JACK PACKER
My name is Jack Packer. My wife and I worship at St. Paul
Lutheran Church, Dearborn, Michigan. I attended Men's weekend #11 at
Lutheran Cursillo of Central Michigan. I sat at the table of Peter.
C. Scott Peck, a Christian psychiatrist who has authored several
books that I have read recently has come to an interesting conclusion.
Perhaps you have read one or more of his books as well. Three of his
books that come to mind are:
The Road Less Travelled
The People of the Lie
The Different Drum.
Another Christian author that has come to the same conclusion in
a couple of his recent offerings is Tony Campolo.
Their common conclusion is this: If Christians are going to
maintain their faith and their sanity in this pagan and sinful
society, they are going to have to form themselves into small sharing
fellowships that meet on a regular basis, that share their common
faith, and through loving fellowship support and encourage one another
to persevere.
Now the fathers of Cursillo, Eduardo Bonnin and Juan Hervas, came
to that conclusion almost fifty years ago over in Spain. It was this
conclusion that inspired them to design the Roman Catholic Cursillo
out of which our Lutheran Via de Cristo evolved.
Their initial thoughts did not include the weekend itself. They
actually started out with the group reunion. They realized that if
Christians were going to survive, if they were going to maintain their
faith in this secular world, if they were going to grow in their
faith, they would need to be in close fellowship with other believers.
So they started out by trying to form people into reunion groups, by
trying to impress upon them the importance of these groups.
They did not meet with complete success, but they did experience
enough to give them the confidence that this was the way to go. What
they needed now was some experience that demonstrated to the people
the need and the importance of this reunion group. An experience that
would give them a taste of a reunion group an experience that the
people would come home from with a real desire to be part of such a
fellowship, an experience that would bring them into personal contact
with His Holy Spirit in a way more powerful than they perhaps had ever
experienced before.
Tackling it from this angle, they came up with the idea of the
three day weekend. They worked out the talks and the procedures that
we now know as the Via de Cristo experience.
I think one of our problems today is a tendency to put more
stress upon the weekend, when actually the important part is the
reunion. Everything that is done in terms of the Via de Cristo
methodology and purpose, has as its end objectives getting people
involved in the group reunion.
Juan Hervas and Eduardo Bonnin have both been quoted as saying:
"We don't have reunion groups in order to get people to make a
weekend. Rather, we hold weekends to get people into reunion groups.
Conversion is a continual and ongoing process. The group reunion
assures the continuance of the conversion process, and it promotes the
living out of what is fundamental for being Christian. Over the
course of the three day weekend, a restlessness, a hunger is developed
in the pilgrim that can only be satisfied by the reunion of friends.
Basically, the aim or objective of the reunion is to realize the
vision that is presented in the three days. Hopefully, it will open
up to each person the possibility of continuing this encounter with
self, with Christ, and with their Christian brothers and sisters.
The immediate and main objective of the leaders of the movement
should be to help the new Cristoistas find a group of friends to whom
they can commit themselves to form a Christian community. Through
this new community, they may be led to assume their apostolic
obligations. Something that needs to be promoted, demonstrated, acted
out in the reunion, is the message of one of my favorite banners --
bloom where you are planted.
Often times many of us have grandiose dreams of what we would
like to do for Christ. If we were only someplace more agreeable, more
compatible with our hopes and dreams. We must all come to the
realization that God has placed right where we are, and that is where
He wants us to work.
The reunion can do this. The group can decide upon a project
that involves the entire group. They can then tackle something that
no one individual might do on his own. Through the group, they all
might learn to bloom right where they are. The goal of the group
reunion is growth in four areas:
Growth in friendship and fellowship
Growth in study of the Bible
Growth in apostolic action
and growth in commitment.
Our human nature requires that we have and experience friends.
The hermit is not really experiencing true life. God built us in His
image, and He made us for fellowship - fellowship with Him as well as
our neighbors. The group reunion gives backbone to this friendship
and fellowship. I have heard a Cristoistas say that he had no close
friends until after he had made a weekend and joined a reunion group.
