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I remember a meeting of the Order in 1986 when a major shift in the life of the Order took place, symbolized in the move from the title “Canon” to “Abbot.” It was an evolution toward a new seriousness around the Rule of Life and Service and of our being a living community.

Change is inherent in life. The recent earthquakes in Haiti and Chile remind us that even the planet we live on is still evolving. All of this is preface to my sharing a letter that one or our members sent me. I share it here at length and invite you reflection, comment, and openness to hints of what God may doing among us.

I am reminded of a book I read a few years ago about the future of religious community life. I don't remember all what it had to say, but it did comment on the perennial evolution of religious communities. Certainly that is evident historically, but the process continues was the point being made in the book. What happens is that 'one size no longer fits all' and new adaptations take place, first within the Order or Community and then eventually separately or apart from the original community.

Just think for a moment about OSL in that light. Some of us lean toward Benedictism, and even one chapter calls itself the St. Benedict Chapter of St. Luke! And [some] of us …lean toward St. Francis and more involvement in the world.

The question is, can one community stretch to include all? Or is it the case that inevitably there will be spin offs that no longer are in sync with the original purpose of the Order or Society?

That is the nub of the issue, isn't it? Does the Order evolve and in so doing becomes more inclusive of different charisms? Or does it hold fast and stay focused on a single charism and let others drift away? I don't recall the book having an answer for that unfortunately. There probably isn't just one answer. Each community itself must decide that.

She goes on to muse on the Order’s long term focus on liturgical renewal and how that was “compelling to me when I was in parish ministry in the 1970-80's,” but that with time and transition is was much less so. “Instead,” she continues, “the whole matter of social justice became the focus of my ministry. And today …I cannot find my way back to being overly concerned with liturgical matters. It almost seems as though St. Luke is being used for a UMC agenda instead of St. Luke informing OSL of a larger mission. The canticles, the Eucharist and daily prayer, while important to Luke were hardly as important to him as the message of the inclusion of the Gentiles and the outcasts. Mary's Song is not about beautiful music for church services. It is about the mighty being cast down and the lowly lifted up. She raises a serious question worthy of reflection for all of us, and at the same time recognizes this is her own perspective, as she continues:

Of course, I write this from out of my own journey. But merely pointing it out I think makes it obvious even to those who haven't been on that journey. So the question is, who are we following? The Biblical St. Luke or the one adopted by UM [sic—Methodist Episcopal] clergy with a high church passion? The fact that the Rule of Life and Service makes Living for the Church its aim reveals a limitation in vision on the part of those who composed it many years ago. How long do we continue to follow that, or do we follow St. Luke? Or St. Benedict, or St. Francis, or St. Dominic?

Not something I can answer. Just aware that the questions are there before us.

I appreciate this sister’s raising the questions and I invite your reflections, comments and prayerful attentiveness to the where and how God may be leading us. And I urge you to read or reread Br. Hoyt Hickman's “The Story of the Order of Saint Luke,” in Sacramental Life (Volume XVII, No. 4, Fall 2006, pp. 13-30) and Br. Mark Stamm's "Looking Forward: Thoughts on the 60th Anniversary of teh Order of Saint Luke" in the same issue, as context for thinking about our evolving life together and the seasons of change we have already gone through.

Br. Abbot Daniel+