"Lord, who may abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy mountain? Whoever walks without blame, doing what is right, speaking truth from the heart; Who does not slander a neighbor, does no harm to another, never defames a friend; Who disdains the wicked, but honors those who fear the Lord; who keeps an oath despite the cost, lend no money at interest, accepts no bribe against the innocent. Whoever acts like this shall never be shaken." - Psalm 15
This weekend we are celebrating the 30th anniversary of Nazareth Farm. We started the celebration with a board meeting Friday and today (Saturday) we celebrated a prayer service in the morning with a renewal of the mission statement of the Farm and a blessing of the Farm and its affiliates over the years. Tonight we will have a local band come and play for all those who came to celebrate and on Sunday we are celebrating Mass in the morning followed by a dedication of our porch to Jeanette Sandora.
In the prayer service the above Psalm was read and it caused me to reflect upon the purpose of the Farm and our lives in general as Christians. This Psalm gives us a little insight to the religious tradition to the people of the time period. The "tent" refers to the temple in which the Isrealites gathered. Prior to the building of a temple, Moses and the people traveled through the wilderness in search of the promised land. During their search, they carried the ark of the covenant in a tent which was a designated place where the Lord resided. The mountain is a referral to a designated holy place as well. This also could be a referral to the mountain in which Moses encountered God and received the ten commandments and the laws of the people.
In this Psalm an Israelite is asking a temple official what the requirements are to enter the presence of God. You then notice that the requirements simply spoke are to be true to yourself, love your neighbors, love your friends, refrain from what you know is wrong and when you assist the poor do it free of charge. (At the time period people did not lend money as investments, they did so to help out a struggling neighbor and hence they can be seen as the "poor" in their community. It would have been against the Law of God given by Moses to charge interest on that loan.). It was the belief of the Jewish people that they must abide by the commandments and laws in order to receive salvation. The laws included sacrifices of lambs, rams, cattle and other various animals. However, God became man in Christ Jesus and sacrificed His life as one final sacrifice for ALL humans. Christ became the sacrificial lamb. Before He departed this earth He left us with a series of teachings through stories, parables and His own living example.
Upon His death and resurrection the Holy Spirit was transferred into the bodies of the Apostles at Pentecost and through Baptism we receive the living God within us in the form of the Holy Spirit. The mystery of our faith is a beautiful thing yet challenging and extremely radical. Because of all this we are now called to take our faith to the next level. Not only must we follow the instructions given to us in Psalm 15 to be able to enter the temple (church) where God is present, but we must become a living EXAMPLE of Jesus Christ who is present with us through the Holy Spirit. This means that not only must we be respectful to the poor WHEN we help them but we are called to go OUT OF OUR WAY to help the poor. As we also heard in our prayer service today Jesus tells us in the book of Matthew chapter 25:31-46 we are to be judged by what we do for those around us. It is not just those who rob the poor (charge interest on loans) who break the Law of God as the old testament suggests, but it is also those who do NOTHING who are not answering the call to love and serve one another.
Nazareth Farm was developed to become a community deeply rooted in prayer which lives simply in honor of those who lack basic needs and who uses their many blessings to live with and serve the needs of those around them. Is this not what we are all called to do as Christians? I urge all of you to reflect upon your living situation, your family, your community. Are you worthy of "entering the tent" as listed by the Psalmist and are you a living example of Christ to others as we are called to be in the New Testament? Celebrate with us the last 30 years of "Just Living" which Nazareth Farm has been an example of by bringing home the ideas and cornerstones of the Farm into your own lives.
Welcome Home,
Nazareth Farm
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Reflection from a Volunteer
A Home Away From Home
It’s been said that “home is where the heart is”, but I never quite understood what that truly meant until the Spring of 2008 when I spent a week in Salem, West Virginia, one of the poorest districts in the country. Having been raised in the Bronx, to me home was basically a safe haven from the cruel world we live in; a place where I rested my head at night, did my homework and all the other daily routines of life.
