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<div class="moz-text-html" lang="x-western"> Dear Vona Andrea,<br>
<br>
We will answer questions #3 & #4:<br>
<br>
<p>3. Have you ever participated in an O.S. in religious context? What was
your experience?</p>
<p>We (including an ex nun and others who have been Catholic in the past
but are more recently in the Alternative Spiritual movement.) Those of us
"searching" found ourselves at an Open space event responding to the posting
of "How to create an alternative spiritual weekly event." The details are
below.<br>
</p>
<p><br>
4. Many religious people expect guidance from the church. But in an O.S. everybody
can bring up topics and there is no guidance. IN a religious context people
need spiritual guidance, they want to be filled with words and want to be
supported. How can O.S. work for these type of people?</p>
<p>We remain a small group because it is difficult for people to take responsibility
for their own expression of the God within. <br>
</p>
<p>Here is what has evolved for us and as noted we have met since November
weekly. The Circle is about 6 to 9 people every Sunday morning from 11:30
to 1:30 or 2:00.<br>
</p>
Here is what we've crafted so far. <br>
<br>
Warmly,<br>
Peter and Esther Fisher<br>
Asheville, North Carolia USA (in the middle of the Bible Belt)<br>
<br>
Here it is:<br>
<br>
<b>SACRED CIRCLES</b><br>
<br>
The Asheville, North Carolina Sacred Circle came together in October 2003
out of an Open Space event. We consider ourselves "spiritual pioneers” as
we explore spirit together and continue to evolve our Sacred Circle. <br>
<br>
But as we note below, it is not for everyone. <br>
<br>
Our Sacred Circle is a process of deep expression, listening and hearing by
every member of the Circle, as we consider each other’s responses. We are
open to quiet, to song, to toning, to talking, to acting and to expressing
and just to be or do “whatever”. We are respectful of each other’s expression
and there is a goodly amount of “space” between our participations so that
no one feels hurried, pushed or cut off. We watch and listen closely for threads
of commonality and diversity. Both are desirable. We evolve and spiral --
in usually about two hours -- through layers of our personal and group spiritual
awakening and reawakening. We often come to an “ideal” vision or situation
-- for the moment -- and are then always quite ready for the next outworking
-- to yet another ever more new reality. It is an exciting and deeply satisfying
process of love outworking.<br>
<br>
We believe that Sacred Circles inform the next step in humanity’s conscious
evolution. It just might be incumbent on some pioneering wise, spiritual and
thinking people to experience these new ways of being, of participation and
of self-organization. It can jump start our conscious evolution toward more
profound understandings of our new world -- that seem quite necessary in
our world today, for the New Millennium.<br>
Some say we are similar to the Friends (Quaker) religion, and we do not
mind that comparison, however we have absolutely no creed, no hierarchy,
no history, no expectations, no fixed beliefs -- and we are simply not part
of any official religious connection nor denomination. We do not have ministers,
assistants, priests, deacons or hierarchy of any sort. <br>
<br>
We all participate and it is heart warming to feel the Circle come alive each
time with that participation. (As John Stewart, of The Daily Show said on
the Larry King program recently: "we don't need anyone to interpret God for
us!") Those of us who participate in the Circle have a direct connection to
whatever we each sense God to be (or even not to be). We consider ourselves
wise, spiritual God beings having a human experience. We know we have absolute
CHOICE in our lives! Something beautiful and sustaining happens as we “do
whatever we do."<br>
<br>
Sacred Circles are creative, self-organizing, non-hierarchal and participative.
In our Sacred Circle we assume that all participants are both learners and
teachers, both students and ministers (or priests), and that each and all
bring valuable wisdom, knowledge and life perspective to the Sacred Circle.
