Monastic/Tertiary vocations in TSA

[mac8]

Hi

I don't know how many salvationists come in here, but this is just to let people know I have asked, again, if The Salvation Army will receive my vocation as a (Franciscan) Sister. At present I'm in the latter part of the novitiate of TSSF, (Third Order Soc. St Francis) with the army's permission. It is an Anglican/ecumenical Order.

They are going to say no, but I have pointed out the quote from the founder which is linked from my blog, eveningbeaches. (Am I allowed to put links up here?) It was posted originally by Matt Clifton and has been passed around a few blogs since. It is worth checking slightlyirregular and revolutionhawaii over it.

If they had agreed to consider, I would have become what is called an Independent Religious, and would then be accountable for my vocation entirely within TSA rather than the Anglican Church. But there you go - I've already been told verbally it will be 'no'. But everyone was kind about it. To put it in perspective, the Episcopalian Church in the US took I think about 10-15 years to agree to their first IR? I may be way out on this but I think they are still struggling with Canon Law over it. Which is an exquisite example of taking a sledgehammer to smash a walnut in my opinion.

It is very, very simple when it happens.... So if anyone out there is an oblate, Tertiary, or some form of IR or asking, please be in touch so we can give each other some support. Last time I counted there were five Franciscans in various territories and several orders, and now possibly a group interested. I heard one other Fran was considering asking, but we've lost touch and I'm not sure what happened.

Any and all reflections welcomed.

Blessings

[Abiel]

Welcome Mac3! I'm afraid you are going to have to explain a bit more for me. I don't know much about third orders!

[mac8]

Hi Abiel,

The largest of the many monastic traditions is the Franciscan one. (The others are, for example, the Benedictines, Dominicans, Augustinians, etc etc). Most look back to one individual who inspired their tradition, but have evolved over the centuries.

The Franciscan tradition goes back 8 centuries to St Francis and St Clare, and is not only the largest of the monastic groups worldwide, but also unusual in that it is broader - it has a way of including married couples and those with family responsibilities. The First Order was traditionally male (now admits women as well) and focussed on being out in the community in active service preaching and working alongside the poor etc. That kind of ministry is termed 'apostolic' in monastic language. In the Franciscan movement, the men called themselves Friars Minor. Friar indicates that rather than being based in a monastery, they were willing to travel from village to village to where they were most needed. They went out with nothing - begged or worked for food and shelter, and served as they were able.

The Second Order was for women, and is the contemplative and enclosed Order.

The Third Order was basically for everyone else, and people were admitted under vows, into a recognised Order (at least in the Anglican church it is fully recognised just as any other Order) In practice it includes singles who are not under vows of celibacy but who are vowed to chastity, (ie until marriage or a high degree of faithfulness and respect for partner within marriage), married couples, and increasingly a few others who are under basically traditional monastic vows but need to live alone or with an elderly parent (or disabled child(ren) in my case). So for example a First Order Friar who finds he has to leave his community for a time in order to care for an elderly parent may become a Third Order or Tertiary. The Third Order in the Anglican Church is ecumenical, which permits a handful of us from TSA to be brothers and sisters. There are about 7000 of us worldwide in our Anglican order, and around 2000 in Europe.

My own particular order does not customarily use 'brother' and 'sister' - a rule which was made before there were celibates in the order, but which I think we are asking to be revised now. So I am 'sister' in an informal way. It does cause a bit of confusion and at the moment there's a full spectrum of people in our order from those in habits and using 'brother' to those who regard their membership as quite private and only their minister and spiritual director are aware of it. Increasingly though, we are open, comfortable with being 'sister', and just get on with living out our vocations in our churches.

As a Salvationist, I live out my vocation within the Salvation Army, rather than the Anglican Church. I am accountable to the Salvation Army informally for my vocation, but I am asking for this to be formalised. I am accountable to the Church of England at the moment for my vocation, which seems a bit silly, as I live it in TSA. But there you go. My feeling is that the Salvation Army should have the freedom to determine where and how it wants its Brothers and Sisters to serve, and to discern this directly with them, rather than via another denomination.

My Rule of Life includes the Articles of War, and the other bits are basically details. I can post it if anyone is interested. Rules in our Order are worked out with each individual around a Franciscan 'scaffolding', and are renewed each year, though taken with life time intention. There is no shame in leaving the Order, but pastoral care is particularly given to those entering and leaving, as these are recognised as significant life transitions.

An Independent Religious is simply another name for a Friar. Friar is a perfectly acceptable alternative, but the contemplatives would need to be referred to as IR's. Those called to solitary life are recognised simply as 'solitaries' by my Order rather than the older term of 'hermit'.

Does this help any?
It makes it all sound very complicated, but in fact it is very simple. We just have a Rule of Life agreed with our church, make a vow in a simple way, without fanfare, and go regularly (ie every 3-6 months) to review how our vocation is working out with whoever is appointed by the church to oversee us. The church does not support us financially unless we are employed or in ordained ministry.
Warmest blessings
Eleanor n/TSSF

[Abiel]

Very explanitory. When you have your vocational review, is that a spiritual development thing? Do you have privacy? My vocation always seems to be examined by committee- very unsatisfactory.

