THE FRAME OF THE GUILD THE ECUMENICAL PARISH
The Definitudes Document
The Functioning Document
Summer '73
Research Assembly
First Week
Friday
THE FRAME OF THE GUILD: THE ECUMENICAL PARISH July 6,'73
Page 1
THE FIVE
DEFINITUDES
MISSIONAL
DYNAMIC
UNITY AND
PLURIFORMITY
GUILD ARENA
RELIGIOUS
OVERLAY
FOUNDATION STONES
I. THE CONTEXT
THE DEFINITUDES
8. As we struggle on what form we would expect the Ecumenical Parish to take in a post modern world, five foundation dynamics emerge as crucial for such a radical community to operate. The missional dynamic of the local church which provides the vision and the structures of the overall care, and the religious overlay on human settlement which creates the symbol system to hold the vision before the community. The remaining three definitudes: Unity and Pluriformity, Local/Global tension, and Religious) Secular Convergence are sets of polarities which are maintained within the Ecumenical Parish.
9. Every community as a unique identity which can be called forth to create a sign of humanness. Structures ensure that comprehensive care for all the physical, intellectual, spirit, and social needs of all the residents of the Ecumenical Parish is ongoing and in addition that every human being has the possibility of expending his life in the caring dynamic.
10. Within the Ecumenical Parish there is an ongoing tension between the forces of unity and pluriformity. The Ecumenical Parish is a framework which focuses varied backgrounds on common tasks releasing the unique gifts of the individual heritages.
1I. The Ecumenical Parish is a response to the need of local man to be creatively and significantly engaged on behalf of all mankind. The tension between the local/global structures is maintained by a network of Ecumenical Parishes engaged in particular tasks relating to common glohal needs and concerns.
12. The Ecumenical Parish as the operating arena of the guild is the convergence of secular and religious forces to deal with all the problems of an identified, delimited geography. It is the place where the practics of releasing humanness for all of the people are activated effectively. It is the secular vessel where care is demonstrated.
Summer '73
Research Assembly THE FRAME OF THE GUILD: THE ECUMENICAL PARISH
First Week
Friday
July 6,
Page 3
1973
CHURCH
DEMONSTRATES
CARE
COMMUNITY
IDENTITY
HUMAN
CARE
UNIT
INTENTIONAL
EDUCATION
HUMAN
MOTIVITY
THE DEFINITUDES
II. THE MISSIONAL DYNAMIC OF THE LOCAL CHURCH
15. From its earliest beginnings the church has worked structure authentic human care within local congregations *heir surrounding communities. In the recent history the of the church has been limited to the local congregation , partially effective missionary endeavors in "foreign land The twentieth century has seen emergence of global society task of transforming the life of every local community is realize the promise of this new age has meant a refocusing the church's mission at the globallocal parish. This kid of the missional dynamic of the local church is a necessary element of parish.
16. An aspect of the missional dynamic of the Ecumenical Parish is that of community identity creator. One can image this activity being carried on where community elders spin stories of the past history to bring consciousness of its gifts and the significance of these gifts for the world. Such activities as the creation of a community museum, revitalizing the local newspaper and putting the local grid on billboards are examples of this activity.
17. The local church acts as a human care unit of the Ecumenical Parish. This care
is like a team of an intensive care unit who corporately respond with their specific tools
18. A further dimension of the Ecumenical Parish is to provide structures through which every person can be intentionally educated. The Ecumenical Parish is imagedas a global training camp. The purpose of intentional education is the awakening of local man to global need and the preparation of trained men who, out of their own depths, are free to join with others in a life of service in the global society. Such activities as community intercultural experiences, public school presentations, and ongoing methods training enable this goal.
19. A final dimension of the missional dynamic of the Ecumenical Parish is the catalyzing of human motivity. The spirit of this dimension is held by the image of a circus in which life is constantly bursting forth, where surprise is injected into every mundane happening. This activity allows man to grasp
and talents as needed. This dimension provides for the total ongoing care of all residents, with the possibility that every local man can participate in that caring. This care would
include such varied forms as festivals, meals on wheels, mental health clinics and block priorship.
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First Week
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CHURCH AS
COMMUNITY
CREATnR
EVERY MAN'S
POSSIBILITY
THE DEFINITUDES
anew the totality of their lives becoming the embodiment of human resurgence. Illustrations of this dynamic include holiday parades, community street festivals and public ceremonies.