“Welcome Home!” – these were the first words I heard when we arrived at Nazareth Farm, the place we would call “home” for the next week as we helped to repair homes that were condemned by the City of Salem, West Virginia. One week of hard work, teamwork and spiritual growth would be the week that would change my life forever.
During this week, myself, along with 11 others from my school and 40 others from Tennessee, New Jersey and Washington D.C. would become a “family,” and Nazareth Farm, our “home”. We worked on many different homes and visited many different people in the area. As part of our service, we learned to put up ceilings, gutters, siding and floors. At “home” we cooked, cleaned and welcomed our workers back home.
Nazareth Farm was a home of complete simplicity that included no electronics – no cell phones, no iPods, not even a watch – none of the things that made me feel at “home”. Not having all of these electronic distractions allowed me the time I needed to focus on what really mattered in life. We were all there, together, to form one family – coming from all different walks of life, with very different backgrounds, we lived together and worked to help others one step at a time.
Through this experience, I have learned that I am a lover, a helper and a friend. I am someone who can make a difference in the world - and will do just that - one day at a time. I am me and through my experiences, I know I can make a difference in this world by showing everyone that small actions make a huge impact.
- Rosa Maria
It’s been said that “home is where the heart is”, but I never quite understood what that truly meant until the Spring of 2008 when I spent a week in Salem, West Virginia, one of the poorest districts in the country. Having been raised in the Bronx, to me home was basically a safe haven from the cruel world we live in; a place where I rested my head at night, did my homework and all the other daily routines of life.
“Welcome Home!” – these were the first words I heard when we arrived at Nazareth Farm, the place we would call “home” for the next week as we helped to repair homes that were condemned by the City of Salem, West Virginia. One week of hard work, teamwork and spiritual growth would be the week that would change my life forever.
During this week, myself, along with 11 others from my school and 40 others from Tennessee, New Jersey and Washington D.C. would become a “family,” and Nazareth Farm, our “home”. We worked on many different homes and visited many different people in the area. As part of our service, we learned to put up ceilings, gutters, siding and floors. At “home” we cooked, cleaned and welcomed our workers back home.
Nazareth Farm was a home of complete simplicity that included no electronics – no cell phones, no iPods, not even a watch – none of the things that made me feel at “home”. Not having all of these electronic distractions allowed me the time I needed to focus on what really mattered in life. We were all there, together, to form one family – coming from all different walks of life, with very different backgrounds, we lived together and worked to help others one step at a time.
Through this experience, I have learned that I am a lover, a helper and a friend. I am someone who can make a difference in the world - and will do just that - one day at a time. I am me and through my experiences, I know I can make a difference in this world by showing everyone that small actions make a huge impact.
- Rosa Maria
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Material Simplicity
Simplicity of Life
"There is a form of material poverty which is blessed.
“Ah, yes; we were poor, but happy.”
Saint Francis fell in love with it.
In its more striking forms, it may look like a spare and bare existence. But this is not a material deprivation which dehumanizes. It humanizes us.
Simplicity of life is concerned with our relationship to things. But the heart of its meaning is the relatedness of persons. It is positive and blessed because it is grounded in the right order of valuing persons over objects.
Things are good. They are better and best when they are for persons, personal existence, personal celebration.
Life is for people: hence, simplicity.
We travel light enough so that the goods of the earth may be enjoyed and celebrated by all, so that they may bring the glory to God. We travel light enough so that we ourselves may be for persons, rather than expend our lives collecting, maintaining and replacing objects.
In simplicity, we are empowered to see the destitute, to share of our abundance, to ease the dehumanizing poverty that cries out to us. It enables us to give freely, to be more equitable. It frees us to engage the injustices of the world which are often the source of personal degradation. It makes us less fearful to put our security at risk.
In simplicity, we are given time to enter the grace of our human poverty. If we do not surround and suffocate ourselves with things, by which we manage and control our lives, we are far less likely to believe in the illusion that we have no need of God. We would less likely pretend that we are “self-made” men and women. Simplicity, as a liberation from the chains of consumerism, is also a call to prayer, wherein we encounter our spiritual poverty before God and discover the joy of recognizing ourselves as loved and forgiven creatures. Simplicity, moreover, gives us time for each other, for relationships and intimacy and friendship. A simple change in our style of working, consuming, or spending time with television profoundly affects our availability for persons.
