Vessels

In our community brochure we say that we are called to be "vessels of the Holy Spirit." Pretty Poetic language for a bunch of women who dig in the dirt all day. (Not that we all dig in the dirt. Usually I do not.) But at Melrose, our lifestyle does revolve around the farm and its needs. We take turns getting up to let the ducks out on our rest day, not everybody sleeps in.

We've had long discussions and planning sessions for what our work, our ministry here, will look like. Do we want to focus on programs? Do we want to get off the grid entirely? What would it take? We spend Sunday afternoons in a discussion course called Earth Cycles; the latest round is from the Northwest Earth Institute out of Portland, OR.

We sometimes fail in our efforts toward sustainability, but we are committed. It's not a fad for us. Yesterday we spent an inordinate amount of time discussing whether (or not) it was right to continue to support Blockbuster. They are not a local enterprise, but they are closer than the movie theaters, so require less gas consumption. Their rentals are cheaper than Netflix. (We tried them for a while, but kept the movies for three weeks at a time, so it didn't pay.)

Each choice has consequences. Examining all the variations on the theme used to drive me bonkers when I first came to community. Just make a decision! But each member's voice is heard and respected. It takes a while. We ended up deciding to try the library as an alternative. We'll see how that works and evaluate it in a few months.

In a few months I won't be here.

Carrying the commitment to a new location is tricky. It won't look the same because the community there is different: different needs, different voices. Yet if I am truly dedicated, my voice will be heard.

Vessels of the spirit... carrying the dedication with me like a water jar.