20. Throughout history, the church has acted out its responsibility of the world. The power of the church as community identity creator can be seen historically in the spired churches which were centrally located in view of all the members of the community, who in turn identified with this symbol. Community identity was defined further by the drawing of intentional parish boundaries by Pope Leo. The church responded to emerging needs by new forms of caring such as, orphanages, hospitals, preservation of the arts, and the first schools. Concern for intentional education was at the forefront of the church's energies as the Cathedral Schools and the first Universities were established throughout Europe and America, and as the Jesuits brought into being educational structures and curricula throughout the world. Religious greetings, holidays, songs, theater, an the calendar have formed and freighted the everyday living patterns and style, both consciously and unconsciously of every local man, thus serving as a primal motivational force in history.
21. The Ecumenical Parish, as a catalyst for human community cannot exist without the unique gifts of the local church. The Word of Jesus Christ, the possibility of every man acting out his care on behalf of all of history and its embodiment of true human care, and the church's wisdom about what it means to be a human being, are all essential in the creation of community identity, corporate human care, intentional education, and human motivity are to release full humanness. Structures are held accountable to changing human needs, and local man is called to recreate the globe in his community.
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First Week
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July 6, 1973
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CONTEXT
MISSIONAL
ORDERING
DRAMATIC
REHEARSAL
THE DEFINITUDES
III. THE SINGULAR VS THE PLURIFORM DYNAMIC
22. The Ecumenical Parish exists where the gifts
of individual cultural traditions within the parish are honored.
The Ecumenical Parish allows multiform humanness to operate as
an ordered civil thrust enabling a common mission. Men have long
known the importance of holding the relationship of the singular
to the whole The early Greeks struggled with the question of dividing
unique substances' to their smaller components without losing
the essence of the whole. They sensed that water would no longer
be water if divided beyond some point. Paul talked of the unity
of the body of Christ which is made up of the various members
who necessarily participate in different callings. The Ecumenical
Parish allows multiform humanness to operate within a community,
as an ordered civilizing thrust.
COMMON
CONSCIOUSNESS
23. In missional ordering the total resources of the parish are prioritized with reference to the goals of the parish. Business corporations orchestrate their multiple departments into an ordered network to accomplish a single task. The Ecumenical Parish holds the autonomy of the groupsinvolved in the community utilizing the special ' gifts they' represent. Observing this dimension one would see a pluriform body of local churchmen (lay and cleric) serving the parish by dealing with the common task through assignments and evaluations. The Ecumenical Parish, through sensitive groups which spring up in response to specific needs not being dealt with, explores resources and sets up models to care for the situation. Thus the Ecumenical Parish acts as the conductor which enables "music" to occur in the community.
24. The dimension of dramatic rehearsal brings to the parish an awareness that varied backgrounds are essential. The Ecumenical Parish is like a colorful Medieval Pageant where the talents and gifts of many different individuals and groups are held together in a drama which portrays the significance of a particular event. This is much as Mumford points to in "The City as a Museum."
25. Just as the translator booth at the United Nations reiterates the essence of multilingual conversations, so the Ecumenical Parish transparently restates the essence of human experience within the community. The translation of these experiences from multicultural contexts becomes the common consciousness from which the outward thrust of the community emerges.
Summer '73
Research Assembly
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THE FRAME OF THE GUILD: THE ECUMENICAL PARISH July 6, 1973
Paze 6
INTENSIFYING ENCOUNTER DYNAMIC
MANIFESTATIONS
IMPLICATIONS
26. The Ecumenical Parish allows a diversity of human experience to become the common wisdom for dealing with the universal depth struggle of men. This wisdom comes through diverse sources like the tributaries of a great river gathering together all struggles that go on in isolation into a c q on journey. This is where the diversity of being is encountered and the depth experiences of life are brought into perspective and illuminated. As the individuals of the community move into a deeper self-consciousness, occasioned by addressing the depth spirit issues of the community, both the uniqueness of one's own tradition and the oneness of the vision are intensified.:
27. Through history the Church has often exemplified the strength of unity while preserving the gifts of diversity. One of the primal images of the church's heritage comes from the joining of the 12 tribes of Israel into a single community while later in the Middle Ages the Great Crusades brought many diverse segments of European society together in common mission. In this century, missional demands of relief for the victims of the World Wars and protest over innocent suffering, as exemplified in the Selma March, brought the pluriform Church together in a unity of action.
28. The implications of creating the Ecumenical Parish as the grass roots primal community is that the tension between plurality of form and the singularity of purpose is maintained and selfconsciously encouraged and the unique gifts of every man and culture are channeled into a destiny that he decides.
