TSSF Gathering, 2010: Feedback Q4,5,6

Q4: What has arisen for you, personally?

Q5: What has arisen, for you, for TSSF in Scotland?

The feedback responses to these two proved to be best merged. I have identified a small number of basic themes which came frequently; then I looked at all the responses related to each theme and have reported them using actual quotations most of the time. Where responses to Q6 belong here I have included them and, similarly, things here more

Appropriate to Q6 have been included there.

  1. Prayer/spirituality/scripture/Study
  2. Community – ourselves, TSSF
  3. Community – outside
  4. Renewal (Q4 only)
  5. Practical Action (Q5 only)
  1. Prayer/Spirituality/Scripture/Study

Several people spoke of prayer, their relationship with God and their (devotional) study of scripture.

For example,

Vocation is about “Being” not “Doing”. Affirmation of prayer as the focus in my life. I don’t need to worry about not doing as much as I did at age 22.

Need to deepen my prayer life, to be “rooted and grounded” in love and then live this in my daily life and contact with others.

Most people had enjoyed the CBS (though, the session on Friday evening was too long!). One person asked for more CBS in future and we heard of “understanding the need to read the bible with care and great thought” and “put more effort into scripture reading and study”. But, sadly, we failed to communicate the inclusiveness of CBS to one person who had a feeling of inadequacy and wrote “This area was not aimed at people without degrees or other higher qualifications”.

Some spoke of further understanding the gospel.

The relevance of our spirituality to everything else we do is clear; for example:

I am useless unless my light is good and true and Christ centred.

  1. Community – ourselves /TSSF

Several folk noted how good it was to put faces to the names we pray for regularly. Others moved further:

  • “The opportunity to meet with other Franciscans, to worship and study together and join together in prayer”.
  • Meeting fellow members of TSSF and …understanding some of their background and faith
  • It is the first real opportunity I have had to actually chat and get to know other tertiaries. I believe this is essential to understand where someone is coming from in discussions to know something about their life journey.

Several people spoke of renewal in their vocation, their sense of TSSF as a community and one reported a “new sense of commitment and delight in being a tertiary” and it “feels more like a community after the weekend”. . Changes occurred; for example:

Until the Gathering I was suspicious of all this talk of community; I was not a ” people person” anyway. But the support around me, the love – my Indaba group for instance – has been such that I am resolved to be loving to those around me, to my neighbour everywhere.

I hope we are moving from a dispersed set of individuals persevering with their respective rules towards a loving community (of amazing individuals). Therefore: if retreats are to be silent, let there be plenty of talking space and time between events.

It was wonderful that everybody was encouraged to join in discussion without feeling pressured. The Indaba pattern worked well.

It has been a step towards building a stronger more united Franciscan community. There is much more of the same needed.

But there was clear expression of the need “for further contact with other TSSF members in Scotland” and “to be more of a family”, “more of a community”. Perhaps we can “try and find a way of organizing local groups so that we can support and pray for and know each other”, “ have stronger, closer, more prayerful local groups – to sustain us all, to make us much more than the sum of our parts and then to send us out, if appropriate” and support each other “in undertaking “Franciscan action” in our communities”.

Also, the hope of more positive interchange between 3rd and 1st orders was expressed.

  1. Community – outside

Need to deepen my prayer life, to be “rooted and grounded” in love and then live this in my daily life and contact with others.

I have a renewed commitment to serve God in every person and to create harmony where it is lacking.

To simplify my life so that I REALLY do have time always for individual people who need my attention AND time for prayer/meditation.

I am resolved to be loving to those around me, to my neighbour everywhere.

I was so glad that Freda told us of Dorothy Borley’s contribution, her sage advice (please copy it into any post-exercise debrief).

For those who were not there, I reported what Dorothy had given me which was, I believe, prophetic. She reminded me of Ann Weatherill, a Scottish tertiary who had dedicated herself to the creation of a hospice in Edinburgh – and succeeded after 10 years. Dorothy said she had been reflecting on “Make ME a channel of your peace” and “I’m a Franciscan and I’m here for you” and asks “Do I do this?”. She wondered if we might offer listening friends to people in hospices, or elsewhere, who are without them. An offer of spiritual hospitality.

A simple example of spiritual hospitality was: “How about we open up our retreats to non-tertiaries “

  1. Renewal (Q4 only)

Though it was not a retreat, this Gathering brought renewal in many different ways as folk had “time to focus on what matters”. People wrote of renewed commitment, vision, encouragement, delight in our vocation, sense of community, hope, sense of purpose in prayer, study and work. For example:

Like all things with me “growth” is slow. The roots were well nourished and I realized as I went bout my chores on the following Monday That I was singing. I have gone on singing, more hopeful, more grateful, more embracing of the reality of lady poverty from choice.

  1. Practical Action (Q5 only)

Appoint an Action Group to be the dynamic and to coordinate and to carry forward ideas from the Gathering

We need much more of the same”.

Perhaps in the future it maybe possible to provide a programme of mutually agreed focus points to work together on taking into consideration the work of individual tertiaries across Scotland.

For TSSF in the Borders to introduce Indaba process.

Q6. What might we contribute to the life of Christ’s church in Scotland? Or to Christ’s life in Scotland?

Themes

  1. Spirituality, Prayer, A Living Example of Gospel Life
  2. Little things –playing our part within the Body
  1. Spirituality, Prayer, A Living Example of Gospel Life

One aspect of this was “our spirituality”,our “love, joy and humility”, that we might be “an anchor of prayer and connection with God amidst all the ‘doing’. “I hope we can exemplify the big picture – God’s grace to us all – to the church and beyond.”.

The second was concerned with our first aim; we must “stop looking inward and get out there and spread the word”, using words if necessary – we should be willing to “talk about our faith”. But actions are more important; we are called to “love one another and our neighbour (whoever they may be)”, “to realise (in all senses) our part in the church’s work of Community, Communion and Communication”; in all this we shall be “a living example” of the gospel life.

The third had to do with attentive listening and obedience. One person offered “Communicate, listen and be obedient” and another “attentive listening to each person beside whom we are planted; attentive listening to God. Then being ready to go wherever we are called”

  1. Little things –playing our part within the Body

Comments included:

Service, our prayers, our care and concern for people in need.

A steady commitment to prayer, study and work which I believe has a gentle yeast action and influences others in ways of which we may never be aware.

I was very struck by Br Damian saying that even 5 mins of extra prayer time each day could have great influence for good.

Being open to people – many small actions add up to community blessing.

Suggestions of things we could offer included

  • Prayer schools
  • Prayer witness
  • Spiritual Direction (not SSF based but open to all)
  • The need to extend our worship within our own churches.
  • Be A STRONG member of local church.
  • Talk to Bishops and offer the help and support of |TSSF.

It was impressive to see the frequent use of the words “our”, “we”. Clearly, people felt that, even when one tertiary acts by themselves, they are not alone but are part of the Franciscan family.

The need for visibility appeared here; for example “Open days etc a good idea”; we should tell people about TSSF, have leaflets in all churches.

Freda Alexander, May 2010