Examine Covenant As an Expression of Our Spiritual Journey

Time Frame:
60-90
minutes / Theme: Covenant as Journey- Part one
FACILITATOR’S NOTESare italicized / Suggested Techniques / Questions/Materials
2 min. / Objectives:
Participants will:

• Examine Covenant as an expression of our spiritual journey
• Examine certain components of the journey

10 min. / Ice breaker (Optional):
Choose one based on time allowed or

• Give each participant a sheet of paper that is of the same size.
• Explain clearly that participants will be given a set of instructions to carry out and that the instructions are to be followed precisely. The only two rules are that they are not allowed to ask questions and they are to follow the instructions with their eyes closed.
• State the instructions: 1) Fold the paper in half. 2) Rip off a corner. 3) Fold in half again. 4) Rip off a corner. 5) Fold again. 6) Rip off a corner.
• Have them open their eyes and compare their “design” with others. You can adapt this to a mixing activity by having everyone mingle looking for designs that are very close to their own.
• Point: One-way communication is never as effective as two-way; it gives different results.

/ Lead group through ice breaker activity / Sheet of paper for each participant
5 min. / Opening Prayer:

• Play Come to the Circle by J. Coleman and then
• Invite a person to read from the Aims in our Charter: I, 4: “In a divided world, L’Arche wants to be a sign of hope. Its communities, founded on covenant relationships between people of differing intellectual capacity, social origin, religion and culture, seek to be signs of unity, faithfulness and reconciliation.”

/ pray / John Coleman CD titled “Slow Action of Love” and Charter of L’Arche
10 min. / Overview of the theme:
Briefly state what you’ll be talking about: Covenant as Journey. Read the following two statements:

• Belonging and relationships evolve. The covenant is a journey where we become more conscious that God is hidden in the most vulnerable people in our own community.
• The journey is about learning and growing.

/ Ask what they understand this to mean. / Resource: 11 Spiritual Themes of L’Arche outlined on p. 9 of A Learning Guide for the Spirituality of L’Arche.
5-10 min. / Review of Participant’s expectations:
Review your objectives for this formation and invite participants to share any expectations or questions they may have about the theme / Brainstorm
5-10 min. / Setting the Scene: briefly highlight the following points:
Have someone read: “When we speak about the covenant in L’Arche it is better to speak about ‘our covenant’ rather than ‘The Covenant’. Our covenant is not a permanent state of life we are striving to enter, rather it is a journey. This journey has an important corporate and communal aspect but it flows from a personal call from God and union with God.”
My covenant in L’Arche is deeply linked to the following ideas/values:

• We are on a journey with God and together
• It is an inward journey and a relationship journey
• The core person is our teacher
• It is a journey to deepen in our mission, and a call to unity and communion

/ Have a person read from page 4 & then state the bullets and ask if there are any comments or any questions. / A Covenant in L’Arche booklet pg. 4
15 min. / Brief Talk: Make the following points to get us thinking about Covenant in L’Arche:

• Covenant implies we are on a journey with God and with each other
• We walk together in incredible beauty and incredible pain
• L’Arche is founded on pain. The pain of our people!
• Ask: What is the pain of our people?

(People may name rejection, disability, physical, psychological, being misunderstood, a lack of self acceptance, loneliness. )

• Covenant implies the Holy Spirit is with us on the journey as God promised to establish a covenant with all living creatures
• We learn about covenant in our daily lives
• It is a call to growth
• We are in L’Arche in order to deepen our covenant ( our primary vocation) to respond to a call from God

/ Give the talk and then ask for feedback
20 min. / Covenant as a journey: Have someone read from Covenant in L’Arche, page 4&5, section II: Covenant as a journey- the first paragraph:
“Belonging and relationships evolve. The covenant is a journey where we become more conscious that God is hidden in the most vulnerable people in our own community but also in our neighborhood and in those parts of our own being where we are weak and vulnerable. It is the people with disabilities in our community who show the way, call us to open our hearts and to grow in compassion, wisdom and trust in God; who heal our hardness and lead us to Jesus. There is a constant “pruning” that we die to our false selves in order to bear more fruit. So covenant is not a destination, but rather a way in which we sense that God is calling us to grow. It a journey into trust, humility and littleness.”
Invite people to write for 5 minutes on the following questions:

1. Where am I being pruned and called to grow?
2. How do I become conscious of God hidden in the most vulnerable? Do I believe it?
3. Do I have a story that reflects my journey into trust, humility or littleness?

For 10 minutes, have people share in pairs or in threes
In the plenary group ask people for any insights, learning, etc… / Read;
write;
discuss in pairs;
share in large group / A Covenant in L’Arche
Booklet

Closing:
Remind people there will be a part two of this topic. Thank people for their participation. You could give everyone footprints to remind them of their journey
5 min. / Evaluation:
Ask each participant to share:

• What am I thankful for from today’s formation?
• What did I learn?

/ Go around the circle or shout out / popcorn style

Charter Quote for Prayer (Aims, I, 4):

In a divided world, L’Arche wants to be a sign of hope. Its communities, founded on covenant relationships between people of differing intellectual capacity, social origin, religion and culture, seek to be signs of unity, faithfulness and reconciliation.

Handout for Covenant as Journey

“When we speak about the covenant in L’Arche it is better to speak about “our covenant” rather than “The Covenant”. Our covenant is not a permanent state of life we are striving to enter, rather it is a journey. This journey has an important corporate and communal aspect but it flows from a personal call from God and union with God. My covenant in L’Arche is deeply linked to the covenant journeys of my brothers and sisters in L’Arche for the mission, but it remains my vocation, my journey.”

--A Covenant In L’Arche (An expression of our spiritual journey) – April 1999

“Belonging and relationships evolve. The covenant is a journey where we become more conscious that God is hidden in the most vulnerable people in our own community but also in our neighborhood and in those parts of our own being where we are weak and vulnerable. It is the people with disabilities in our community who show the way, call us to open our hearts and to grow in compassion, wisdom and trust in God; who heal our hardness and lead us to Jesus. There is a constant ”pruning”, that we die to our false selves in order to bear more fruit. So covenant is not a destination, but rather a way in which we sense that God is calling us to grow. It is a journey into trust, humility and littleness.”

--A Covenant In L’Arche (An expression of our spiritual journey) – April 1999