Simplicity is as related to love as it is to justice.
It is freedom from compulsive addictions and entrenched escape mechanisms.
It is liberty to see ourselves anew and to disengage from the comforts that blind us to the face of the poor.
It unfetters us, that we might play and savor the moment, that we might give thanks and sing appreciation.
It can unlock us, finally, that we might do bold things, that we might more fully be men and women, not for things, but for others."
- John Kavanaugh, S.J
This week challenge yourself to simplify your life. What excess do you have and why do you hold on to it? What keeps us from interacting with those in our families? Our neighbors? Our friends? Our God? Do we create a life in which we are in full control or is their a need for God in our lives?
-Welcome Home
Nazareth Farm
"There is a form of material poverty which is blessed.
“Ah, yes; we were poor, but happy.”
Saint Francis fell in love with it.
In its more striking forms, it may look like a spare and bare existence. But this is not a material deprivation which dehumanizes. It humanizes us.
Simplicity of life is concerned with our relationship to things. But the heart of its meaning is the relatedness of persons. It is positive and blessed because it is grounded in the right order of valuing persons over objects.
Things are good. They are better and best when they are for persons, personal existence, personal celebration.
Life is for people: hence, simplicity.
We travel light enough so that the goods of the earth may be enjoyed and celebrated by all, so that they may bring the glory to God. We travel light enough so that we ourselves may be for persons, rather than expend our lives collecting, maintaining and replacing objects.
In simplicity, we are empowered to see the destitute, to share of our abundance, to ease the dehumanizing poverty that cries out to us. It enables us to give freely, to be more equitable. It frees us to engage the injustices of the world which are often the source of personal degradation. It makes us less fearful to put our security at risk.
In simplicity, we are given time to enter the grace of our human poverty. If we do not surround and suffocate ourselves with things, by which we manage and control our lives, we are far less likely to believe in the illusion that we have no need of God. We would less likely pretend that we are “self-made” men and women. Simplicity, as a liberation from the chains of consumerism, is also a call to prayer, wherein we encounter our spiritual poverty before God and discover the joy of recognizing ourselves as loved and forgiven creatures. Simplicity, moreover, gives us time for each other, for relationships and intimacy and friendship. A simple change in our style of working, consuming, or spending time with television profoundly affects our availability for persons.
Simplicity is as related to love as it is to justice.
It is freedom from compulsive addictions and entrenched escape mechanisms.
It is liberty to see ourselves anew and to disengage from the comforts that blind us to the face of the poor.
It unfetters us, that we might play and savor the moment, that we might give thanks and sing appreciation.
It can unlock us, finally, that we might do bold things, that we might more fully be men and women, not for things, but for others."
- John Kavanaugh, S.J
This week challenge yourself to simplify your life. What excess do you have and why do you hold on to it? What keeps us from interacting with those in our families? Our neighbors? Our friends? Our God? Do we create a life in which we are in full control or is their a need for God in our lives?
-Welcome Home
Nazareth Farm
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Reflection from a Volunteer
From my week at Nazareth Farm, I can truly say that I can see beauty in every person, every situation, and every environment. I saw beauty in Prayer, Simplicity, Community and Service; the four cornerstones of Nazareth Farm and in my life. Prayer life at Nazareth Farm was absolutely beautiful. As a community we invited God to join us throughout the day. I prayed when I was up on the ladders (I was deathly afraid of heights before Nazareth Farms) I would ask him to hold me. “God just hold me, I trust you!” I would say, and not once did I fall or think of my fear. And now I’m not afraid of heights!
