March 2023
Dear Friends,
Every day here at Community of Peace we look at and listen to a passage from the Gospels. It is a journey of transformation. Today we engaged in a dialogue around the opening verses of Mark's Gospel. John “appears” in the wilderness. His clothes are unusual. His food is pretty basic to say the least. His message is clear. Some would say blunt. People gather around John and become transparent and authentic. All of this describes a way of life that is transformative and exciting! When hearts and minds open and are shared, wondrous things happen. This emerging community gathered around John was the prelude to the music of Jesus. John's community was the fertile soil out of which the Jesus movement sprang. Notice that John “appeared”. Then Jesus “appeared”. They both went public.
Let's consider what this might mean for us, in our lives. Where do we “appear”? What is our way of life - what we wear, what we eat, what we say, what/whom do we “gather around”? All of this matters. Where do we “appear”? How can we become more and more transparent and authentic in our gatherings? In our hearts? In the places where we “appear”?
Peace in the midst of everything,
Br. Stefan
Editor's Note
Welcome to our second weekly newsletter. It's not only a newsletter, yet it will list upcoming events and news about what we're up to here. Hopefully it will also inspire you to look anew at the world around you and the one inside you. Our woods are showing signs of Spring; new growth everywhere. We're growing too, personally and collectively. This publication will change and grow and your feedback is important to us. Please be patient with our growing and share your thoughts with us on FB Community of Peace or email Br. Stefan at brstefanandre@gmail.com or me at millertyme1033@gmail.com.
Barb Miller
Photos of blossoming trees by Tim Bickel - Photos of creek by Barb Miller
A Story of My Week
We're deep in the wilderness, a tiny green frog came to dinner.
He sat on the hand of MaryAnn
She laughed and giggled; a winner.
There's a cow named Mouse.
She gallops and hugs and licks,
So sweet to greet.
The bull in the pen,
Comes 'round the bend,
And pushes and shoves for a treat.
Athena acts shy,
We don't know why,
'Till we see Faith steal her dinner.
A mouse ate my portfolio, and now I'm sad,
But the cat ate the mouse.
Should I be glad?
Some sort of birds flew fast overhead and dove into the pond,
At lightning speed they hit the water; they swam and fished.
What glee had we, under the light of the moon.
A gopher dug a giant hole; I plopped in accidentally, all the way up to my knees.
These are the animal adventures we see;
Come visit us here at Community of Peace.
Bird Angel 😇 (aka Claire Collins, resident)
Photos of cows by Bird Angel - Drawing of mouse by Barb Miller
Barb's Reflection
In Mary Oliver's much loved poem “Wild Geese”, there's one line that stays with me. “You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.” Imagine a deer trotting up the creek, Gumbie the cat lying belly up while we sing our hearts out in prayer, Mr. Cardinal in the tree outside intently listening, and Mrs. Cardinal hopping along the deck railing going wherever her small body is taking her, each responding, it seems, to some inner gps. We got to observe Gumbie up close because he's our pet. He's one of the sweetest cats I've ever known yet. Gumbie isn't always nice. Gumbie is always Gumbie; he's always a cat. Are the animals and birds loving what they love? Are they so tuned in to a loving creation/creator that they have a natural trust in simply being? What they don't have is a contrarian culture that trips them up at every turn telling stories that are taken for truth. Do we have an inner gps? Can we find a way to love what our bodies naturally love, to live more fully our natural selves? Did Jesus shine his love light on who we are in God? These are just a few of the questions that swim around in the pond of my heart with the pollywogs.
Blessings and peace,
Barb
PS - One of my teachers, Cynthia Bourgeault, once called this inner gps a God positioning system. I don't know where she got it from. If you find it usefull…?
Scan of Gumbie the cat by Barb Miller
Quarantine
A sign of the times;
The dreaded pink line that changes everything,
At least for a while.
I like to think I'm positive, upbeat, hopeful
Yet this “positive” I would gladly surrender.
Days looking at the same walls,
Drenching myself in YouTubes,
The highlight of my evening - a tiny
Tree frog clinging to the glass
On a door to “out there”.
Right! Take a long walk.
Tomorrow in the warmth of the day.
Meanwhile … (where have I heard that recently? -
A poem perhaps?) … the frog is clinging.
Am I clinging?
I would gladly surrender … would I?
These two words haunt me. It may be that quarantine
This close to the beginning of Holy Week,
The last week of Jesus' human life,
Gives time for reflection, recollection.
Inner digging down deep in the middle of me,
Dredging up the stuff I shoved there over decades,
Hoping it was gone forever.
Ha, what a joke. And yet, and yet
As the clods surface, they seem less scary than I thought.
Jesus must have felt alone then, as we feel in our aloneness.
They really didn't seem to understand him.
What did he do? He faced down our collective junkyard. He let his love transform
What us humans find so hard to examine and admit to.
Thank God. He did it; so we could see who we really are in God's eyes.
Can a quarantine experienence be transformative? Sure,
Let go what I'm clinging to and
Surrender to the love of God. Easy peasy, right?
Well it aught to be; so I pray in silence.
As I've come to learn, It's the one thing I can do.
Barb Miller
While Covid remains a concern, especially for the most vulnerable, Community of Peace is taking all recommended precautions to protect the health of our residents and our guests.
Becca's Poem
A Lonely Heart's Seduction
Eyes meet then turn. Potential is not to be found here they say.
Another one, another time.
But in time an openness, a connection, a touch flower.
In the charm I feel it.
A sweet seduction I begin to taste.
A lonely heart extends towards hands that do not belong.
Folded together, I tremble.
Knowing the fear of what animal bodies do.
Knowing the hurt of a selfish one.
Knowing, but wanting more.
It's what I shiver for, for what I stay.
Too soon a predestined parting and I surprise myself with the lonesome lows
to which I swing, pining.
My tired heart questions, unable to understand its very self;
out of touch it crawls on.
But in time voices awaken.
A silver of passion peeps and sparks the dance of hope.
Thoughts skip in the moonbeams and ask for freedom to flow.
Wait, I tell myself. If it's in the stars, it will come.
In the meantime, know breath; release into yourself.
- Becca stayed with us for a week last month for a personal retreat. She inspired us all and left this beautiful gift of poetry to reflect on, enjoy and share.
Projects and Events
Our calendar has openings for Br. Stefan to visit your church or organization for an evening of stories and song or day retreat. Contact us with your preferred dates and to request flyers.
We are hosting an Easter retrat from Thursday 4/6 dinner time until Easter Sunday 4/9 lunch. We're looking forward to a weekend filled with creativity, song and good conversation, some of it in the beauty of the nature all around us.
Plans continue to unfold for exciting new programs this Summer. Stay tuned. Things are happening here!
Friends,
Please consider making a donation to Community of Peace by clicking on the link below. We are grateful for any size donation and especially for your prayers of support.
Becoming a monthly donor will help us even more. 800 people donation $30 a month each, will put us within reach of our yearly goal. Many thanks! Our prayers are with each of you every day.
Here's the link: https://www.communityofpeace.org/take-action
Or write a check made out to Community of Peace and mail to:
Community of Peace
1782 Yanceyville Rd.
Louisa, VA 23093