Growth in Bible study. How many have the stick-to-it-iveness to
continue in Bible study completely and entirely on their own? I am
sure some do, but I am equally confident that many do not. Meeting
weekly with your reunion group, and explaining what study you have
done this past week gives you the necessary incentive to continue, and
of course, sharing some of the insights that you picked up from this
week's study helps assure that you will better remember what you did
study.
You are more apt to study each week when you have the knowledge
that you must share with your reunion group, by also confessing that
you didn't study this past week, if in fact you let the week get by
without. It is through study that we draw closer to our Lord, and
this drawing closer makes for growth in our commitment.
Following is a statement by Dwight L. Moody on Bible study: "I
prayed for faith, and thought that some day Faith would come down and
strike me like lightning. But Faith did not seem to come. One day I
read in the tenth chapter of Romans, ' Now Faith comes by hearing, and
hearing by the Word of God.' I had closed my Bible and prayed for
Faith. I now opened my Bible, and began to study, and Faith has been
growing ever since."
Another way we draw closer and grow in our commitment is by our
daily devotions. Again, without the reunion group, and the sharing
that takes place, I wonder how many remain faithful in the practice of
daily devotions.
And lastly, we grow in our apostolic action, through our
involvement in the reunion group. Sharing week after week with our
reunion friends. What we are, or aren't doing in apostolic action,
inspires us upward and onward in apostolic action.
And of course the real gem is when the group selects a group.
Apostolic action project that they can work on together. This will
bring some of the weaker ones into action that might not tackle
anything on their own. In this reunion we are really sharing our
Christian life with our brothers and sisters. By this sharing, we
encourage and uplift our fellow reunion mates, and they, in turn,
encourage and uplift us.
The sharing that takes place comes from the fact that they have
the ability to share the desire to share, and they have something to
share. Sharing does not involve simply telling good things to each
other, or sharing stories, but it is making others a part of one's
life, and participating in the other's life. The basic thing that is
shared is being an authentic Christian community.
Reunion groups do not exist to primarily satisfy the individuals
need for a social dimension in their lives. When reunion groups
forget this and begin to function primarily as a social gathering,
they are not only not carrying out the purpose of Via de Cristo, they
are also in danger of ceasing to exist as a reunion group.
Basically, a group reunion is a group of persons who are friends
and Christians who come together in a reunion to become better friends
and better Christians.
How does a new Cristoista find a reunion group? Actually there
are a variety of ways. Perhaps one of the simplest and most logical:
the sponsor invites the new Cristoistas to join his/her reunion group.
In Good News! we have several groups that have split two or three
times. Sponsors have invited their candidates to join their group,
and the group grows too large, and they split into two groups, and so
on.
We encourage our sponsor to do this, and if it is not convenient
to do this, we encourage the sponsor to be responsible for finding a
group for their candidate. We have had some instances where the
sponsor grouped with the new Cristoistas, even if it meant a second
group for the sponsor until a reunion group was found.
Another way the new Cristoistas can find a reunion group:
Sometimes at the table on the weekend, there may be persons from the
same community or general area, and they could form a reunion group
right amongst their table mates.
Another thing we are doing at Good News! is we are setting up a
computer data-base on our reunion groups, listing when they meet,
where they meet, the names of those in the group, and a contact person
for the group. Through this we can make referrals when called upon by
someone looking for a reunion group.
If the Via de Cristo weekends produce groups which are authentic
Christian communities and they persevere afterwards, then the movement
will achieve its purpose to build up the church, and bring Christ into
every environment.
Our emphasis, then must be to offer the Cristoistas the method of
living in friendship that is shared in a Christian way so that as a
consequence of their being Christian together, their apostolic life
overflows into their life situations.
Now Bette will share with you some ideas and practices that may
lead to failure for your reunion group.
BETTE PACKER
My name is Bette Packer. My husband and I worship at St. Paul
Lutheran of Dearborn, Michigan. I attended Lutheran Cursillo of
Central Michigan Women's weekend #16 in 1986. I sat at the table of
Lydia.
For my part in this short presentation, I have chosen to speak on
some of the ways that may cause a reunion group to fail.
1) Lack of commitment is one of the principal reasons for a reunion
group to fail. Members must be committed to each other and committed
to regular attendance. The Lord will bless that group that places a
high priority on regular weekly attendance. For Christian Community
to fully develop, each person must be putting into the grouping
his/her best. Haphazard and only occasional attendance will let
others know you don't place a very high priority on this event and it
will discourage others...and may lead to failure of the group.
