapshots of the last week and a half of worship here in the jeremiah community and in the house:
* last thursday we had a pretty politically charged worship at the house with james loney speaking at our 'radically ordinary' formation group - we used his 'litany of resistance' to frame our prayers. it was remembrance day, and jim (who was kidnapped in iraq a few years back) spoke on radical peacemaking.
* on friday at 7:30am we had silent prayers for peace which were led by sharon in the church. by the way, if you have flash installed, check out the church that we call home!
* on saturday night into the wee hours of the am we had 'sound ministry' - a dj-led worship time with lights, lasers, live painters and dancers, sub-bass and intense visuals with a pretty charismatic leaning. this first-time event was led by river attendee adam vegys (dj spiritually minded).
* on sunday - at our weekly river gathering - we celebrated the holy eucharist (as we're apt to do) in a pretty contemplative vein with about 40 folks. meagan from camino house (and the love of my life) reflected on her time as a human rights observer and missionary in the Philippines. deb whalen (one of our regular musicians) did a lot of the music including martyn joseph's turn me tender and alexi murdoch's orange sky. we did a lot of lament. how long o lord?
* monday began with am prayer as guided meditation on scripture in the church and a time to pray silently or aloud for ourselves. it's loosely structured on formal anglican / catholic prayer, but with breathing exercises and gentle music.
* tuesday and wednesday mornings we did prayer tradional anglican prayer from the green book. on tuesday and thursday mornings we pray in the house and there are usually children and infants around to pray with us.
* on wednesday morning i had communion with 11 seniors - most of them Portuguese - at st. anne's tower, a nursing home which backs onto camino house. i had to make up a sermon on the spot on one of the toughest passages in the Bible (it's a long story)... i'm glad most of them didn't understand english.
* wednesday evening was a sensual and mystical candle-lit chanted prayer in the style of the taize community with a dozen or so folks harmonizing in latin, spanish and english and spending time in silence.
* on thursday a few of us did an old style hymn sing at fairview nursing home. this was actually the most moving experience of the week for me as the tears fell down the folks faces as folks were singing 'in the garden' and 'amazing grace'. kenny requested hank william's "i saw the light".
* on thursday night we were supposed to have celtic prayer, but so many folks had the flu in the community, that we cancelled it to be safe.
* early friday morning - sharon led a couple of us in crayon worship - literally challenging us to 'draw out' our experience of hearing Jesus' words in the gospel.
so, something for everyone. maybe something to offend everyone.
how many ways may we come to the Almighty with wonder, awe and delight?
rob.
thoughts from camino: a house of hospitality in the jeremiah community.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
a few random images and quick update
it's been a couple months since we've managed to post anything. life has been busy here at camino. we've started a shelf in our pantry for those in need, we've had a whole pile of events - including a birthday party for Lance that saw about 70 people come around, a few 'reel conversations' film nights, held our weekly 'radically ordinary' formation groups here (where we hosted folks like Ched Myers and Jim Loney as guest speakers) as we talked about intentional community. we have community prayer here on tuesday and thursday mornings at 8am (in the church on mon, wed, and fri) - and often the children and infants in the community come along. we're increasingly sharing meals in the evenings. 'river' worship gets planned here most tuesdays. the garden is now done, but we're talking about the possibility of have an eco-intern for the spring and summer. our matthew house (refugee) volunteering time is being re-configured after a strong summer. we're grateful for the folks who helped paint our hallway (still lots of painting and work around the house to do). we're dreaming about putting a wheelchair ramp into the house...
the leaves keep falling!
here are a few random photos from my cell phone from the last couple of months.
the leaves keep falling!
here are a few random photos from my cell phone from the last couple of months.
Friday, September 17, 2010
August's Backyard Barbecue Kicks Off Monthly Community Potluck
[from Helen P.]
On August 28th, about two dozen of our friends and neighbours gathered with us at Camino House to celebrate the last days of summer and the promise of a busy Fall season ahead. Friends from St. Anne’s, Matthew House, Parkdale Neighbourhood Church, Urban Flute Ensemble, and our River worship service chowed down on beef-burgers, bean-burgers, and hot dogs, taking in the late summer-sunshine and enjoying a good old-fashioned community barbecue.