Research Assembly THE FRAME OF THE GUILD: THE ECUMENICAL PARISH July 6. 1~/J
Summer '73
First Week
Da~e
IV.
TENSION
·~XPANDED
CITIZENSHIP
GLOBALIZED
SPACE
WORLDWIDE
INTERACTION
DEMONSTRATED
INTER
RELATEDNESS
ARENA
SIGNS
LOCAL / GLOBAL POLARITY
29. .The new creation o£ the Ecumenical Parish includes intensification oftension between the focal: end global situations.. This tension will shift the consciousness of the local community toward knowing that it is and identifying part of' the global village. The intuitive awareness of the local community that it is indivisibly related to the other will create a local community with expanded globalcitizenship.
30. Localglobal community comes about when in tine: course of history men experience the limits of responsibility expanded to the whole world. The effect of this is to bring to consciousness to every man that he is a world citizen within a local context. This formation o£ global citizens depends upon expanding his contextual screen into a grid which holds images from around the world through which the local is viewed .
31. The vehicles which freight this context are international symbols and decor, transforming and broadening man's vision of his local parish and its significance. Thus, through external signs, the context of: care and responsibility for local man is expanded to the whole world. Presently, the accessibility of the world: end its pluriform gifts burst in upon men's consciousness daily.
32. Standing as a sign of the dynamic tension between local and global reality is the possibility of the "global village." .It is recognized dimly that all social structures, economic, political and cultural, ~ are increasingly interrelated globally. This worl4wide interaction has only to be brought to full selfconsciousness and intentionally influenced by local man. Illustrative of such interaction is a recent conference of scientists sharing ecological problems and insights and fostering a common vision of the future.
33. Local global polarity appears where man experiences the demonstration of his actual interrelatedness with another part of the cart. To enable this, local man needs concrete demonstrations of the global ways he is involved. When he sees this, then he is able to build the models and demonstrate global consciousness within focal community.
34. Never before in history has the possibility of building the globallocal society been so near at hand. Signs of this are seen in the political, economic and cultural arenas. In the political arena are such signs as: the opening of China; international road signs; lifted travel restrictions, United Nations; trade agreements; nuclear arms limitations; and the growing voice of small nations (Viet Nam). Seen in the economic arena are: multinational corporations; European common market; appeal of foreign imports; exchange of agriculture and the sharing of technology. Manifestations in the cultural arena are the sharing of music, art, dance; ethnic clothing and the interest in languages. This present possibility of the Ecumenical Parish has been built on historical manifestations of globallocal community, such as the Red Cross and Church World Service, which point to the possibility of universal care structures which are locally enabled;
THE DEFINITUDES
Summer '73
Research Assembly
First Week
Friday
THE FRAME OF THE GUILD: THE ECUMENICAL PARISH July 6, 1973
page 8
THE DEFINITUDES
IY. LOCAL / GLOBAL POLARITY
SHATTERED
PAROCHIALISM
or the pioneering traders who brought global gifts of civilizations to local communities; or the apostles who were sent out to the globe to release local man to live authentically on behalf of the world.
35. When the Local community has an intensified awareness that it is individually related to the global situation, parochialism will be shattered. This conscious awareness of the significance of local identity in relation ti the global context, creates as enriched colorful backdrop to the human drama. This diverse theater allows the release of depth human care into concrete actualization.
Summer '73
Research Assembly
First Week
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GUILD
SPACE
MOTIVITY
RELEASE
EMPOWERING
DYNAMICS
RESOURCE
ENABLEMENT
36. When it becomes clear that a revolutionary group is being called forth to stand within the breech of collapsing secular and religious forms it is then the guilding dynamic cares for the least of the _ brethren on behalf of the total society. Today the institution not the individual is autonomous. The general situation is that man is not concerned with those outside his immediate circle and does not want to be involved in people's burdens. When secular and religious forms in a specific area do come under critical judgment by human values, they are a sign of possibility that man can care structurally for all men. The price of integrity in such a situation is to be responsible day after day for transforming a particular space on behalf of the whole globe. Such care is manifested when one humanizes a hotel lobby so that it becomes neither trashy nor sterile but a place where human needs are fulfilled. Without comprehensive responsibility man retreats into the private sphere while Rome tumbles down round about him.
