Essential vs. Adiaphorous
by Carroll Lang, Editor
Webster's New World Dictionary defines essential as: 1. of or
constituting the intrinsic fundamental nature of something; basic,
inherent... 2. absolute; complete; perfect; pure... 3. necessary to
make a thing what it is; indispensable; requisite... And, Webster's
defines adiaphorous as: 1. morally neutral or indifferent; neither
wrong nor right. 2. in medicine, neither harmful nor helpful.
Since the National Lutheran Secretariat began in 1981, leaders in
the movement have been calling us to get "back to the basics" in
conducting our weekends and in continuing our ultreyas and reunion
groups. Folks who follow the "menu" (reunion card) in their
reunions are already maintaining the essential character of a group
reunion. Ultreyas vary widely, but what is essential to them is
the witnessing, mixing up the reunion groups, and the support and
encouragement given to all Christians, whether cursillistas or not.
Most movements, if they have an active, vital program of Fourth Day
activities, maintain the essential qualities in this area, or the
activities die out.
It is on the weekend that we have some confusion about what is
essential for a weekend and what is "adiaphorous." I have tried to
imagine what the first weekend was like. There were talks,
discussions, meals, morning chapel with the sacrament of Holy
Communion, evening prayers -- and that was probably about it. The
meals were probably retreat-style, which means they were only what
was essential to keep the participants from starving. Missing were
all those things we have added over the years - background
servants, serenaders, trinkets, posters, decuria, even (ouch)
palanca.
The list could go on and on as each movement has added layer after
layer of "neat" things to do during the weekend. Once a new layer
is added, the new candidates, who are the leaders of the next few
weekends, think the new layer "has always been done that way" and
continue to keep that layer in the schedule while dreaming up a new
layer of their own. And so it goes.
How do we get "back to the basics" without pain? Perhaps if we
decided to use the "neat stuff" only once, deleting those things
after each weekend to make room for the next team's "neat stuff" we
could alleviate the congestion. Another practice that might help
is to be aware of what is essential and what is adiaphorous
whenever we sit down to plan a weekend.
Since we have been meeting together nationally I have noted that
there are some things that are always the same, and I will call
these practices "essential," while the other traditions that vary
between movements and even between weekends, I will classify as
adiaphorous. Following is my list, which I expect to be challenged
(no hurt feelings) and improved upon:
Essential Adiaphorous
(optional)
Weekend Basics Weekend
-72 hours -Special Banquet
-15 talks -Saturday night serenade
-5 meditations -Sunday wake-up serenade
-Celebration of Repentance -Bible Enthronement
-Retreat -Bible Recessional
-Holy Communion each day -Flower for each rollista (women)
-Decuria sharing -Theme for the weekend
-Closing,crosses -Skits
-Palanca -DeColores "productions"
-Singing for their meals
Staff -Singing sessions in the evening
-Popcorn fellowship
-Rector -Aisle of lights
-Spiritual Director -Send-Off
-Assistant Rectors or Chas -Personal palanca letters
-Ten Rollistas -Table palanca, trinkets, etc.
-Auxiliary, silent professors -The big chicken or rooster
-Stations of the Cross
Support Team -Baptism/Communion Films used
in sacraments talk
-Chapel Team -Any activity not listed under the
-Cooking Team basics on the left
-Clean-up Team
-Musicians(s) Staff
Fourth Day -Auxiliary, silent professors, etc.
-Thanking the staff
-Group Reunion
-Ultreya Support Team
-One support team member table group
-Extra musicians
-Thanking the support team
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Again, these optional activities are neither wrong nor right, but
they are not essential to the purpose of the weekend. Adding too
many of them to the schedule crowds out important time for
reflection and community-building. If each movement would set a
policy that no more than "X" number, say three or four, of these
activities were to be used on any one weekend, we will have made
significant steps toward "getting back to the basics."
(from "Connexiones," December, 1992
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