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| 1680 - 373rd Avenue NE, Stanchfield, MN 55080
| 763-689-3540 (located 8 miles northwest of Cambridge, MN) |
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August 2003 Newsletter Poems for a Stranger Born
in Some Distant Country Poems for a Stranger Born in Some Distant Country I enjoy poetry. I love the poet’s turn of phrase, their window panes of metaphor through which I am invited to see stale reality afresh. Lines from poems often linger in my mind, burrow into subterranean memory only to emerge unexpectedly days, weeks, months later. One such line that has recently been popping out of the sediments of my memories to toy with my thoughts has been a line from a Mary Oliver poem. “I write poems,” she pens, “for a stranger who will be born in some distant country hundreds of years from now.” Some years ago I received a letter from a fellow who wrote to tell me that sermons he had heard me preach years earlier had led him to make a major change in his life. After college and law school he had joined a prestigious law firm out East. But his lucrative profession left him feeling hauntingly unsatisfied. So he had decided to leave the law firm, retool as a teacher and teach in a school for troubled boys. He said he was writing to thank me for my influence in leading him to this decision. I would have never known. I did not realize I had said anything for a “stranger who would be born in some distant country hundreds of years from now.” The ultimate joy of a labor is in its immeasurability—the mystery that what we set our heads, hearts, and hands to can be of more worth than its evident results. The story is told of three bricklayers who were asked what they were doing. The first replied, “Can’t you see, I’m laying bricks?” The second replied, “I’m helping build the walls of this building.” The third said, “I’m building a cathedral.” He evidently realized he was writing poems for a stranger who will be born in some distant country hundreds of years from now. None of us knows the ultimate outcome of our labors. Nor the ultimate outcome of our lives. All of us will touch strangers born in distant countries hundreds of years from now. The gold watch, the retirement party roast, the goals achieved, the obstacles hurdled, the degrees earned or awards draped around our necks—none of these are the measure of our lives. Dorothy Toll, a food-stamp welfare woman whose house hosted floodwaters whenever the Ohio River fattened beyond its banks was laid to rest without fanfare or a crowd of mourners. But she affected me in a way that has rippled over the banks of my life and touched others she would never know. Her life was poetry for strangers born in some distant country years after her own life. ARC began as a vulnerable dream over twenty-five years ago. I do not know if Ruth Halvorson, ARC’s founder, has ever thought of ARC in this way, but, truth be told, ARC, too, is a poem written for strangers born in some distant country hundreds of years from now. Could she have imagined the “strangers” who would come to ARC over the years? (It is relevant to ARC’s ministry that the Greek word for “stranger” is xenos from which we get our word “xenophobia” but which also means “guest” and, paradox layered on paradox, also means “host.”) Often guests, when asked, will report that they heard of ARC from a friend, an acquaintance, someone who mentioned it to them. One person’s experience touches another person. Thus does ARC write poetry for strangers born in distant countries hundreds of years from now. We are an impatient and quantifying culture. We’re addicted to the drug of immediate results. We’re chained to taking the measure of every little deed we do, every kindness we offer, every experience we have. Retreat itself is a respite from the dope, the chains. Sure, at the end of a retreat people may try to describe what they’ve “gotten from it.” A fresh perspective on life. Renewed sense of purpose. Rest and relaxation. Re-acquaintance with themselves. I’ve heard people say things like that. But I also know that what one receives from a retreat is ineffable. Attempts to name it, to lay the yardstick beside it ultimately stumble and fall. “I can’t begin to say….” guests often say in trying to tell what a retreat has meant for them. And how can they say when, more often than not, what was written in their souls in the course of a retreat is for a stranger in themselves whom they do not yet know, one yet to be born in some distant country of their lives down the road of time? I write these words after having completed my work as co-director of ARC. Last fall I had decided I would leave ARC sometime this year, a decision given a timetable after the ARC Board of