Ponderings - Perichoretic Community of the Triune God

So, I'm beginning to get some of the thoughts that started to form at the School of Spiritual Direction out of my head and onto "paper." Some of this is simply repeating what I heard from Larry and some of it is the formation of my own thoughts and opinions as the Spirit leads. This is open for discussion, although these first few entries will be from emails that I've sent to the ministry Trustees of Just a Girl Ministries, as we prepare for our annual spiritual retreat coming up in a little more than a week.

SSD #28 Friends, please chime in!

Contemplation towards retreat #14

As I've thought about the perichoretic (http://www.theopedia.com/Perichoresis) relationship of the Trinity and God's desire to relate to us in perfect community, and
thereby stirring up in us the desire to relate to others in this same way, these thoughts have surface.

The sense of community comes from a stirred up desire to be with someone. It's a unique desire to be one with another. Most easily demonstrated in the positive exchage of a sexual relationship. What is it about the coming together in the sexual union that creates a oneness? There's a vulnerability, a surrender, an openness that
indicates give and take. Healthy, biblical sexual relationships are welcoming to
the participants. There is safety for the participants and the ability to be real in the exchange.

This type of oneness has been cheapened by the sexualization of society, but never the less, the sexual union was designed by the creator to be the most intimate exchange of being with another. If the sexual union has been cheapened and spoiled so dramatically, I wonder how the our other interactions have been affected and what that does to our sense of community.

As I've pondered these thoughts, the idea of image management has been heavy on my mind. What do I/we do to make sure the people think well of us? And how does that stiffle the community. Where is the vulnerabilty and openness when I'm managing my image to those around me? How am contributing to the safety of the community for others when I'm concerned about their thoughts of me? If there's to be give and take in community, have I made myself available for both the give and the take?

These thoughts have led me to determine that community can be a very scary place. To be vulnerable means that I loosen my grip on control and begin to flow with the Spirit. I'm at risk for many things, but one of the scariest is you. You might be disagreeable. You might be annoying. You might not be open to me. And the closer we get, the more subtle these things might be. What was endearing early in the relationshipe, becomes a source of irritation as the relationship grows. But even the scariest of things can be made familiar and even tender.

Author George MacDonald, spiritual mentor to C.S. Lewis stated that "The way to get to know someone is to forgive them." Forgiveness is the absolute most important element of community. It's the only way to truly be with someone. Forgiveness it the key to allowing myself to be vulnerable to you. It provides me with the security to be real and to interact with you in such a way that you too are free to be with me. True
forgiveness drives us deeper into spiritual community, but cannot be experienced
without another element that I will discuss in tomorrow's Contemplation towards
retreat.