Simplicity was another cornerstone of Nazareth Farm. As a community the staff member asked us to show our natural beauty the way God created us. (Never in my life have I felt so beautiful). And they asked us to conserve everything from water to food. We were also not allowed cell phones or IPods so we could hear God calling and the birds singing. What a relief to step back from our busy lives and just hear God speaking. What a rush. God was speaking to me through all the service that I was doing; his work. Helping people who needed help was His work. And all the people we helped you could see God’s joy in their eyes. And with every swing of the hammer it was me saying, “I LOVE YOU!” I was doing this for my Father’s children, my brothers and sisters. We did this service through community. Every person we helped was in God’s community and at Nazareth Farm we became a community. All the people at Nazareth Farm became my family. They didn’t judge me. They saw me how God sees me as a wonderful gift to this earth. How awesome. What a journey. Anyone that has not gone to Nazareth Farm should go to experience the love and happiness. I will continue to spread the word of God through the four cornerstones and hope that YOU will join me.
God bless,
Colleen Linn
Saturday, August 15, 2009
A Solid Foundation
"When He (Jesus) disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things...Then, taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; he also divided the two fish among them all...Then he made his disciples get into the boat and precede him to the other side toward Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. And when he had taken leave of them, he went off to the mountain to pray." - Mark 6:34, 41, 45-46
Another week has passed here at the Farm and with that, another group of 35 high school students have been sent back to their hometowns with the commission to bring their experiences here on the mountain to those they return to live with. At first this may seem like a daunting task and to some it may seem impossible. How can the experiences at the Farm be brought home to those who have never been here? Is Nazareth Farm only possible because you are living within a group of believers all there for the same purpose? At a quick glance it may be easy to make that argument. However, when you take a deeper look you will find that Nazareth Farm is a result of believers living and working on a solid foundation, the four cornerstones. Prayer, simplicity, service and community are the four cornerstones which built the Farm and today they are the four cornerstones which continue to hold it together (30 years now).
It is important to remember that at one point, Nazareth Farm did not exist. This is important because that fact means that Nazareth Farm was created amongst a community of believers and non-believers alike. It was created in the "real world"; the same world in which all of you have returned to after leaving the Farm. This last week during our "life after the Farm" talk on Friday night we asked the volunteers what the challenges were that they faced during the week. One person said it was difficult to live in constant community and to not be allowed as much personal time as they would have liked. Another stated that it was difficult to not take a shower every day. Others stated that the work at the work-site was difficult and still others talked about their realized dependency on time, cell-phones and i-pods.
After reflecting on their difficulties, we asked them to reflect on what it was that helped them continue through those hardships. It was at this moment the cornerstones began to shine. The man who said community was over-bearing made it through by finding time for personal prayer. The lady who stated it was difficult to get used to being dirty said she found comfort by the fact that the whole community was dirty and did not care. Those that had trouble at the work-site said that it was rewarding to see the joy and happiness in the faces of those they served and the ones who found it difficult to let go of their phones, i-pods and watches said they were able to experience God through simple things like nature. Any one of the cornerstones can be overbearing and challenging at times. However, a house (or a life) is not built on one cornerstone. In order to stand strong you need the other three cornerstones to help share the weight of the most difficult cornerstone in your life.
This is something Jesus recognized as well and it is evident in the bible passage given above. Jesus came among a crowd of people and had pity on them because they seemed lost. He began to serve them, and teach them. In other gospels it states that he healed the sick as well. Upon entering a community of people he started with service, the giving of his gifts. Jesus began to build a relationship with the people and recognized that the day was late and that they were getting hungry. He could not have known that unless he was in tune with the communities needs which means that he spent time getting to know them. In order to solve the issue of hunger he instructed his disciples to find some food and to begin the simple act of sharing. He did not feed the crowds wine and fruits and expensive food of his time, but rather the thousands of them shared a simple meal of bread and fish, a meal of a commoner, not a king. He also instructed them to eat only what they needed and once all were full he put none of it to waste and had the leftovers gathered into baskets for later redistribution (or perhaps compost). After a long day of serving the people, building community, and doing both in a simple manner, he left the people for a quiet place to pray on his own. Perhaps he recognized that it took a lot of strength to minister to the people and that he needed prayer to rejuvenate his body.
This week we ask you to reflect on how you can live out the cornerstones in your community? Can you identify a need in your community and how can you find ways to meet that need through service? What cornerstone is most difficult to live out and what cornerstones can assist you in that difficulty? We hope all of you can and are finding ways to live out your experience at Nazareth Farm back at home.
