Our Purpose Statement begins with the words, “As a community of women…” and a book I have been reading made me think about just what this means to us as an organization. In his book, “Finding Sanctuary: Monastic Steps for Everyday Life,” Abbot Christopher Jamison describes our modern concept of community as lacking the original connections that this word was meant to engender in us.
In this digital age, we are now so much more individually independent. If we buy a bike, suddenly we are part of the “cycling community.” As Jamison puts it, “I can claim to have joined a community without having to do the more demanding work of engaging personally with other people…”
How much are we as an organization working to connect personally with other women in this community we call Women of the ELCA?
What do you contribute to this “community of women”?
Please pray for Women of the ELCA’s executive board which begins meeting today in Minneapolis, Minn. This message is adapted from a Women of the ELCA blog, “The meaning of community,” written by Jennifer Michael.
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