Simplicity

Don't interpret this post according to the image. It's just what came up on Google images when I searched for "simplicity," I've seen it before, and it makes me laugh. =)

During the month of August, our community is corporately practicing the discipline of simplicity. We've challenged ourselves to live on half our disposable income for the month. We're trying to spend half what we usually would for groceries, household supplies, entertainment...any expenses that aren't fixed (i.e. I'm not paying only half the rent just because it's simplicity month). At the end of the month, we plan to take the money saved and use it for several areas of need around us.

I went grocery shopping yesterday for the first time this month. I decided to go to the cheaper grocery store--the one I usually avoid. I don't regularly shop there because it's usually too busy, the produce isn't as good, and they don’t carry a lot of the brands/varieties that I prefer. But: cheaper.

While shopping, I realized how often I opt to buy something more expensive because "it's only a few rand more" and "I can afford this" and "I like it better." This month, I'm cutting all the corners I can, so I said no to the things I would usually buy a more expensive version of. It made me realize how often I rationalize a little higher grocery bill out of preference for unnecessary extras. What if I didn't have the option to buy the more expensive juice? I buy far too much LiquiFruit Cranberry Cooler!

I've always thought I'm fairly wise with my money. And honestly, that's pretty true. But I hadn't realized just how many times I spend money I don't need to spend, just for the sake of preference and desire. This month, I keep asking myself if I really need this thing. Usually, I don't. It's making me think. And that's good.

In addition to living on half my disposable income, I've also decided to limit my online time this month. Specifically, I'm not logging into Facebook for the month of August. I've found quite a few old friends on Facebook, people it's been really good to reconnect with. More than that, there are a lot of friends back home who I keep in better touch with on Facebook than I would over email. Even family: my brother & sister-in-law, my oldest niece, my sister...it's awesome to have a more consistent connection, even if it's just through minor things like status updates. But: when I check FB 3 or 4 times a day, to skim through mostly unimportant information about my 300+ friends and casual acquaintances...that's not exactly a wise use of my time. It's not really personally connecting at all. So, August: no Facebook. I've realized that checking Facebook every time I got online was far more automatic than I thought it was. Cutting it out has helped me be more conscientious about how I use my time online. This is also good.

One final observation: in the past week, far more people than usual have approached me asking for money (people I know, as well as random people I run into on the street). Maybe it just seems that way. I've been more conscious of responding to need, in any case. I keep being reminded of why I'm practicing simplicity...not just for the sake of the discipline itself, but so that I can share with others out of what is saved.

Goodbye Pictures

The group gathered to send off the Stewarts to the airport

Arthur & Melissa and me

Goodbyes

My dear friends and team members the Stewarts are leaving South Africa this afternoon, for a 10-month sabbatical in the States. There are so many things I will miss about Arthur and Melissa, but I am equally thankful for each of those things I will miss. They have given of themselves abundantly to our community and in ministry over the past 6 years, and it's my prayer that they themselves will be blessed just as abundantly during this time of sabbatical.

We had a goodbye dinner for them this past Friday night... here are some photos.

Mmm, bobotie.

Dinner in the sitting room

Arthur & Melissa

It wouldn't have been complete without entertainment from our resident rock star, Busi, performing both an original song and a lipsynch.

Reading Psalm 121 as a blessing for the family.

We will miss you, Stewarts!

Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

God's Invitation

Peace of Christ
Gate and cross at St. Benedict’s House, Rosettenville, Joburg

This past weekend was our community reflection retreat, looking back on the Inviting Posture. The apprentices and a few of the staff (Bryan, Dayna, and me) went to a retreat center in Joburg for solitude and reflection, and sharing together what God had been doing in each of us during the posture and over the weekend.

As part of the posture, apprentices had been asked to write out their understanding of God’s invitation extended to all mankind. As part of the weekend, we were to finish writing (or start and finish writing!) these invitations.

Some created tangible physical invitations, others crafted words in journals; some were very personal and others more universal, but all of us attempted to convey a glimpse of what God is inviting us into. All 11 of us shared our invitations with each other on Sunday morning before we headed back to Pretoria. We went around the circle, each person sharing a little about the writing of their invitation, and then reading it aloud.

As Oupa read his invitation, I had one of those moments of resonance. It was such a beautiful picture to sit there with my community, hearing each person articulate God’s invitation in their own words: unique and yet so very universal pieces of the incomprehensible idea of God’s invitation to mankind.

Each one represented a different piece of God’s invitation; together they pointed to something so much larger. As the winter sunlight streamed through the windows over Oupa’s shoulders, I saw and heard a glimpse of God’s Kingdom in our midst. A glimpse of the Kingdom that is here, at hand, and to come. We are invited in.

Here’s my invitation.

Come to me.

Come and discover the home you long for, the place where you belong. Join the feast at my table; the family waits for your arrival. You are invited to live your life from within the family of God. Make your home here and find your identity as a child of this family.

Come and discover who you’re created to be—live out who you really are as a child in my house. I invite you into my life, that you may live Christ in your life.

Come, discover your deepest desires; live your truest identity, and you will find me there.

Home is waiting. It has been prepared for you.

You are invited in.

What do you want?

Do you want to be healed?

Come to me.

Reminder

I've needed encouragement to persevere lately. As I've been in the middle of sustaining hurts and working at addressing the conflict that often comes when living in community, I've grown weary of the hard work it takes. During the recent women's trip, I was looking at some necklaces in a small shop. One in particular caught my eye, a rectangle with a small symmetrical cross symbol on it. The card it was attached to said it was an African symbol for endurance. I've been at a place of wanting to give up on several community issues lately, and found it significant that this particular necklace caught my eye.

Home from the women's trip, I've changed my desktop picture to the following image, taken in Florence a few years ago. These instructions appear on the plexiglass around the gallery inside the Duomo, about halfway through a climb to the top of the dome. I found the instructions amusing at the time. Right now, I need the reminder.