Directors decided in January, for financial reasons, not to fund two co-directors past the middle of the year. I’ve been asked in recent weeks, “Did you accomplish what you wanted during your time at ARC?” I’ve asked myself similar questions. What traces have my footsteps left at ARC? We all want to know we’ve left a mark, carved our name where we did our duty. If, in our lives, we have been privileged to lay the cornerstone of some accomplishment, to have some achievements take root, the fitting response is to be humbly grateful. If we bloat our egos with such things, we reduce our lives to prosaic prose. God intends our lives, however simple or plain, to be the language of poetry. People are not the balance sheet of their accomplishments. We are all much more wondrous than that, much more mysterious, more ineffable than that. The gift we are to each other and to the world is poetry, not prose. To me the finest honor that can be paid to anyone is to say that he or she “wrote poems for strangers who will be born in some distant country hundreds of years from now.” When guests come to ARC, God writes poetry in them for a stranger yet to be born in a distant country in their souls. You too are the writers of poems. Your lives, graced by God’s work in you, are poetry. I am grateful for having known many of you in my five years at ARC. As I move on to another, as yet unknown work, I carry with me your poetry written for strangers born in some distant country hundreds of years from now. -- Dwayne Daehler As ARC says farewell to Dwayne this summer, we wish him well and express our gratitude for all the gifts he brought to ARC’s ministry. In June, we welcomed two new people to the ARC Community-- Debra Ricci and Sarah Verke. Debra is from St. Paul and has a doctoral degree in Adult Education. She previously had a 20 year career teaching Relational Communications and does technical writing for St. Thomas University. She has two grown children. Sarah, also originally from the Twin Cities, is at ARC for a summer internship through the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley where she’s pursuing a degree in Christian Ministry with a focus on Adult Spiritual Development and Retreat Ministry. In August Tracy Vicory will join the ARC Community. She is from Kansas and has spent the last year serving in Lutheran Volunteer Corp in Minneapolis following her graduation from Gustavus Adolphus College. Jerome Belanger, Becky Potter, and Chris Wolf will be staying on for another year, for which we’re especially grateful in this time of transition. Katherine Dutton has applied for the director position and is currently serving as Acting Director until the search process is completed. Mark your Calendars for the Annual ARC Benefit Event Saturday, Nov. 8, 2003, 7:30 p.m. Joan of Arc Church, Mpls. once again featuring the wonderful vocal and instrumental music of Hope Rising and a Silent Auction including handcrafted items, gift certificates, CD’s, and lots of other great stuff! ARC Garage Sale Sat., Sept. 13, 2003 at the home of former ARC Community members Susan Lorenz & Sherry Monson 735 S. Birch St. Cambridge, MN Delivered donations accepted during the prior week. Call ARC for more information: 763/689-3540. ARC Hosts Family Reunion This July ARC hosted a family reunion in honor of a couple’s 50th wedding anniversary. All their adult children, grand-children and even two great grandchildren were here along with a few other family members and friends. They spent the days singing together around the piano, playing games, sailing and swimming at a nearby lake, eating ARC’s good food, and generally enjoying each other and their time together. ARC is generally less busy in the summer than during the school/program year so keep us in mind for your family gatherings! We can accommodate 25 people or so, depending on how the sleeping space is used. Nurturing Body & Soul: A Bread Baking Retreat 7 pm Fri.-4:30 pm Sat, Sept. 19-20 It’s soul-satisfying to mix, knead, and bake your own bread. Join us for a time of baking, praying, reflecting, and walking in the woods. Registration is limited to six people-- our kitchen is only so big! Bring an apron. Led by Jerome Belanger, ARC Bread Baker Cost (includes ingredients): $80 The Journey through Grief 9 am Sat-Sun aft., Sept. 20-21 Integrate your grief from the death of a loved one into your life’s work. An opportunity to reflect on the passage of time (for this retreat, at least three years since the death). Participants will reflect on these questions: Is it possible to integrate the essence of your loved one into your life now, in new ways? How are you carrying forward the memories in a way that doesn’t deny the loss, but channels it into something life-giving? Where has the presence of the Holy One been in this movement of change and reorientation? Led by Julie Eckman, Spiritual Director & Grief Counselor Cost: $125 A Book Retreat Sponsored by the MN Women’s Press 7 pm Sun.