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Can living life in community help us draw closer to God? “Come and see,” says Karen Sloan, Presbyterian pastor and author of “Flirting with Monasticism,” a book in which she takes readers through her personal journey with ancient Christian traditions. If the Blessed Mother/monasticism and Presbyterian traditions don’t seem like typical bedfellows, consider Karen’s background. She grew up actively involved in a mega church, serving in campus ministries, with the primary teaching that there’s one way to grow spiritually: Read Your Bible and Pray. Karen’s not disputing the importance of “read your Bible and pray” but in her experience, there wasn’t much help in learning how to do that. You were left to figure it out on your own-a sort of personal piety-and it was isolating and guilt-producing. Karen stumbled into practices that help her draw near to God through ancient traditions and common life with others. She’s calling others to experience these traditions which offer resources for people on their spiritual journey-resources like mentors, practices in drawing near to God, and living in community where those around you call you to live holistically-spiritually, physically, and socially building sustainability. Karen’s community is called Formation House. It’s located in a Pittsburgh neighborhood sandwiched between affluence and need, and residents live together, serve together, play together, practice ancient traditions together with layers of mentors and staff to help along the way. For more information on Formation House or to apply for a one-year cycle lived in the community, visit www.formationhouse.org.
Personal Reflections:
- What was your experience growing up as it relates to spiritual growth? How has your thinking on spiritual growth changed as you’ve experienced life?
- How do you live “in community” in your neighborhood? Are there one or two practices you can embrace to live holistically in your community-spiritually, physically, environmentally, socially?
Small Group or Staff Questions:
- Are we focused on individual growth or community living and how does that influence how we live out the gospel?
- What resource or practice can we try in our community to help each other go deeper in our relationship with God?
Resources:
- www.formationhouse.org
- Click here to APPLY to be a part of Formation House
- www.karensloan.net
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