Welcome Home,
Nazareth Farm
Another week has passed here at the Farm and with that, another group of 35 high school students have been sent back to their hometowns with the commission to bring their experiences here on the mountain to those they return to live with. At first this may seem like a daunting task and to some it may seem impossible. How can the experiences at the Farm be brought home to those who have never been here? Is Nazareth Farm only possible because you are living within a group of believers all there for the same purpose? At a quick glance it may be easy to make that argument. However, when you take a deeper look you will find that Nazareth Farm is a result of believers living and working on a solid foundation, the four cornerstones. Prayer, simplicity, service and community are the four cornerstones which built the Farm and today they are the four cornerstones which continue to hold it together (30 years now).
It is important to remember that at one point, Nazareth Farm did not exist. This is important because that fact means that Nazareth Farm was created amongst a community of believers and non-believers alike. It was created in the "real world"; the same world in which all of you have returned to after leaving the Farm. This last week during our "life after the Farm" talk on Friday night we asked the volunteers what the challenges were that they faced during the week. One person said it was difficult to live in constant community and to not be allowed as much personal time as they would have liked. Another stated that it was difficult to not take a shower every day. Others stated that the work at the work-site was difficult and still others talked about their realized dependency on time, cell-phones and i-pods.
After reflecting on their difficulties, we asked them to reflect on what it was that helped them continue through those hardships. It was at this moment the cornerstones began to shine. The man who said community was over-bearing made it through by finding time for personal prayer. The lady who stated it was difficult to get used to being dirty said she found comfort by the fact that the whole community was dirty and did not care. Those that had trouble at the work-site said that it was rewarding to see the joy and happiness in the faces of those they served and the ones who found it difficult to let go of their phones, i-pods and watches said they were able to experience God through simple things like nature. Any one of the cornerstones can be overbearing and challenging at times. However, a house (or a life) is not built on one cornerstone. In order to stand strong you need the other three cornerstones to help share the weight of the most difficult cornerstone in your life.
This is something Jesus recognized as well and it is evident in the bible passage given above. Jesus came among a crowd of people and had pity on them because they seemed lost. He began to serve them, and teach them. In other gospels it states that he healed the sick as well. Upon entering a community of people he started with service, the giving of his gifts. Jesus began to build a relationship with the people and recognized that the day was late and that they were getting hungry. He could not have known that unless he was in tune with the communities needs which means that he spent time getting to know them. In order to solve the issue of hunger he instructed his disciples to find some food and to begin the simple act of sharing. He did not feed the crowds wine and fruits and expensive food of his time, but rather the thousands of them shared a simple meal of bread and fish, a meal of a commoner, not a king. He also instructed them to eat only what they needed and once all were full he put none of it to waste and had the leftovers gathered into baskets for later redistribution (or perhaps compost). After a long day of serving the people, building community, and doing both in a simple manner, he left the people for a quiet place to pray on his own. Perhaps he recognized that it took a lot of strength to minister to the people and that he needed prayer to rejuvenate his body.
This week we ask you to reflect on how you can live out the cornerstones in your community? Can you identify a need in your community and how can you find ways to meet that need through service? What cornerstone is most difficult to live out and what cornerstones can assist you in that difficulty? We hope all of you can and are finding ways to live out your experience at Nazareth Farm back at home.
Welcome Home,
Nazareth Farm
Sunday, August 9, 2009
New Life
“Seeing, then, all things have an end, these two things are simultaneously set before us--death and life; and every one shall go unto his own place. For as there are two kinds of coins, the one of God, the other of the world, and each of these has its special character stamped upon it,[so is it also here.] The unbelieving are of this world; but the believing have, in love, the character of God the Father by Jesus Christ, by whom, if we are not in readiness to die into His passion, His life is not in us.”