2) Remember... what you hear at the grouping, what is shared there
by your reunion mates, is confidential and not to be repeated outside
of the group. Spreading abroad what was shared with you in confidence
at the reunion is a sure way to break up a group. Just because they
shared it with you and the reunion group does not mean they want to
share it with the entire congregation or the community. What is
shared in the group is to be considered for the group ears alone.
3) Some people seem to have more than their share of problems.
Problems at home. Problems with the spouse or family. Problems at
the work place, or the school. Problems at church. Now as reunion
mates, and close friends, we should listen to their trials and
tribulations. But not being therapists or counselors, But...and this
is very important. This should not be the first item of business at
the reunion. The first item of business for the reunion is to pray
the Holy Spirit prayer, and this to be followed by going through the
"Piety, Study, Action, Closest Moment."
Then, after that, the sharing of problems may take place. I have
heard from several different Cristoistas, a statement that went
something like this: Well, again we really didn't group tonight,, all
we did was listen to so and so's problems, and by the time that was
over with, it was to late, to go through our grouping.
My friends, if you are not going through the Grouping procedure, How
can you call yourself a reunion group? If you let one person take
over your group by regularly doing most of the talking and unloading
problems, you will find others in the group, gradually dropping out.
However, we all know there will always be exceptions to these
statements. For example, if there is a very special problem or need a
brother or sister has and truly feels he/she wants the support and
opinions of his group, by all means take the time to hear them out and
help where possible. However, I still feel that this should come
after the grouping procedure.
4) For a reunion group to succeed, there must be a right attitude in
its members. I have heard some say, "I'm not grouping too regularly
now. I have not been getting too much out of it." Now that statement
itself reveals what the problem is. We are to be servants. We are to
go to serve our reunion mates. To see what we can give them. Not so
much to see what we can get from them. If we go with the right
attitude, the Lord will see that we are blessed. If we are going only
to see what we can get. How can we expect the Lord to bless us?
5) Try to put some meat in your sharing. The only way I can explain
this is to give some examples. For instance, when we share our piety,
and tell about our church attendance, share with the others some
special point that you got out of the service, or the sermon. When
you share about your devotions, share something that you read,
something that has stuck with you. Share with them also some special
intercessory prayer thoughts that concerned you during the past week.
The same with your study, don't just name the book that you read, but
be more specific and share something that you got out of what you read
during the past week.
In your apostolic action, explain what you did, and what the result
was. And then explain what you have in mind for apostolic action this
coming week. From time to time, try to have an apostolic action that
the entire reunion group can participate in. This will help build
community within the group. Also, talk about or plan a social event
for the group. Last, share your closest moment to Christ with the
group.
Now, if you do all of these, it will be necessary to think on these
things during the week. You won't be able to walk into the reunion
group, and be groping in your mind for what you will share on these
various items. Think ahead. Plan ahead, and the group reunion will
take on more meaning for you, and also for your reunion mates.
6) Another way to help send your group to failure, is to not be
punctual. I frequently hear, they never really get started on time,
anyway. So why should I hurry? Everyone should try to be on time, so
the grouping could start on time. Being constantly late is being
disrespectful towards the other members of the group. If you respect
your reunion mates, you will put forth the effort to be punctual.
One of the goals of the reunion group is to build a real and close
friendship between its members. And there can be no closer friendship
than one based on the common faith in Our Lord. Christ tells us that
where two or three are gathered together in His name, He will be there
with us.
So Christ does come to us in and through these group reunions. The
reunions are something we do for HIS sake, and He takes them
seriously. Because He is present at them, they should be done
prayerfully with dedication to HIM.
Remember on the weekend, your rector asked for your idealism, your
dedication, and your spirit of charity. Well, your reunion group also
needs your idealism, your dedication and spirit of charity.
God loves you and so do I!
Now we will distribute some survey worksheets.
Please answer the questions first, and then if there is time,
share with those around you. It is not necessary for you to sign the
survey sheets, unless you wish to do so.
Please turn the survey sheets in to us when through. We hope to
have a report on the survey in a future issue of the National
Newsletter.
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