We at Camino House plan to make this a monthly routine; if you’re able, join us the last Sunday of each month as we gather to enjoy a barbecue/pot luck, and of course, each other’s company. As the weather gets chilly, we’ll take the party indoors, but we hope to enjoy a few backyard gatherings before the cold drives us in! In September (the 25th) we’ll officially “launch” Camino House, so stay tuned as we release details on times/all that will involve. Any ideas? We’ve talked about a house blessing, musicians, and the usual sharing of food, but if you have any suggestions, we’d love to hear them! Pony rides? Rappelling from the roof of St. Anne’s? We're open to ideas!
On a side note, Michael Packard predicts that our garden’s watermelons (which he has so lovingly-tended) will be ready by the end of September, so be sure to join us as we “bring in the harvest” at our next barbecue/house-launch!
On August 28th, about two dozen of our friends and neighbours gathered with us at Camino House to celebrate the last days of summer and the promise of a busy Fall season ahead. Friends from St. Anne’s, Matthew House, Parkdale Neighbourhood Church, Urban Flute Ensemble, and our River worship service chowed down on beef-burgers, bean-burgers, and hot dogs, taking in the late summer-sunshine and enjoying a good old-fashioned community barbecue.
We at Camino House plan to make this a monthly routine; if you’re able, join us the last Sunday of each month as we gather to enjoy a barbecue/pot luck, and of course, each other’s company. As the weather gets chilly, we’ll take the party indoors, but we hope to enjoy a few backyard gatherings before the cold drives us in! In September (the 25th) we’ll officially “launch” Camino House, so stay tuned as we release details on times/all that will involve. Any ideas? We’ve talked about a house blessing, musicians, and the usual sharing of food, but if you have any suggestions, we’d love to hear them! Pony rides? Rappelling from the roof of St. Anne’s? We're open to ideas!
On a side note, Michael Packard predicts that our garden’s watermelons (which he has so lovingly-tended) will be ready by the end of September, so be sure to join us as we “bring in the harvest” at our next barbecue/house-launch!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
camino?
why call it camino house?
other folks in the house might have opinions or thoughts as to why we called it this, but here are some of my thoughts:
the camino de santiago is an old Christian pilgrimage route that winds its way through several european countries. it's had a bit of a revival in recent years as more and more folks have wandered it.
the late canadian violinist Oliver Schroer did a nice piece of violin music on the camino and wrote a journal and recorded the album of the same name along the way in the ancient churches and hostels - complete with ambient noise of other pilgrims and birds...
camino - the word literally means 'the way' or 'the path'.
as followers of Jesus, who called himself 'the Way', it seemed that this word 'camino' (which is shared as a word in the spanish & portuguese languages) would be a good thing to call the house.
an ancient path (with hospitality along the way). arts / beauty. and (most of all) Jesus. some nice resonances, to say the least.
for me, it reminds us that we're all pilgrims. that though we have the gift of this house (which we rent from the anglican church next door [yep, the one painted by the 'group of seven') we too must receive as much as we give. we must be guests as much as hosts. we learn as much as we teach...
it reminds us that we need to life a life of beauty, rooted in a healthy and passionate spirituality. that we need to challenge ourselves to share and open our doors. it reminds us that our spiritual tradition is an ancient one...
so there you have it: 'camino house'...
we're a part of the jeremiah community which is a missional (ie sent out) - new-monastic (ie having a shared rhythm of life) intentional community.
in the jeremiah community folks live in the village of this neighbourhood (brockton triangle / parkdale / dufferin grove / ossington / west queen west, etc) either in their own housing or in a community house, such as camino house (we're the first, really! - though we did have a prototype in 'emmaus house' which some of our members lived in). we strive to live a rhythm of life together... but more on that later... i diverge from the, uh, path.
camino... along the way.
do come by and visit!
other folks in the house might have opinions or thoughts as to why we called it this, but here are some of my thoughts:
the camino de santiago is an old Christian pilgrimage route that winds its way through several european countries. it's had a bit of a revival in recent years as more and more folks have wandered it.
the late canadian violinist Oliver Schroer did a nice piece of violin music on the camino and wrote a journal and recorded the album of the same name along the way in the ancient churches and hostels - complete with ambient noise of other pilgrims and birds...
camino - the word literally means 'the way' or 'the path'.
as followers of Jesus, who called himself 'the Way', it seemed that this word 'camino' (which is shared as a word in the spanish & portuguese languages) would be a good thing to call the house.
an ancient path (with hospitality along the way). arts / beauty. and (most of all) Jesus. some nice resonances, to say the least.