– St. Ignatius of Antioch to the Magnesians
Welcome Home! For many of you those words may already bring back memories of joy, love, friendship, tears, service and maybe even outhouses; however, this last week those words have taken a new meaning for some families and for at least two new staff members at the Farm. We just finished our annual family week at the Farm and it could be said that the themes Old/New, Life/Death were very apparent. Family week is a very special time in which many families come together to become one huge family in Christ. At times it may seem like one large family reunion as many of the families have been coming for years. However, the experience is never the same as new families are added into the mix and old families progress in their work, spirituality and age. Some of the kids have been coming to the farm since they were very young children and now are grown teens who are experiencing the reality of Christ for the very first time; even after coming for years.
This last week we also welcomed two new staff members named Jordan and Jessie. They are an engaged couple from California and Michigan who have focused their lives on service to Gods people and with their arrival the Farm Staff is at full strength minus one last addition coming in October. Kelly was able to share during shared prayer that this last week she was able to realize the completion of a transitional period. She is finally able to settle in and fully function as a loving mother of two young kids as well as a hard working friend and family member through Christ at the Farm. A feeling of comfort and peace comes with being able to put transition behind and focus on the reality of HOME.
Transitional periods are often difficult and hectic. Change and newness is easy to reject and the comfort of tradition has its benefits and attachments. However, it is in newness that the old is to be reflected upon and improved where needed. It is in newness that life is most easily recognized. Jesus Christ came into this world by the Holy Spirit to bring new Life into our world. He was speaking of Life to a people oppressed, poor, brutalized and dead spiritually in the law and oral tradition of the Pharisees. Over the years, the laws of Moses had lost some meaning and life. Christ did not come to condemn the law but rather to bring a new life and fulfillment in the law. He was calling people to a reflection of the old and openness to his new wine (New Covenant).
The Farm is experiencing its 30th anniversary this year and in many ways it has kept the traditions, values and focus alive. However, it has also brought in an abundance of new ideas, new transformation and new life which has shaped it to become the way it is over the years. Each new person brought to the farm both staff and volunteer brings a uniquely different spirit and experience which makes an impact on the farm. Like an old pair of shoes each puddle and each step has a lasting effect which tells a story of where they have traveled and what they have done.
This week we invite you to reflect on your life. Where has your life taken you and most importantly how has Christ shaped your being? As Christians we are called to die to ourselves and live with the new spirit and clothing of Christ. What does this mean in our lives and how are we affected by those around us? How do we share our uniqueness and love with those we encounter and how can we impact their lives to bring newness, peace and comfort?
Welcome Home,
Nazareth Farm
– St. Ignatius of Antioch to the Magnesians
Welcome Home! For many of you those words may already bring back memories of joy, love, friendship, tears, service and maybe even outhouses; however, this last week those words have taken a new meaning for some families and for at least two new staff members at the Farm. We just finished our annual family week at the Farm and it could be said that the themes Old/New, Life/Death were very apparent. Family week is a very special time in which many families come together to become one huge family in Christ. At times it may seem like one large family reunion as many of the families have been coming for years. However, the experience is never the same as new families are added into the mix and old families progress in their work, spirituality and age. Some of the kids have been coming to the farm since they were very young children and now are grown teens who are experiencing the reality of Christ for the very first time; even after coming for years.
This last week we also welcomed two new staff members named Jordan and Jessie. They are an engaged couple from California and Michigan who have focused their lives on service to Gods people and with their arrival the Farm Staff is at full strength minus one last addition coming in October. Kelly was able to share during shared prayer that this last week she was able to realize the completion of a transitional period. She is finally able to settle in and fully function as a loving mother of two young kids as well as a hard working friend and family member through Christ at the Farm. A feeling of comfort and peace comes with being able to put transition behind and focus on the reality of HOME.
Transitional periods are often difficult and hectic. Change and newness is easy to reject and the comfort of tradition has its benefits and attachments. However, it is in newness that the old is to be reflected upon and improved where needed. It is in newness that life is most easily recognized. Jesus Christ came into this world by the Holy Spirit to bring new Life into our world. He was speaking of Life to a people oppressed, poor, brutalized and dead spiritually in the law and oral tradition of the Pharisees. Over the years, the laws of Moses had lost some meaning and life. Christ did not come to condemn the law but rather to bring a new life and fulfillment in the law. He was calling people to a reflection of the old and openness to his new wine (New Covenant).