-Tues. aft, Oct. 12-14 Each fall the Women’s Press holds several book retreats at ARC. After the first four retreats filled, this one was added. This years’ are on the theme, All History is Fiction. Books to be discussed are: Chorus of Stones by Susan Griffin, Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively, Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michael, Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks, and Dress Lodger by Sheri Holman. The book retreats feature lively discussions, intellectual stimulation, personal connection, good food, a restful setting, and lots of laughter. Call the Women’s Press at 651/646-3968 for more information or to register. Led by Glenda Martin A Time to Go Home 7 pm Fri-early aft. Sun, Nov. 21 - 23 Three aspects of going home will be explored: going home for God's sake, going home for one's own sake, going home for the sake of others. The time has come to rebuild healthy homes and neighborhoods. The renewal of American society requires the re-rooting of our lives, sending our roots deep into the soil of our faith and our family history for the sake of building healthy neighborhoods. You are invited to explore what that means in times of solitude and sharing with a small group at ARC. Led by Ruth and Loren Halvorson, ARC founders Cost: $155 Annual Silent Advent Retreat 7 pm Fri - early aft. Sun, Dec. 12 - 14 Annual New Year’s Eve Retreat 7 pm Weds-Thurs. aft, Dec. 31-Jan. 1 Private Retreats Individuals are always welcome at ARC for a time of personal retreat. This can be for any length of stay as space is available. Rooms are private. Guests may enjoy resting, reading, walking in the woods, or sitting in the midst of nature in our screened gazebo or deck porch. The hermitage, a single-person dwelling in the woods, lends itself to a more solitary retreat. It is a bright, lofty room with a kitchenette and screened-in porch. Also called Poustinia, which means ’desert space,’ it is a place where one may enter into the emptiness of isolation and silence to be encountered by God. The cottage is a cozy but luxurious cabin available to individuals, couples, or small groups. It has a full kitchen, bedroom, bath, large loft, deck, and a living room with a gas fireplace and an A-frame window wall. Give the Gift of a Retreat to Someone Who Really Needs It A recurring concern is how to make retreating accessible to people who may not be able to afford it. Consequently, we have started a program called A Gifted Retreat. We invite you to send ARC a donation to cover the cost of one or more 24 hour weekday retreats ($70). We will in turn pass a gift certificate on to people who can identify someone who would most benefit by it. For example, we might give the certificate to a pastor, therapist, group leader, or to an organization such as the Center for Victims of Torture, Minnesota Aids Project or Chrysalis Center for Women and they would then give it to a single parent, struggling client, recent immigrant, and so on. Feel free to let us know if you’d like your gift to go to a specific church or organization. You may use the response form below. Know that your gift will be greatly appreciated by the recipient. Wednesday Closings ARC is now closed on Wednesdays (Tues. after supper until Weds. after supper), unless we have a group retreat. Wednesday is ARC’s least used day of the week and by closing then we hope to accomplish two things: 1) to give the community members who live in the house a real Sabbath day in their own home, 2) to provide more staff coverage on the days we’re busier. For individuals who would like a time of private retreat mid-week, the hermitage and cottage remain open. ARC Director Search In a previous ARC newsletter, an announcement was made regarding the ARC Board of Directors' decision to move from a Co-Director model to a single Director model. A search committee is accepting applications through August 15, 2003 for this new full-time position of Director of ARC. Those interested are invited to direct their inquiries to: ARC Search Committee, c/o Dan Garnaas 756 Wellesley Ave. St. Paul, MN 55105 dgarnaas@msn.com A Unique Volunteer Opportunity Ever wonder what it would be like to live in community at ARC? Give it a try as a short-term volunteer! We continue to seek volunteers willing to make commitments of one to six months to help us in our ministry of hospitality. We offer room, board and a small stipend (if needed), as well as the chance to experience community life. We could also use volunteers able to make a