[mac8]

Hi Abiel,

That sounds quite intimidating. Um. In the TSSF Order, I am reviewed regularly (ie every three months during the novitiate, and annually after life profession) by the Novice Guardian. It is a meeting, and all the paperwork is open as far as I know - at least it was in my last chapter. I had copies of everything. If there is any question or areas we want to look into further, (ie now I am asking TSA to receive my vocation) then it goes to the Area Novice Guardian/Formation Guardian. Basically the Head of Chapter has to pass it as well before I renew my vows, but that should be a formality if the others are happy.

One thing we have been bothered by is the beaurocracy developing in the Order. If I stayed in TSSF I would argue for a somewhat simpler system, with an appeal as a safety net (which should probably go to a small committee as a safety measure).

So how often are you reviewed? And is the outcome shared with you and all open? Is there opportunity for discussion? I would find it very intimidating having personal stuff looked at by a committee but then that already happened when I asked to be enrolled a soldier. I found it scary and unpleasant to go through that in Manchester, and they didn't rush to tell me the outcome which made it even worse. It kind of got the message through to me loud and clear that it didn't matter to them what I was going through. In Penzance they were all lovely and really kind, (but it was only a transfer). I just felt safer in this group for some reason. I think by that time everything bad that could have happened had already happened!

Blessings
Mac

[mac8]

Sorry, don't mean to sound negative! I am in recovery from the church! I love it to pieces, but sometimes the pain emerges. Nobody meant to act in anything other than a loving way, but people were busy, there were misunderstandings, and the whole thing became a horrible saga of being turned away and then delayed and delayed. I got through it in the end but it will take me a few years to recover. I think it is one of the reasons I have a passion for loving behaviour in all the fine details of life, and church health! :0)
Blessings
Mac

[Abiel]

no probs!

I was refering to the ongoing process I have in officership. Vague and wooley q's like 'how are you doing?' which I don't really feel at liberty to answer!

Suppose I thought that your vocation thing would be more like spiritual formation, but it sounds equally stressy!

[mac8]

Well the spiritual formation is also a difficult question in my particular Order as we do not have one theological view amongst us, so some have very liberal theology and some are toward the other end of the spectrum - most of course are somewhere in the middle! That makes spiritual formation difficult to deliver in a uniform way - even talking about holiness is controversial, as the word is hardly used amongst the liberals, and everyone's understanding of it seems to be different. So basically TSSF leave my spiritual formation up to TSA apart from the regular reviews.

In practice I am required by TSSF to go to the spiritual director of my choice on a regular basis (ie an hour about every six weeks). I am also required to go on retreat at least once a year. The spiritual director really works with me on my inner life, and experience of prayer and my relationship with God. In terms of formation, which I think needs to be linked to practical mission in some form, I could do with someone to talk this over with, focussing on what I'm reading, journalling and so on, and what I am doing in practice in lay ministry but TSA does not provide people trained in this in my experience.

In practice there is quite a lot of overlap - if I'm reading a Franciscan book on poverty, then I will be praying around this and this will come up with my spiritual director etc.

I gather there is now mentoring for officers, I hope it soon extends to every soldier! :0)

Blessings
Mac

[Abiel]

I would love to find a spiritual director, not involved in my church- outside of myself so to speak. I feel I could be it for some one else too. I will have to do a bit of research

[mac8]

Do try it, it can be a very healing and hope-filled relationship. When I trained there was gentle disagreement between the team training us - some felt we should have no agenda in the hour we spend in direction. We should go in completely open to where God is leading the individual. The others felt that we did have an agenda - namely that at the end of the hour, the pilgrim we accompany should more deeply know the love of God.

I (being me) disagreed with all of them! After three years I've settled on an agenda that at the end of an hour the pilgrim should know more deeply that they are loved by God AND by at least someone in the church,if only their spiritual director - loved with the love of Christ as a sister or brother with whom I will share eternity. Also I can often point them gently to rediscovering the love that they are surrounded with by others in the church, even if they are feeling eclipsed by pain. So many of the people I've accompanied have been hurt in church situations, I realised that helping people to discover and know only the love of God missed this important point - that God also loves through us. There is love and grace in the church, and often we need to know that that is a reality to be on our way to healing.

If you contact your local catholic or Anglican diocesan house they will be able to give you a list of local directors. Don't be afraid to try a couple to find the right person, and don't be put off if you realise you are talking with someone whose theology is totally different to yours - it is not a matter of theology, it is a matter of drawing closer to the heart of God.


Warmest blessings,
Eleanor n/TSSF

[mac8]

Update

Simply to say that one of the associations of independent religious (comprising recognised Brothers and Sisters in monastic life who live independently) are guiding me through necessary paperwork to define and outline what is involved in a church denomination accepting an IR. This is a big help as it saves everyone re-inventing the wheel and trying to anticipate all the problems that could arise.

Warmest blessings
Eleanor n/TSSF
Penzance