37. Motivity release radically projects the human talent within a prescribed geo-social area to nurture, plan, and coordinate the maintenance and realization of humanness. Motivity release coordinates the nurturing of physical and spiritual existence in communities to build a fuller life both locally and globally. This dimension would be released by gathering and assigning the potential cultural and political leaders of the parish to serve human needs. This dimension of the ecumenical parish captures the *alerts, skills, and resources of all leadership within the community to build a model for the care of all people within a political part of the globe and to live out of that model on behalf of all mankind.
38. Empowering Dynamics is the interchange and coordination of each dynamic of society political, economic, and cultural. It is the enablement of action through various means of communication, especially through symbol usage. It provides inter-social spirit nurture as well as an exchange of information and methodology. For example, festival celebrations provide ethnic groups the opportunity for exposure to customs and practices not common to each other.
39. The natural and manmade resources of an ecumenical parish must be developed and utilized to enable the timely release of motivity, empowering of dynamics, and actualizing of humanness by the guild. All Physical resources are potential instruments for carrying out the mission. For example, this requires the coordination of available facilities as missional resources. Physical resources are illustrated by parish meeting places and nodes.
V.
THE DEFINITUDES
THE OPERATING ARENA OF THE GUILD
Summer '73
Research Assembly
First Week
Friday
THE FRAME OF THE GUILD: THE ECUMENICAL PARISH July 6, 1973
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ACTUALIZING HUMANNESS
AST PRIMAL ARENAS
ARENA AS STAGE
V`.
THE DEFINITUDES
THE OPERATING ARENA OF THE GUILD
40. The fourth dimension of the operating arena of the guild of the ecumenical parish is the actualizing of humanness in society today. he objective is to provide a structure for the release and channeling f human creativity and is analogous to releasing and channeling of the energy in nuclear fission. Actualizing humanness would entail the organizational of existing and emerging forms of activity within the parish to bring about the formation of primal community. An illustration would be a community collegium meeting regularly to deal with immediate and longrange problems and possibilities for the parish.
41. In light of the present dichotomy between secular and religious t is instructive to review some periods in history when there was a more holistic view of life. Primal community has only existed hen such a comprehensive view has been held. One such period was the early Middle Ages when monasticism provided the total care of its community as well as serving as a model for the rest of society. another example was the medieval guild which, although it was rooted n assuring quality craftsmanship, included the spiritual and physical are of its member. Still late in history came 1he primal community forwarded by the pioneers of Frontier America. They were bound by both dependence upon each other and their religious convictions regarding the sharing of economic, vocational and social struggles to build the future.
42. In the analogy that follows, the operating arena i. the theater. he guild represents the cast. The secularreligious confrontation s the drama. All of these elements are necessary. The guild is the vehicle that engages social structures. Another way to put this is the operating arena of the guild is the stage for the drama of confrontation between the secular and the religious to recreate the global within the local community. Without dehumanized social structures there would be no need for a guild or without the theater there would be no place for a cast to perform. The guild dynamic is necessary if social structures are to remain human.
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First Week
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THE DEFINITUDES
VI. THE RELIGIOUS OVERLAY ON HUMAN SETTLEMENT
INTENTIONAL ACTION
ENGAGING SECULAR MAN
AWAKENING SECULAR MAN
TRANSFORMING SECULAR COMMUNITY
43. Finally, the Ecumenical Parish is further defined by the Religious Overlay on primal human settlement. Every man is concerned for his neighbor but how can he act out this care? Every man dances to some tune about life, but how does he begin to dance the one dance before all of life? Every man yearns to get his particular gifts into history, but how is it that he is allowed to intentionally decide his role in relation to the community? The historical church has always understood itself to be the catalyzing agent of the primal passion for life that exists in every man. The church's task is to find new ways to release again that passion. This is done by means of the ecclesiola dynamic acted out across the parish; the provision of secular spirit methods to release man to love his neighbor in a new way; the creation of an intentional myth and symbol system to allow each man to know what he stands far; and the provision of community/church responsibility structures that would allow man to release his gifts into the community.
44. The image of the secular worship study task construct provides a religious, overlay for the meetings of the Ecumenical Parish, creating the dimension of a parish ecclesiola dynamic. This enables him to engage in responsible tasks of the community as illustrated in the traditional town meeting.
