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"Family monasticism" may seem like an odd phrase. When we hear the word "monastery," we usually think of words like quiet, old, monks, nuns. But at the heart of monasticism is a people striving to live in rhythm with God. Monastics are people who don't just "do church" but they "are church."
Tim & Chamie Delkeskamp, who lead Raising Micah's Core Community, were captivated by the monasteries they explored with their young children while in England and France. They studied the rise and fall of the European monasteries and learned of monks and nuns who practiced radical hospitality, healing of body and soul, prayer and worship, study of scripture coupled with study of the world around them, and service to those in need. The Delkeskamp's also spent a week in the ecumenical monastic community in Taize, France (www.taize.fr). In Taize, their days were punctuated with prayer and grounded in simplicity. When they returned to the United States, the Delkeskamp's visited Benedictine monasteries as well as visited communities practicing "new monasticism."
Family monasticism is about being a "domestic church." It does NOT mean leaving the "gathered church" - church bodies and worshipping communities. It means instead to see the home as a starting place for the bigger church. Wendy Wright, professor of Christian spirituality at Creighton University, says this in her book Sacred Dwelling: An Everyday Family Spirituality, "This way of viewing family as domestic church could have profound consequences for the larger gathered church if the wider body truly began to learn from families what it means to be Christian community. Perhaps church as 'the professionals doing for the non-professionals' or church as 'committees that direct programs,' or church as 'fix-it shop for crises' or church as 'social club' might give way to a renewed vision of Christian community."
One of our hopes with Raising Micah is to help families see that they "are church." But we also want to help families connect with other families as they strive to help each other walk in the way of Jesus and live in "monastic" or holy rhythms. We are not exactly sure what "family monasticism" looks like, but we are eager learners and seekers. Our beginning thoughts are this...
- Family monasticism is about helping individual families see themselves as "domestic church."
- It's about helping families connect with other families as they walk in the way of Jesus.
- It is not necessarily about families living in the same house - or even neighborhood - but living near and with each other and being willing to share their lives together in new and deep ways.
- It means families being willing to hold each other accountable - to be honest with each other - about our good days and bad days... about helping each other live in good stewardship, in fidelity in marriage and celibacy in singleness, in thoughtfulness and service to others, in simplicity, in prayer and worship, in playfulness and joy...
Currently we're reading Esther de Waal's Living in Contradiction: An Introduction to Benedictine Spirituality (centuries ago St. Benedictine wrote "The Rule" - gave guidance - to those living in Christian rhythm) and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove's New Monasticism. We also recommend David Robinson's The Family Cloister. |
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