The Farm is experiencing its 30th anniversary this year and in many ways it has kept the traditions, values and focus alive. However, it has also brought in an abundance of new ideas, new transformation and new life which has shaped it to become the way it is over the years. Each new person brought to the farm both staff and volunteer brings a uniquely different spirit and experience which makes an impact on the farm. Like an old pair of shoes each puddle and each step has a lasting effect which tells a story of where they have traveled and what they have done.
This week we invite you to reflect on your life. Where has your life taken you and most importantly how has Christ shaped your being? As Christians we are called to die to ourselves and live with the new spirit and clothing of Christ. What does this mean in our lives and how are we affected by those around us? How do we share our uniqueness and love with those we encounter and how can we impact their lives to bring newness, peace and comfort?
Welcome Home,
Nazareth Farm
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Still Growing with Ken and Jessica
Jessica shares with us the reality of living the cornerstones of the Farm after moving back to St. Louis...
With the inspiration of a good book, I have tonight come to an important realization. I can still grow – in my faith, in sustainability, in all of the cornerstones – away from the Farm. It’s a very basic idea, but it’s tougher than it might seem. The Farm really provides ideal conditions in which to carry out a certain lifestyle, and it’s hard to duplicate much of that in a city environment. Take compost, for example. I have to do more research, but so far we have found no one that will accept compost composed of food scraps. We could get a worm bin, but I’m not sure I’m ready to have that in our apartment…
Back on the topic at hand, I’ve been spending a lot of time lately analyzing our lifestyle and trying to decide if we’re living up to the ideals we set while living in West Virginia. Our situation has changed significantly, so the way we live out some of the cornerstones – community, for example – has changed drastically. So I keep trying to think of ways that I can improve in such a way that we more closely echo the Farm’s model.
This can be a great tool, but tonight’s revelation provides a certain freedom with a side of encouragement. Our growth is not limited to becoming more and more like the Farm. We can accomplish great things! And being in a city environment gives us the opportunity to grow in new ways. We can still place that growth within the framework of the cornerstones, if that is helpful. But we can expand our horizons and spread our excitement into new realms.
Some of the topics I have been exploring since leaving the Farm include economic inequality, race relations, and urban gardening. The list will continue to grow in proportion to my stack of library books, which is already towering. And as I read, I incorporate new attitudes and ideas into my lifestyle. I begin to take action, to live out the cornerstones in a new way. That’s one way we’re bringing home the Farm.
With the inspiration of a good book, I have tonight come to an important realization. I can still grow – in my faith, in sustainability, in all of the cornerstones – away from the Farm. It’s a very basic idea, but it’s tougher than it might seem. The Farm really provides ideal conditions in which to carry out a certain lifestyle, and it’s hard to duplicate much of that in a city environment. Take compost, for example. I have to do more research, but so far we have found no one that will accept compost composed of food scraps. We could get a worm bin, but I’m not sure I’m ready to have that in our apartment…
Back on the topic at hand, I’ve been spending a lot of time lately analyzing our lifestyle and trying to decide if we’re living up to the ideals we set while living in West Virginia. Our situation has changed significantly, so the way we live out some of the cornerstones – community, for example – has changed drastically. So I keep trying to think of ways that I can improve in such a way that we more closely echo the Farm’s model.
This can be a great tool, but tonight’s revelation provides a certain freedom with a side of encouragement. Our growth is not limited to becoming more and more like the Farm. We can accomplish great things! And being in a city environment gives us the opportunity to grow in new ways. We can still place that growth within the framework of the cornerstones, if that is helpful. But we can expand our horizons and spread our excitement into new realms.
Some of the topics I have been exploring since leaving the Farm include economic inequality, race relations, and urban gardening. The list will continue to grow in proportion to my stack of library books, which is already towering. And as I read, I incorporate new attitudes and ideas into my lifestyle. I begin to take action, to live out the cornerstones in a new way. That’s one way we’re bringing home the Farm.
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