45. To illuminate everyday life situations and events until they become astransparent as a polished window, secular spirit methods are devised.. These allow local man to see the meaning and purpose of his everyday 1ife, thus expanding his context of the community and parish. One such methodology
46. Human settlement is transformed into a primal community by common history, destiny, meaning, and relationship to other communities and to the world to allow the community to reappropriate its past and move into the future, grasping anew its destiny. It is necessary to incorporate an intentional myth/symbol system into the community. This is created by appropriating an inclusive community story including economic, political and cultural dimensions, and merging these with its vision of the future to allow the community to understand who it is and where it is going. This is shown in the people of San Francisco who, following the earthquake and fire in the early twentieth century, created the story/symbol "out of the ashes" which released them to move into the future.
is to spin and explode the nittygritty on a street corner, on a bus, overthecounter or anywhere so that local man suddenly sees new possibility, and mission for the parish is expanded. Another relevant secular method would be the song conversation, where, after a brief spin, a key question pushes through to the depthhappening of the song.
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THE FRAME OF THE GUILD: THE ECUMENICAL PARISH July 6, 1973
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THE DEFINITUDES
VI. THE RELIGIOUS OVERLAY ON HUMAN SETTLEMFNT
COMPREHENSIVE OVERLAY
47. The church dynamic in the Ecumenical Parish holds the practical vision, servanthood style, and pedagogical methods which enable engagement. The structures are then created to release every man to pick up the task of caring for his community and, therefore, the world. These dynamics and structures enable one mission with a common vision, sharing its wisdom and resources. Such interaction and mutual support can be see in the American Friends Service Committee.
48. Historical manifestations of religious overlay on human settlement have determined the style and rhythm which has been acted out within that community. An example of this is the laws pertaining to the observance of the Sabbath in both Hebrew and Christian communities. In keeping with the traditions, the cow is still revered and protected by Hindus, even in the midst of starving cities. In a time of confusion about the religious overlay, the human settlement experiences conflict, such as the anxiety over the place of religion in state supported schools. Thus, viewed historically, the religious overlay gives form to the decisions which shape the social structures of a community.
49. The Religious Overlay on the primal human settlement is basic to the enablement of the Ecumenical Parish. The parish is not sustained in its task unless it is held before futuric vision, inclusive care and a releasing story. The implication of the Religious Overlay on human community is that men may grasp that they have the possibility of saying 'yes' to all of life; may engage significantly in creating the future; and may embrace the awe and mystery in life.
Summer '73
Research Assembly
First Week
TRADITIONS OF HISTORY
ENABLING SECULAR MAN
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July 6, 1973
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THE NEW EARTH
MISSIONAL DYNAMIC
UNITY AND PLURIFORMITY
ENGAGEMENT ARENA
MEANING GIVER
THE DEFINITUDES
VII. THE IMPLICATIONS
50. No longer need we experience our civilizations a doomed to extinction as others have been in the past. No longer need we respond to the cries of those who suffer by frantically giving first aid or standing frozen before the overwhelming possibilities. No longer need we pretend that problems will just og away if we just wait a little longer. The Ecumenical Parish has emerged as that sign of what can be done to radically change the glove. It's five definitudes spotlight the arenas we will struggle to create. The new man is giving his life to die. The new church is seen as the style setter. The new earth is at hand.
LOCAL CARE
GLOBAL VISION
51. When local man can tell the story of the significance of his life he is given back vocation as mission to civilization. Every local man will have the possibility for this resurgence of humanness through his local sociality. Every local man will live as the chaste one in the midst of responding to the multitudinous demands.
52. There will be no 1984 with faceless, spiritless puppet men when the tension between unity and pluriformity is present in the Ecumenical Parish. Creativity and invention dependent as they are on tension and imbalance will blossom forth from every man and humanness will be continually recreated.
53. Each local man can now realize that he is indeed the unique building block of global humanness as he stands accountable to his local situation. The world will be cared 1'or by the models built by local man out of his wisdom about everyman's problems. He will see the new world he created.
54. The decision of the Ecumenical Parish to assume responsibility for its specific sector of the globe guarantees that there will be no spot on earth without comprehensive care structures, Modern mobile man will accept assignments whenever he's needed, knowing that he will be cared for and can participate in caring for others. Life will be lived as whole with secular and religious insights enabling accountability for total engagement.
55. Every expression of humanness, past and present will be welded into the new myth that will direct the course of the future. Man will experience his power to redirect history while standing before the mystery that gives him that power. The awe of showing, up as man will be illuminated that this showed-up-ness w111 be experienced as a gift.
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THE FRAME OF THE GUILD: THE ECUMENICAL PARISH
Friday
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GUILD
FRAMEWORK
VII.
THE IMPLICATIONS
56. The guild as the radicalizing core of the Ecumenical Parish can now grow and develop to fruition as does the seed when planted in the rich moist earth. The requirements for its seed bed are now defined and available. We can decide where and when to plant in order to change the face of the globe.