6.10.2009

Obedience, Community and Life

Eliza left a comment on a recent post asking me to share my thoughts on obedience. I've only got a wee bit of computer time this morning before I head to work, and then I'm taking a red eye flight to Milwaukee tonight so it will probably be a future post. But rest assured I'm pondering ... the short answer is that as I've come to understand it, the vow of obedience is not about blind acceptance but rather an active committment to search out the voice of God - in the Church, in community, in the world, in my own heart - and to live accordingly. Once I give it more of a thought I'll post a longer answer.

I'm heading to Milwaukee for the semi-annual gathering of younger women religious at the Giving Voice Conference. Our topic is Living Community in the 21t Century. I'm really looking forward to pondering this topic with my peers in religious life - some who are as new to the life as I am, others who have 10 or 20+ years of expereince living the life.

What I'm not looking forward to is my red eye flight. I used miles for this trip and ended up with a crazy flight combination. Oh well ...

I probably won't be checking in for a few days. Don't know what kind of internet access I'll have on the road.

3 comments:

Christopher said...

Greetings, Sister Susan Rose, from a new reader of your blog in England. I've found you by following a link in Sister Julie Vieira's excellent blog A Nun's Life, and now I'm really enjoying reading some of your earlier postings. You write so well. I'm adding this comment because your blog hasn't had many comments recently, and I hope you might appreciate these few words of encouragement. I'm Christopher, a Quaker committed to a spiritual practice of observing elements of a monastic rhythm in each day. I'm looking forward to following your blog regularly in future. Thank you for your valuable insights, and please keep writing!

France said...

I'm eagerly looking forward to hearing your thoughts on obedience. I love your preliminary definition: but what happens when the voice of God, as your discern it, contradicts Church dogma? I've always felt I would have made a wonderful nun, with poverty and chastity no issue. But obedience - now there was the deal breaker: I'd be a miserable failure.
And thank you for a lovely post from the AI of Chicago - my hometown. I also look forward to following your blog.

France said...

I'm looking forward to hearing more of your thoughts on obedience. I love your short answer. But what happens when the voice of God (as one hears it) contradicts Church teachings? You see, I've always felt I'd make a very good nun with no problems at all with poverty and chastity! But obedience...that would be my undoing.
And thank you for a lovely post from the Art Institute of Chicago - my home town. Looking forward to following your journey.