From the Fellowship of New Skete in Portland

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By Barbara  Eng

Being challenged by Br. Stavros to be patient, the Fellowship of New Skete in Portland, Oregon, is preparing their annual retreat to discuss several ideas that surfaced during his September visit. Originally conceived in 2006, the Fellowship has “formed, stormed, normed, and performed,” following the classic life of any community. The question before us is “Now what?”

Br. Stavros arrived and was greeted by rain, an old Portland tradition, but being hardy he joined John Benson and Rod Kilcup, two other adventurers, for a hike at Silver Falls State Park. Other members walked through nearby Oregon Gardens or took advantage of the quiet house made available to us.

After a common meal we discussed our questions: What’s happening at New Skete? How can we keep in touch with New Skete and continue to deepen our relationship with the community when we are so far away? How can we deal with the difficulty of finding appropriate spiritual direction? In what ways should we expand as a community? And exactly when should we visit New Skete next year? This was a time to frame the questions we would tackle on the next day.

On Saturday we gathered with others at St. Nicholas Orthodox Church to join in a day of fasting and prayers for peace.  Afterwards, at the Grays’ house, we checked in with each other about what was happening in our own lives, followed by Br. Stavros leading us in Lectio Divina. Next was a simple brunch, and then we got down to business.

Suggestions included creating a group site on the internet like Google Circles or Facebook to further communication, sharing in the common lectionary of New Skete to provide a sense of unity, scheduling a day of reflection to write letters of personal evaluation about our spiritual lives, and planning an anniversary celebration to mark our commitment to one another, New Skete, and our Lord. We also set a target date for our New Skete visit next fall with great anticipation.

As we gather in retreat this month, we are thankful for this long bumpy journey of togetherness. And all of us agree that there is nothing like a face-to-face visit to strengthen and encourage the bonds of community between the Fellowship and New Skete.

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