for me, it reminds us that we're all pilgrims. that though we have the gift of this house (which we rent from the anglican church next door [yep, the one painted by the 'group of seven') we too must receive as much as we give. we must be guests as much as hosts. we learn as much as we teach...
it reminds us that we need to life a life of beauty, rooted in a healthy and passionate spirituality. that we need to challenge ourselves to share and open our doors. it reminds us that our spiritual tradition is an ancient one...
so there you have it: 'camino house'...
we're a part of the jeremiah community which is a missional (ie sent out) - new-monastic (ie having a shared rhythm of life) intentional community.
in the jeremiah community folks live in the village of this neighbourhood (brockton triangle / parkdale / dufferin grove / ossington / west queen west, etc) either in their own housing or in a community house, such as camino house (we're the first, really! - though we did have a prototype in 'emmaus house' which some of our members lived in). we strive to live a rhythm of life together... but more on that later... i diverge from the, uh, path.
camino... along the way.
do come by and visit!
the first two months
we moved in on june 1st, and it's already been 2 months of settling in and setting this place up. i thought i'd get this humble little blog rolling by sharing a few snapshots of what life's been like so far.
i'll begin by saying that in being here - in spite of all the challenges and struggles of living a less 'nuclear' existence - i feel like i'm living in a joyful and functional community house for the first time in many years (since my early years in the catholic worker movement, really)... it's rarely easy... but (for me, anyways) it's filled with a lot of beauty.
it's a refreshing feeling. filled with hope, times of over-activity, times of over-quiet - and filled with daily struggle (we are sooo human) and beauty (we are sooo human). it will take a while to figure out what it all means - and just what our 'calling' may be here in this brockton neighbourhood... but the seeds we are planting are already sending up impressive sprouts (i'm not just talking about our organic garden - but that too)!
this is the first time i've lived in a community house - a (so-called) "house of hospitality" as a 'family man' - with twins: yep, two 4-month old babies (2 months at the time of moving in) and a beautiful, wonderful wife to live this experiment together with - along with the 4+ other adults who are living here (another married couple and several other folks)...
there's so much i could write about - as one person noted - already in its infancy this is a 'very storied place'. there is much to say about this 'call' to live this way, and hopefully this blog can share some of what it means for 6+ adults and 2 babies to live together - sharing things in various ways as we're able...
here are a few of my memorable snapshots from the first few months:
- a person coming to the door at 11:30pm and asking for food, and one of the house members responding with some soup and conversation. this person returning another time and being accompanied to the grocery store by another one of the house people.
- weekly, sunday brunch house check-ins, where people share what's been going on in their week - and how camino house is, and isn't working! the level of trust, intimacy and vulnerability at some of these gatherings has been so beautiful.
- a neighbourhood person without a yard asking for a piece of garden to plot and setting up his own garden in the yard.
- intense (and often fun) theological discussion as we plan 'river' our community worship time.
- some refugee folks who hang out here getting in a conversation with another friend of the community - an Irish Canadian - about the common sources of violence in their countries.
- some of those same folks giving and receiving - showing us how to paint and fix plaster (these dreaded plaster walls) - and also coming by and asking about stuff we might be able to share (or find) as they set up their first home in Canada.
- getting this "abandoned place of empire" ( it used to house anglican priests, if that counts as an abandoned place of empire :) ) fixed up - new shelving and storage, fixing the dangerous front step (still to happen), fixing the water damaged walls, painting the fading and peeling walls, etc. etc..
- having space to take in the visiting swiss women for a couple nights. thanks for the chocolate!
- extending the garden! (phase one!). [phase two = composter building, spiral herb garden, figuring out how to really garden, etc, etc.]
- getting to raise babies with the support of people who come running with open hands and open hearts when they hear a baby screaming (i'll have to write more about raising twins in this kind of space later).
- hanging the art (together).
- michael putting up the clothes line.
- being challenged to minimize electrical usage based on 'peak times' and hanging the clothes (when i really don't feel like it)
- folks watching "capitalism: a love story" together (on 2 separate nights) and the conversations that ensued.
- reel conversations - the film nights here (though i've never made one, listening in on the conversation as I pass by).
- some artists and friends painting the banner (see the blog banner - this is one of the banners we're working on [ps the www.jeremiahcommunity.ca site isn't up yet - go to www.jeremiahproject.ca for now!]
- the woman who uses the front lawn to learn scripts for a play (or something).
