Sep 25, 2011
Posted by Justin Mulwee in Reforming the Church, The Virtuous Life | 10 Comments
Critique Our Monastery Manifesto
So, my friend Rachel and I want to start a monastery in the near future. Yep, a monastery. We just finished writing the rough version of a manifesto, and we’d appreciate it if you took a look at it and offered comments/criticisms before we go distributing a final version. What we’d most like to know is:
- Is it fairly clear what our intentions are?
- Is it clear why we’re doing it?
- Any criticisms or suggestions for the model as it’s presented here?
Download the PDF and tell is what you think: Monastery Manifesto
You may also want to google “new monasticism”.
Lovely.
Love it.
Justin,
The idea is great. Are you seriously considering it? Very recently I have been visiting the brothers at Alton Abbey and hope to spend more time with them in the future.
These thoughts are off the top of my head (so there may be other important things to consider that I have missed so I would definitely visit existing communities and not just talk to them but get to know them over a period of time).
As you attached the Sermon on the Mount it is difficult to critique your idea from a Christian perspective but if you asked a businessman about the idea his first question would be, what will be your main source of income? If your answer makes him laugh you would need to be sure that he was wrong to laugh. That means you have asked and answered questions like:
1. Has God put it in your mind or is it your idea and how do you know?
2. Have you prayed about it?
3. Do you and those who will join you have the faith that will overcome all the difficulties and obstacles and how do you know?
4. Are you and those who will join you living that life now or do you expect a radical change in your devotion after you start?
5. How will your community differ from existing urban mixed monastic communities?
6. Will the differences make it better or worse?
7. What will be the mission? Only evangelism? Monastic communities have existed to offer retreat and spiritual direction and guidance to believers who have less time to devote to God.
8. Why monastic? Would it be OK if individuals or couples within the community wanted to get married and have kids?
Also you need to think about what you mean by likeminded. It may not necessarily mean you can work together. You would assume that existing monastic communities are likeminded being not only Christians but also members of the same monastic order but living together is a different matter. You and I may be likeminded in our ideas and ideals but if I raid the fridge 24-7 or another does not get out of his room till early afternoon everyday how are we going to work together? How would you deal with a member like that? The Sermon on the Mount style solution is that he should rise early because he loves God and can’t wait to get to Morning Prayer to praise him thank him and pray (just as he rose at midnight to praise him for his righteous judgments Ps 119:62). Even though he joined your community because he loves God, how can you make him love God enough to overcome his sloth? Your first tenet says you will hold each other accountable. How exactly will you hold this brother accountable? Bear in mind you love him and he would take a bullet to save your life and he too agrees it is unacceptable but the door still opens at 2.00pm every day. If you put sanctions on him or threaten to dismiss him and this works, would it change the ethos of the community since the ideal is that his love for God not fear of your sanctions should motivate him? Will it make him love God more and therefore get out of bed for the right reason? Realistically I think you might need rules and sanctions but what effect will they have on the spirit of your community?
These are just some things to think about and not intended to put you off. I think if the answer to the first question above is God, and you know it, then you will work things out.
John, thanks for the input. Good questions, I will answer a few.
Yes, I’m seriously considering this. More strongly, it’s what I’m going to do unless God points me in some other direction.
First off, God has not told me to do this, as far as I can tell. Neither did God tell me to go to college, or to develop my writing talents, or start the Blackbird Press, or to move to the city I currently live in, yet God has been there in all of them. I used to often ask God what he wanted me to do with my life, and a few years ago I got an answer which was essentially, “I’m never going to tell you ahead of time. Stop asking.”
When God tells me to do something specific, I had best do it, but it usually doesn’t work that way. The rest of the time I look to the passions and abilities God gave me, use my brain, and make a choice. Yes, I have prayed about it, and I would say God has been supportive and encouraging throughout all this. Planning this monastery is my next step and it feels like the right one.
Whatever obstacles we encounter I’m confident that God will see us through them and make us better people for it. If that’s what you mean by faith, then I have plenty. Since Jesus made promises about what God can do with a mustard seed, I think we’ll be okay.
I do plan to investigate some other communities and ask their advice on how they do things.
As for all of the logistical questions, it should first be clear that the “manifesto” you just read intentionally avoids talking about logistics, because it’s more of an ideological explanation for outsiders of what we’re doing. The nuts and bolts will likely be a separate, longer document for those who actually join. A few of the logistics we’ve thought about and have worked out, but most of them we don’t yet. Part of that is we need to do things in the proper order. Rachel and I need to recruit the right people, and then we will all sit down and decide logistics that we can all agree on, one by one.
I’ll only say that yes, there will be rules and regulations. It’s a monastery, after all.
“Too many rules will scare some people off,” one said.
“That’s the point,” I replied.
It sounds like you two have a good approach to this. I am interested in how you get on and will include you in my prayers.
Thanks for the encouragement, and for giving us some things to think about.
Hey,
I read BlackBird off and on and I have to say that this looks pretty solid. It’s very clear what you’re doing in the manifesto.
I have a few questions though.
1. What is the work of the Spirit in you monastery? I ask because I’ve seen manifestos like this which isn’t a bad thing. It’s a fantastic thing! I love this model for the church! But I rarely see any emphasis on the work of the Spirit that empowers us to be witnesses (Acts 1:8). And this is not just about about gifts but in actually living out the Sermon on the Mount, when need to be empowered by grace with strength through God’s Spirit. And what about the distribution of gifts? Some teach, some heal, some prophesy, etc. And apostleship, and pastoring flocks.
2. Do you know what kind of leadership will be in place if the community of believers grows? And how will these gifts come into play (1 Cor. 12 and Ephesians 4:11) I agree that the model to which we use these isn’t very affective but will you incorporate them in the monastery?
3. Will you partner with local bodies in your area? I think one of things that is most helpful that many small communities do not do is partner with other believers whether it be breaking bread, liturgy, singing songs, feast or festivals or communion. Many tend to surround themselves with themselves which is rarely ever good.
Hey Cameron. I’ll attempt to answer.
1. Good question. It’s perhaps not as evident in the manifesto as it should be, but reliance on the Spirit is a big priority. We’re emphasizing prayer, and part of that is the belief that God answers prayer, as in he not only provides for us but actually speaks to us and influences our thoughts and feelings.
2. We have discussed this, though nothing is set in stone yet. The tentative structure (for now) is simply that, regardless of who we recruit or how many, Rachel and I must discuss and come to an agreement on all major decisions. We’re similar enough that this is easy, and different enough that the other person is always insightful. I say “regardless of who we recruit” but the above structure is likely to change depending on what others bring to the table.
3. Yes. As we said, believers should act more like a family — and that includes other groups, sects, churches. We are all siblings in Christ, and when you live by your family you ought to spend time with them.
Cool.
Grace and Peace on your journey to building the kingdom.
You rock! Good luck with your endeavor. I’m doing something similar down in Houston. I’m not sure how anyone can claim to be spiritual in our present day and time without some “drawing back” from the selfish consumerism that is strangling our society.