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An Invitation to “Practice”We speak of Faithful Fools Street Ministry as being a “practice”. It is a practice of love and service. It is this practice that is at the heart of the street retreats; of the copy business; of the daily accompaniment of people; of regular times of reflection; of standing as witness at City Hall; of Action-Reflection-Action; of our presence with people and in a neighborhood that are labeled “bad” and “unsafe”; and of providing a space for the artists’ soul to discover its expression.
Rachel Naomi Remen has written in her book, My Grandfather’s Blessings, a reflection that inspires us in our practice of service. We share a portion of it with you. “Service rests on the basic premise that the nature of
life is sacred…Fundamentally, helping, fixing, and service are ways of seeing
life. When you help you see life as weak. When you fix, you see life
as broken. When you serve, you see life as whole. From the
perspective of service, we are all connected. All suffering is like my
suffering and all joy is like my joy…Service goes beyond expertise. Service is
another way of life. Service is a relationship between equals…In helping,
we may find a sense of satisfaction; in serving, we have an experience of
gratitude… When we serve, we discover that life is holy…Service is closer to
generosity than it is to duty…Over the long run, fixing and helping are draining
but service is renewing.
The Faithful Fools invite you to “practice” with us. Making a street retreat, driving someone to an appointment, making copies, playing with children, shadowing a youth on a street retreat, serving a meal, acting in a play, updating the data base, painting walls, addressing envelopes or sitting in reflection together, is done with a commitment to practice love and service as a whole community out of a place of generosity. If you are interested in meeting with one of the Fools please contact us or let us know on-line. |
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Copyright © 2000-2008 Faithful Fools Street Ministry |
When
you serve, your work itself will sustain you, renew you, and bless you, often
over many years.”