- meeting folks in the seniors tower that the church next door built and used to run (whose yard backs onto ours).
- the couple from Nova Scotia (he used to work at the factory across the street in the 70's - when it was Neilson's) coming by and talking about the neighbourhood and the choir they sing in (and her characteristic Phillipina spirituality and hospitality).
- hanging the art together.
- michael building shelves (with Chris, who stayed with us for a month) helping out.
- helen baking yummy stuff.
- babies lying in the yard.
those are a few of my images...
there's so much to share.
i'll add more soon. and hopefully you'll be hearing from other folks in the house too!
- rob
i'll begin by saying that in being here - in spite of all the challenges and struggles of living a less 'nuclear' existence - i feel like i'm living in a joyful and functional community house for the first time in many years (since my early years in the catholic worker movement, really)... it's rarely easy... but (for me, anyways) it's filled with a lot of beauty.
it's a refreshing feeling. filled with hope, times of over-activity, times of over-quiet - and filled with daily struggle (we are sooo human) and beauty (we are sooo human). it will take a while to figure out what it all means - and just what our 'calling' may be here in this brockton neighbourhood... but the seeds we are planting are already sending up impressive sprouts (i'm not just talking about our organic garden - but that too)!
this is the first time i've lived in a community house - a (so-called) "house of hospitality" as a 'family man' - with twins: yep, two 4-month old babies (2 months at the time of moving in) and a beautiful, wonderful wife to live this experiment together with - along with the 4+ other adults who are living here (another married couple and several other folks)...
there's so much i could write about - as one person noted - already in its infancy this is a 'very storied place'. there is much to say about this 'call' to live this way, and hopefully this blog can share some of what it means for 6+ adults and 2 babies to live together - sharing things in various ways as we're able...
here are a few of my memorable snapshots from the first few months:
- a person coming to the door at 11:30pm and asking for food, and one of the house members responding with some soup and conversation. this person returning another time and being accompanied to the grocery store by another one of the house people.
- weekly, sunday brunch house check-ins, where people share what's been going on in their week - and how camino house is, and isn't working! the level of trust, intimacy and vulnerability at some of these gatherings has been so beautiful.
- a neighbourhood person without a yard asking for a piece of garden to plot and setting up his own garden in the yard.
- intense (and often fun) theological discussion as we plan 'river' our community worship time.
- some refugee folks who hang out here getting in a conversation with another friend of the community - an Irish Canadian - about the common sources of violence in their countries.
- some of those same folks giving and receiving - showing us how to paint and fix plaster (these dreaded plaster walls) - and also coming by and asking about stuff we might be able to share (or find) as they set up their first home in Canada.
- getting this "abandoned place of empire" ( it used to house anglican priests, if that counts as an abandoned place of empire :) ) fixed up - new shelving and storage, fixing the dangerous front step (still to happen), fixing the water damaged walls, painting the fading and peeling walls, etc. etc..
- having space to take in the visiting swiss women for a couple nights. thanks for the chocolate!
- extending the garden! (phase one!). [phase two = composter building, spiral herb garden, figuring out how to really garden, etc, etc.]
- getting to raise babies with the support of people who come running with open hands and open hearts when they hear a baby screaming (i'll have to write more about raising twins in this kind of space later).
- hanging the art (together).
- michael putting up the clothes line.
- being challenged to minimize electrical usage based on 'peak times' and hanging the clothes (when i really don't feel like it)
- folks watching "capitalism: a love story" together (on 2 separate nights) and the conversations that ensued.
- reel conversations - the film nights here (though i've never made one, listening in on the conversation as I pass by).
- some artists and friends painting the banner (see the blog banner - this is one of the banners we're working on [ps the www.jeremiahcommunity.ca site isn't up yet - go to www.jeremiahproject.ca for now!]
- the woman who uses the front lawn to learn scripts for a play (or something).
- meeting folks in the seniors tower that the church next door built and used to run (whose yard backs onto ours).
- the couple from Nova Scotia (he used to work at the factory across the street in the 70's - when it was Neilson's) coming by and talking about the neighbourhood and the choir they sing in (and her characteristic Phillipina spirituality and hospitality).
- hanging the art together.
- michael building shelves (with Chris, who stayed with us for a month) helping out.
- helen baking yummy stuff.
- babies lying in the yard.
those are a few of my images...
there's so much to share.
i'll add more soon. and hopefully you'll be hearing from other folks in the house too!
- rob
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