Ireland:
Monastic Cities and Resource Banks of Today's Liquid Church.
Notes of an address by Ray Simpson, Founding Guardian of the international Community of Aidan and Hilda, to The Ecumenical Christian Fellowship in the West of Ireland, Nenagh 6 October 2013.
Joc asked me to speak about Cities of God. I suspect the use of the term ‘city’ to describe the early Irish monastic settlements came later, from the Latin civitatem and the 10th century French cite. The link between these early communities and the fellowships and networks that are arising in Christian circles today is perhaps the idea of citizenship, or some sense of common ownership.
Many of the Irish monasteries founded between the 6th – 9th centuries had spaces for:
Praying
Sleeping,
Guests
Eating
Learning
Art
Work in fields
Work as artisans (pottery, milling, spinning)
Mentoring
Health care
Although 21st c market forces have replaced 7th century Irish tribal forces, when enough people long for something they can accomplish it through whatever forces are currently in play. Changing trends in society require churches that are more than the single-building Sunday-only congregations such as we have had in recent centuries. Globalization and mass communication enable the rise of what has been termed ‘the liquid church’. This fluidity enables separate entities to flow together, the parts to coalesce with a greater whole.
* A twenty four hour society calls for seven day a week churches.
* A cafe society calls for churches that are eating places.
* A travelling society calls for churches that provide accommodation.
* A stressed society calls for churches that provide spaces for retreat and
meditation.
* A multi-choice society calls for churches that have a choice of styles and
facilities.
* A fragmented society calls for holistic models.
* An eco-threatened society calls for more locally sustainable communities.
So networks like this are arising that identify needs and develop resource banks. These resources can come together on a web site. But wholeness and relationship between people and neighbourhoods are also part of God’s purpose. Can existing church structures embrace this vision?
Until recently Ireland’s (Roman) Catholic churches were world beaters in linking schools, hospitals, boxing clubs – you name it – with the church. But as we all know the forces of secularization,in part speeded by lapses in good church practice are greatly reducing that. The Church of Ireland (although its members might argue that it was right to stand up to wrong practices in the papacy), ceased to be the church of the people, and was perceived by the majority of the population to impose colonial clergy and practices, even banning the use of their own language. But now is an opportunity to say sorry for this temporary, albeit long aberration, to unlock the churches for prayer and use by people of goodwill throughout the locality seven days a week.
Churches of all denominations, where opportunity allows, can do things such as:
Advertise B&B by members on their web sites
Use spare land as a skateboarding facility for local youngsters
Turn under-used properties into retreat, spirituality or resource centres
Offer meditation and mentoring classes
Create pilgrim routes
Organise local food co-operatives
Invest in community vegetable gardens
The Focolare movement has ‘Little Cities’ in many countries. Loppiano, near Florence, is perhaps the best known. It currently has a population of 800 of whom 70 come from the 5 continents: students and teachers, professionals and workers, artisans and farmers, young people and entire families, priests and men and women religious, members of various Christian denominations and other religions: a prototype of a new kind of society based on the evangelical law of love. Each year an average of 40 thousand visitors pass through Loppiano.
The major ancient monastic sites that attract many pilgrims can creatively interweave living spirituality with history. Thus ‘God’s Cottage’ recently opened at Glendalough, the Bookshop recently opened at Clonmacnoise, and retreat houses have opened within reach of some sites. Why can’t churches on or near these sites offer a placement to a young person who will keep them unlocked, talk to pilgrims, offer daily prayer services, and generate income from donations and purchases?
Values of Cities of God’ and New Networks
- Creation is good.
- Each person has something of God in them.
- God is in the everyday.
- Blessing is important.
- Openness of heart and love of God and one another free from domination.
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