half-day or day long regular, on-going commitment to ARC on a weekly, biweekly or monthly basis . We have a particular need for help with cooking, housekeeping and yard work. If you have an interest in either of these types of volunteer positions, please call us at 763/689-3540 or e-mail arcretreat@hotmail.com. THANKS! Hoped For Outdoor Wood Burning Furnace We would like to purchase an outdoor wood burning furnace to replace our current indoor model. This would be our primary source of heat for the main lodge. It would be much more efficient, safe, economical (in the long run), and far less labor intensive than the current system. The cost is $17,000 ($5,000 of which has already been contributed). We are seeking some contributions for this project but we don’t want it to detract from other gifts people may make which are needed for our operating expenses. If you would like to make a special gift to this project you may send it to ARC marked, “Furnace Fund.” Thank you. large pottery tea pot SOUL FEAST: An Invitation to the Christian Spiritual Life by Marjorie J. Thompson Book Recommendation by Sarah Verke If you are yearning to deepen your spiritual life, regardless of the place on your spiritual journey or your faith tradition, Marjorie Thompson’s book will meet you where you are and will invite you to explore a variety of ways to more purposefully “enter into a deeper expression of faith.” The book can be read as a spiritual practice, absorbing and integrating the information as you read, or in its entirety using it as a reference as you incorporate those practices most appropriate for your life. On the practical side, there are exercises and discussion questions, which can be adapted for individual and group experiences, as well as plenty of room in the margins to make notes for yourself. Soul Feast does not present the full range of spiritual practices but instead those that have “weathered the storm of time.” Additionally, the book is not intended to illustrate for the reader everything we ought to be doing to develop our spiritual life. It is merely an offering of possibilities. Each chapter presents a spiritual practice along with historical and theological background garnished with quotes from spiritual leaders representing a wide range of faith traditions. Thompson has arranged the book with a very logical and meaningful flow. The first chapter makes a case for the spiritual yearnings of our time. The next seven chapters present spiritual practices: spiritual reading, prayer, common worship, fasting, self-examination, spiritual direction, and hospitality. The final chapter puts it all together and assists in developing a “rule of life.” A reader may consider reading this chapter first to frame the information throughout the rest of the book and facilitate in absorbing it. The beautiful writing and meaningful content of this book drew me in and nurtured my desire to develop a purposeful way to more deeply connect with God. I intend to keep Soul Feast on my shelf for frequent referencing and expect that I will experience the fruits of this book in a variety of ways through the rest of my life. -- Recipe Corner -- Hermit Cookies 3 1/2 cups granola (either homemade or the co-op type, boxed granola may not work too well) 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. baking powder 1 cup canola oil, 1 cup honey 1 cup raisins plumped in 1 cup hot water Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Drain the raisins, reserving the water, and add them to the bowl together with the oil and honey. Mix together. Add water until you have a moist, stiff batter with no clumps. Drop in balls onto pan and press down with a fork or your palm. Bake at 350 for 14 minutes or until the edges begin to brown. Makes 5 doz. small or 3 doz. large cookies. (adapted from Br. Juniper’s Bread Book) And certainly and easily I can see How God might be one rose bud, One white feather in the heron's enormous, slowly opening wing. It’s after that it gets difficult. -- Mary Oliver What I wear is pants. What I do is live. How I pray is breathe . . . Up here in the woods the Word is seen. That is to say, the wind comes through the trees and you breathe it. -- Thomas Merton RETREATS: COSTS 24-Hr Retreat (Sun-Thurs)...........................................$70 24-Hr Retreat (Fri/Sat).................................................$75 Weekend Retreat (Fri eve-Sun aft).............................$145 Day Retreat (9-4)................$20 Weekdays, $25 Weekends ARC-Led Weekend....................................................$155 Hermitage (24 hrs)..............$70 Weekdays, $75 Weekends Cottage..............................................Call/e-mail for rates
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