[Dialogue] Fw: Reflecting on the Turn

Thu Aug 4 15:28:36 EDT 2011

One note on Jim's recollection - the EUB folk were irritated that we
'purchased' the 3444 W. Congress Parkway building, but then paid for JWM et.
al. to do the world tour instead of paying off the balloon note.  We bought
our way into the church, but didn't pay the bill.

Bill Schlesinger

Project Vida

3607 Rivera Avenue

El Paso, TX 79905

(915) 533-7057 x 207

(915) 533-7158 FAX

 <mailto:pvida at whc.net> pvida at whc.net

www.projectvidaelpaso.org

  _____  

From: dialogue-bounces at wedgeblade.net
[mailto:dialogue-bounces at wedgeblade.net] On Behalf Of R Williams
Sent: Thursday, August 04, 2011 1:11 PM
To: Order Ecumenical Community; Colleague Dialogue
Subject: [Dialogue] Fw: Reflecting on the Turn

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Jim Troxel <troxel at consultmillennia.com>
To: Randy Williams <rcwmbw at yahoo.com>
Cc: Karen Snyder <ksnyder at consultmillennia.com>
Sent: Thursday, August 4, 2011 1:38 PM
Subject: Reflecting on the Turn

Randy,

Karen forwarded to me from one of the dialogues your question about the
Turn.  Since I am not a subscriber but was intrigued with the question, I
post my recollections direct to you.  If you want to post them, you can.
Some are in synch with others Karen forwarded to me; some ideas are
different.

Reflections from Jim Troxel in maroon.

In 1972 the Kemper Insurance Co. gave the Ecumenical Institute its 8-story
office building at 4750 N. Sheridan Rd. in Chicago.  In and around that year
the Institute of Cultural Affairs was incorporated and EI/ICA moved its
headquarters from its "seminary campus" on the west side to its "insurance
building" on north side.  [We purchased the seminary; we were given the
insurance building.  The symbolism is rich.  We had to buy our way into the
church; the world opened its arms to us.]  Subsequently we drew a circle
around the wedge blade and announced we were making a "turn to the world."
[Or, did we overlay the Wedge Blade on the world?]

Here are some questions regarding "the turn:"  And some of my random
responses.

1.	What was going on in the world and internally with EI/O:E that
precipitated the "Turn to the World?"

a)    The Order was growing too fast.  We needed to invent significant
engagement for everyone.  We had hit a saturation point of placing our
religious houses.

b)   The Local Church Experiment was doing well, having an impact, but it
was weak on the "parish" pole.  Fifth City was only replicable in a certain
sort of way.  We needed a way to show the Church how to care for the World.
We began something along the lines of a "parish experiment" as I recall, but
it was half-baked and didn't last too long.

2.	How did "the turn" affect our story about who we were and what we
were doing? (For example, what did we understand we were turning to and what
were we turning from?)

a)    Many of those ensconced in the "church" thought we were turning away
from it.  I think you could find some evidence of that notion, but that
wasn't intended.  

b)   The "ICA" had been a "division" of the EI, but we spun it off to
emphasize our social mission.  I remember hearing this for the first time
and said to myself, "I didn't know that."  It was a clever/subtle way of
making the shift to make it seem seamless.  I use this illustration a lot to
remind myself that you invent your story.

3.	What were the strategic and practical implications at that time?

a)    I recall about this same time the concept of "contradictions" entered
Joe's vocabulary.  Those who remember being tutored by him on what
contradictions were will remember how difficult it was.  I think identifying
the underlying, root causes to society's ills was one of the drivers of all
this.

b)   From the "Turn" you have the social process research, which led to the
whistle/pressure points, which led to the ideas of the HDPs and Town
Meetings and the rest, as they say, was history.

4.	What are the implications today for ICAs around the world?

a)    On the one hand, absolutely nothing.

b)   On the other, the ICA exists to examine the deep underlying root issues
blocking full humanness in our world and then works to catalyze creative
responses to it.  This is a timeless task.

I have drafted an outline of a paper on "Why It Failed" trying to capture my
recollections and reflections on the demise of the Order.  Some of the
origins of the demise are found in the imagery of the "Turn" IMHO.

cid:image001.png at 01C92564.17BA9170

Jim Troxel

312-922-9920, Ext. 8

Mobile: 312-404-9920

Troxel at ConsultMillennia.com

www.ConsultMillennia.com <http://www.consultmillennia.com/> 

MCLOGO.jpg

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