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A PLACE APART |
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a teaching community where all types of people can come for a time to break from the world and rediscover the new way of living introduced by Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit. |
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An open letter to the Church of the Brethren from A Place Apart THE MODEL Historically, does this all seem strangely familiar? It should. It very closely resembles the complexion of the Church of the Brethren 300 years ago! A Place Apart's role within the context of our denomination has been to be a model of reference of what followers of Jesus seek to become individually, as a community, as a world. A Place Apart's role within the greater context of the world and spirit, has been to give permission to not know, to seek freely without fear and to discover and gather clues as to what it will mean to be fully alive. Knowing we do not know begins the process of obtaining greater wisdom. We are not alone. Hundreds if not thousands of "A Place Aparts" while not so named, are quietly emerging throughout the world. To be sure, our denomination, our districts, our local churches, our camps, our colleges, our seminary, our programs for youth and adults have been a tremendous blessing to our lives. We do not just walk away from these institutions and ideas. The Church of the Brethren, the church local, national and international is our family. A Place Apart, born from this family, is a child of this family. We love our family, yet for the sake of our family we begin to form a new family. Related to what has been in the past, we are informed but no longer bound by it. The experience of living deeply and following the example and life of Jesus was never meant to be inherited; passed on from one generation to another. There are no second generation Christians. Indeed even the term Christians will dissolve into followers and seekers of Jesus. Each generation, each person must experience rebirth, becoming a new creation. It is possible that what will now emerge will show little resemblance to what has existed through the last one hundred years, rather more nearly resembling that which was emerging in our presence by our ancestors three hundred years ago. With our energy now being put into what we hope will be life giving to us, we most lovingly and respectfully have shared the above with you in the hope and belief it will be ultimately life giving to all. |
