One further thought from the book, on the subject of life journeys (given that 'journey' is often a metaphor we apply to the Christian life). To quote: 'The metaphor of journey is both powerful and limited. True, life may be seen as a sequence of departures and arrivals; sometimes we do leave important places and relationships behind. But more often they undergo transformation. It is closer to the truth to say that over time some parts of us remain constant and some change. Patterns woven into our sense of self in one environment often remain a part of the tapestry of our inner life even as we change. We never leave home entirely behind. We grow and become by letting go and holding on, leaving and staying, journeying and abiding. A good life is a balance of home and pilgrimage' (Parks et al, Common Fire, p. 31)
What formative experiences lead people to live lives of commitment to the wider world and the common good? This is the focus of an interesting book by Laurent Parks Daloz and three colleagues, called Common Fire: Leading Lives of Commitment in a Complex World (Beacon Press 1996). Interviewing a variety of people in mid-life who have managed to sustain a long-term commitment to making the world a better place, the researchers note a number of common 'orientations' - 1) the ability to create time to pause, reflect and assess 2) the ability to live well both within and beyond one's 'tribe' or primary network of belonging 3) the development of a practice of 'connection' (i.e., moving beyond individualism and seeing/living one's life in such a way as recognises how things and people are interconnected and inter-dependent 4) the development of positive language, symbols or images which enable people to imagine a better future - a kind of hopeful imagination. The authors note that congregations and religious communities of different types can play a positive role in fostering those orientations - so how practically might we do it in our churches?
One further thought from the book, on the subject of life journeys (given that 'journey' is often a metaphor we apply to the Christian life). To quote: 'The metaphor of journey is both powerful and limited. True, life may be seen as a sequence of departures and arrivals; sometimes we do leave important places and relationships behind. But more often they undergo transformation. It is closer to the truth to say that over time some parts of us remain constant and some change. Patterns woven into our sense of self in one environment often remain a part of the tapestry of our inner life even as we change. We never leave home entirely behind. We grow and become by letting go and holding on, leaving and staying, journeying and abiding. A good life is a balance of home and pilgrimage' (Parks et al, Common Fire, p. 31)
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We didn't include it in our 'Resource Guide' but we briefly discussed including a section on 'gap years and internships' given the changing landscape of years out and career breaks as an aspect of the contemporary life course. My personal perception is that the traditional pre-university gap year to do something charitable or voluntary is declining somewhat as the prospect of higher education tuition fees looms ever larger. However, there has been a counter-balancing growth in internships for young adults and gap-year opportunities for older adults. Chris Moore, rector of Fownhope in Hereford Diocese, points us towards a Baptist Union page of 'time out' opportunities for older adults at: http://www.baptist.org.uk/mission-opportunities.html. Whilst in this week's Church Times (11 Jan 2013) there is an extended feature on Christian organisations offering gap-year or volunteer placements for all ages. Subscribers to the paper can find the link here: http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2013/11-january/features/features/the-last-can-turn-out-to-be-best. Some public libraries will also take a copy of the paper.
Please visit our 'resources' page for the first draft of our resource guide to through-life discipleship. It's a work in progress, so we'd be delighted if you could tell us of any further useful organisations, learning materials, books or websites which specifically deal with the intersection between discipleship and age/life stage/generations.
Using his final speech in the House of Lords as Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams led a debate on the contribution of older people to society. Read the full text of his speech here: http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/articles.php/2748/archbishop-older-people-are-still-participants-in-society-not-passengers
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AuthorsIan Jones is Director of St Peter's Saltley Trust. Archives
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