Who are we ???

Alan sent me an email recently and I have taken a long time to answer it! He asks me (amongst other things) :

I've thought about you and the community that you guys have there a good deal. I wonder a lot about how it works. How "are" you a community together? What does that involve for you guys? How does it work in relation to different traditions in the same community?

So I asked the other dudes. Here's what they wrote (and Alan, an email is on its way tonight!!)

Being there for each other; sharing your lives in times of joy and in timesof sadness; being faithful to God and the community; and enjoying the wine of God and man.
-Hilary

For me it involves sharing each others life. The ups and downs. Meals...lots of meals (which I love) and of course drinks and brekkie each Saturday morning.
-Jason

It's about time, commitment, loyalty, love . . .turning up when you don't feel like it 'cos you know that feeling will be gone soon,knowing that sharing life is a key way to grow,that connection is valuable and necessary for ALL of us . . .knowing that I am going to share the rest of my life with these buggers (me included!) And to drink wine, eat good food, laugh, cry, complain, share, parent, hope, dream, love, forgiveKnowing you are not alone . . . And an occasional prayer!
-Chris

Having a bunch of shoulders to lift each other up in the really hardtimes (a bunch is so much better than one), and an understanding ear (orthree) to listen when you just need to get some sh...stuff off yourchest. I guess we are there to share all the bits of our lives (the goodand the bad) as well as sharing a meal or 2 ... and plenty ofwine/coffee. We pray together when we can and probably sometimes wish wehad more opportunities to do so. As a group we have become a bit morelike family than friends.

The different traditions in our community are not really all thatdifferent, and the diversity that does exist only enriches ourcommunity. Some of us have 'changed' (maybe moved is a better word)traditions but we all share our differences helping each other to grow.Not that we always agree with each other, but we're prepared to listenand accept where each of us is in our personal journey with God. In theend I think we are all embracing this sense of a group of people wantingto live out our faith in our daily lives together.
- Matt