path of formation...

Recently I have been taking time to reflect on the year, reflect on where the path I am walking is taking me.
There is a lot of talk of formation within my life. What does this even mean? I often find myself asking. I think one can not deny its a life long journey, and formation is going to happen at every corner, every stage and age of life. There is great beauty and richness in this, while at the same time that endless discerning sometimes leaves a sense of wanting to adapt to the modern culture of instant gratification or rather instant answers. 

I have come to the conclusion that at each avenue it means something different… here I live in a formation houses that is deeply challenged by intercultural and intergenerational living. There are challenges that rises daily with the very nature of living in a house with eight young women who are so different yet united together through their love for Christ. I have started to realise that essentially my part in this equation is to foster an environment of joy, of openness, of harmony and of easiness in terms of practicalities. Easy said than done, a lot of talking, talking in a dialogue that sometimes I realise that our Sisters don’t have. Dialogue happening on those hand held devices, sharing in experiences and joy of simply interacting and making fools of ourselves sometimes. There is a witness and showing vulnerability in the awareness that I am out of my comfort zone, or rather awareness of what the culture I am walking in. There is a response of eagerness to teach, share their culture, share the ways they have been taught and in return for me to express the delight in having this experience. Not displacing my own culture, even that been minority more so than the Irish culture that is minority yet holds a higher awareness purely given that many of the Sisters who live and been here are from Ireland. 

Formation is all about relationships and environment. This is my dangerous blank statement that has been simplified way too much. It is hard work, it is heavy work yet wow what work it is. It is like you get to water mustard seeds, by no means get to see the end result, yet get to stand next to the soil that you are aware of the nourishment occurring. It has taken me a lot to accept the reality that I am a bridge here. I can not deny it any longer the reality is in my face all too often. Sometimes I can feel the weight on the bridge, other times I am giving thanks for having my piles on very solid foundation. Moments I can sense there is fine road that holds me together, which I know it feels this way, yet the Lord makes this ten times wider than I can envision. Some days I feel the reality of the world I am living, the generation that I have grown up in, the time and place that my feet walk. The richness of the gift to be able to do what I am gifted, taught and at times empowered to do is only the Lords working. I would never envision my first year on pastoral experience would be formation, in a land that is so secretly living the gospel in a contradiction and parallax way. 

The larger picture of formation is that on a congregational level, where I have spent many meetings talking, openly trying to put into a box, offer insights and offerings of what this even means or looks like living in todays world. The church is breaking it’s walls and going to need reconstruction,  while other parts of the world the church on the surface seems to be all glory and praise while the cracks are starting to appear with discomfort. Apart of me feels its time we weave together all parts of the world, live as one community. Learn from the ways of the ‘west’ church and gift this awareness to the church that has not even thought or is so foreign to even comprehend that this could happen within their walls. Information is power, we need to share, we need to engage and find that language that gives understanding, awareness and acknowledgement of the signs of the time. We are no where near this stage yet… 

While I embrace the formation reality I am left praying for where the stepping stone is placed next. I pray that I have an environment that feeds into my intellectual need for conversations about life, spiritual life, the creative ability we hold to form new ways, form a future that is not that of institutional or a pure reflection of the past. Times are moving, sociology is essential to understand what is happening around us and in return ensure we have the skills, the ability to meet the needs of the people in a way that is wholeness and response from a Christ centre. After all, is this not what living as a Christian is about?… living in love, embracing each other to foster, nourish and bring to fullness what we each have been called to be. 

As we keep each other in prayer, may the Lord shine light on the path that will continue to guide us to creating the kingdom here and now, bring people to fullness as the Creator has made each of us to be. Exciting times ahead, uncertain interwoven with blessing, what a gift… 



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