Our Sacred Circle is collaborative and transformative, resulting in many
altered states of being, individually and collectively. Sometimes we go beyond
BEING to DOING -- with personal or collective action -- spiritual, social,
cultural or otherwise. We endeavor to always be in the NOW!<br>
<br>
Sacred Circles have several precursors. Open Space, developed by Harrison
Owen, is primary. Open Space is a group dialogue “technology” and more importantly
a way of life --much as Sacred Circles. Except Open Space events are usually
held for hundreds, even thousands of people at the same time (over 1 to 3
days) with techniques to break into smaller groups. As we implied above, our
Sacred Circle was sparked by and evolved out of an Open Space event.<br>
<br>
The Open Space phenomenon is an organic approach to facilitation of groups
of people and a style of living. It enables a very natural process of self-organization
found everywhere in nature. Open space works by creating a simple structure
through the application of a few simple rules and allows for a free flow of
communication between all its parts. Inside this process, groups unfold in
a seemingly random fashion, but in truth, its participants interact guided
by their passions and natural attractions. Thus was our Sacred Circle created.<br>
<br>
We also found the Sacred Circle approach written about by James Redfield
in his “Celestine Prophecy” where he said: “Part of the Eighth Insight is
learning to interact consciously.” This entire approach, however, also harks
back to the 60’s when George Leonard, then a Look magazine editor and a New
Age proponent, wrote a small book entitled “Education and Ecstasy” that was
about a possible new state of being. It was about all of us having been brought
up to sit quietly in rows in school as small children, about having been required
to be attentive to the pronouncements of others as youths and about sitting
in audiences, churches and seminars as adults even today -- listening to
others talk AT US. The old idea was that others knew more and were more spiritual
than we are. <br>
<br>
We are changing that! Some of us have discovered that we have a very strong
passion to explore our spiritual wisdom together in Sacred Circles. <br>
<br>
Sacred Circles are not for everyone, however. One almost has to feel restlessness
with his or her current spiritual practices. Those who seem to take to the
Circles most have that passion to express their wisdom in interaction and
participation with others. These Circles require a profound level of presence,
maturity and awareness. <br>
<br>
If one is still very comfortable and content with others taking the primary
responsibility for one’s religious or spiritual sustenance and consideration,
then the Circle is probably not right yet. If one can accept a temporarily
greater degree of uncertainty and looseness they may wish to meditate on their
motives for attendance at their current religious or spiritual practices.
<br>
<br>
If one has any degree of passion or restlessness toward greater participation,
they may wish to attend a Sacred Circle. If you do decide to attend a Circle,
please give it a good try, and participate fully three or four times until
it “feels” comfortable. There is always a time of angst in “leaving” old familiar
friends, practices and expectations. At any rate one can soon find a new
community of friends and caring fellow seekers in a Spiritual Circle that
will be most supportive, loving and caring -- if you simply give it a chance.
<br>
<br>
We would love to have you join with us or help you get started where you
are! Please call or contact us if you are interested in any way. <br>
<br>
With love,<br>
The Asheville Sacred Circle<br>
Asheville, North Carolina<br>
828-298-5800<br>
<br>
</div>
<br>
<br>
Vona Andrea wrote:<br>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid20040313215400.257456330@web01.vipmail.hu">
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; ">
<p>Dear EVerybody experienced in Open Space,</p>
<p>I am doing a research o n the use of O.S. in the Catholic church. It
is connected to an O.S .even held last autumn in Hungary. I've made several
interviews with the participants and many quesitons arouse. If you have any
ideas, opinions about the following quesitons. Feel free to answer.</p>
<p>1. If the participants do not know much about O.S. in advance, they
can bring up a topic, but can they take responsibility for their topic if
they did not have the chance to prepare for that topic?</p>
<p>2. The Law of Two Feet can give you the chance to "step out" of those
situations, which seem to be awkward and problematic but if you are brave
enough and stay there, maybe you can solve your problems. Isn't it dangerous
to step out of each situation which we find at first sight uncomfortable
or boring. Maybe it is just the temptation to escape and avoid something.</p>
<p>3. Have you ever participated in an O.S. in religious context? What
was your experience?</p>
<p>4. Many religious people expect guidance from the church. But in an
O.S. everybody can bring up topics and there is no guidance. IN a religious
context people need spiritual guidance, they want to be filled with words
and want to be supported. How can O.S. work for these type of people?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I look forward to any replies.</p>
<p>Best wishes, Andrea Vona, University of Economic Sciences, Budapest,
Hugary.</p>
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