<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><DIV>Dear Brothers and Sisters,</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV>This reflection was written at Alnmouth recently. Having consulted with the others on the TSSF Studies Steering Group, who felt it reflected the Group's thoughts as well, it was passed on to those who hold office in TSSF by Adrian Noble, the convener of the Steering Group. However it was thought that it might be helpful to share it with all of the people on the TSSF Studies list.<DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV class="MsoPlainText"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> " <SPAN style="">In Community.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In Communication: a reflection from Alnmouth"</SPAN></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoPlainText"><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV class="MsoPlainText"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">For me, being 'in community' means 'being in communication with'.</FONT><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </FONT></SPAN><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">For us, as Franciscans, this can take any number of forms:</FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoPlainText"><SPAN style=""><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </FONT></SPAN><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoPlainText"><SPAN style=""><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">in silence</FONT></SPAN><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">- in prayerful communication where the spoken word is not necessary </FONT><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"></FONT></SPAN></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoPlainText"><SPAN style=""><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">spoken directly</FONT></SPAN><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">- in person; by telephone; or by a tape recording</FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoPlainText"><SPAN style=""><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">in writing</FONT></SPAN><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">-</FONT><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </FONT></SPAN><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">the more traditional method of using pen and paper or the printed word or more recently, using a computer</FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoPlainText"><SPAN style=""><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </FONT></SPAN><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoPlainText"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">Not all of these means are available to all of us in Community all of the time.</FONT><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </FONT></SPAN><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">But most are, at least some of the time!</FONT><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </FONT></SPAN><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">And depending on the circumstances, we tend to use the means of communication that we are most comfortable with, and which fits the need.</FONT><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </FONT></SPAN><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">However choosing to use one form</FONT><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </FONT></SPAN><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">(say visiting someone) is not ever intended to exclude all other members of the community who are not there at that particular time.</FONT><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </FONT></SPAN><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">The same goes for a telephone conversation, or an e-mail conversation.</FONT><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </FONT></SPAN><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">Whatever passes between the particular members of Community in that conversation can easily be passed on to other members of the Community using any of the means noted above.</FONT><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </FONT></SPAN><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoPlainText"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoPlainText"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">Community is about inclusion; so is communication, whatever form we use.</FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoPlainText"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoPlainText"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">TSSF, in an effort to enhance communication</FONT><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </FONT></SPAN><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">between all of its members, no matter where they are</FONT><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </FONT></SPAN><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">physically, uses all of the means of communication</FONT><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </FONT></SPAN><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">available to its members.</FONT><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </FONT></SPAN><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">And where one form is not available universally, another form is used instead.</FONT><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </FONT></SPAN><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">No should ever feel excluded by distance, age, financial means, or disability.</FONT><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </FONT></SPAN><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoPlainText"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoPlainText"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">A TSSF-Studies Steering Group was set up under the convenership of Adrian Noble, to encourage a sharing of ideas about particular topics in a prayerful and thoughtful way.</FONT><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </FONT></SPAN><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">This has followed on from the Third Order Study Initiative which had, informally, organized a few Study Weeks at Alnmouth Friary over the past few years. TON 24 touched on this, explaining the rationale behind it, and some of the ways that these conversations could be facilitated in our small local groups, and more broadly across the province, by computer. The first 'conversation' which the Steering Group has initiated is 'the nature of the local group'. There are a few papers offered to begin the conversation which</FONT><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </FONT></SPAN><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">can be accessed by computer and/or downloaded by going to the Studies Page of the TSSF website <A href="http://orders.anglican.org/tssf/studies/">http://orders.anglican.org/tssf/studies/</A></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoPlainText"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoPlainText"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">It is hoped that the majority of local groups will have at least one member who has access to a computer who might volunteer to print the papers off for those who might wish to join in the conversation. </FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoPlainText"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoPlainText"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">As with all communication, it sometimes suffers from paucity or excess! Those members with e-mail access experienced the latter early in January!</FONT><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </FONT></SPAN><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">The Steering Group apologises for this.</FONT><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </FONT></SPAN><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">However, the initial teething problems have been addressed (with grateful thanks to Andrew Dotchin) and for those who wish to participate in the conversation using this method, it seems to be meeting the need of (and sparking the imagination of!) dozens of tertiaries, some of whom, for one reason or another, have felt isolated in the past and have welcomed</FONT><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </FONT></SPAN><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">being 'in touch' with other Brothers and Sisters right across the Province, whose only contact until now has been through prayer using the Intercession List.</FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoPlainText"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoPlainText"><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">There are many ways of being 'in communication' with our Community.</FONT><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </FONT></SPAN><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">Let us use whatever means are available to each of us to strengthen the bonds which, being part of a Community, are so important to us.</FONT><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </FONT></SPAN><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">This can be done whilst ensuring that no one ever feels excluded.</FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><O:P></O:P></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> </FONT></DIV><DIV>Pax et bonum,</DIV><DIV>Nancy</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><A href="mailto:nancy@newbigging.org">nancy@newbigging.org</A></DIV><DIV><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"></FONT></DIV><DIV><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></FONT></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"><DIV><DIV><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"><FONT face="arial,helvetica"><BR>TSSF-studies mailing list<BR><A href="mailto:TSSF-studies@justus.anglican.org">TSSF-studies@justus.anglican.org</A><BR><A href="http://justus.anglican.org/mailman/listinfo/tssf-studies.justus">http://justus.anglican.org/mailman/listinfo/tssf-studies.justus</A><BR></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE><FONT face="arial,helvetica"></FONT><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">_______________________________________________</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">TSSF-studies mailing list</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">To repley to this email send a message to <A href="mailto:TSSF-studies@justus.anglican.org">TSSF-studies@justus.anglican.org</A></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">To find details about your subscriptions and unsubscription options go to <A href="http://justus.anglican.org/mailman/listinfo/tssf-studies.justus">http://justus.anglican.org/mailman/listinfo/tssf-studies.justus</A></DIV> </BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>