Community of the Holy Spirit
October - November 2012
What is an "Associate"
TEAny Hats and Seamen's Church Institute
On the Lighter Side
Book Nook - Reviews
Quick Links
Dear friends,

As you can see, we are late once again with the CHS e-newsletter. Sadly, this time the cause was the devastating storm Sandy. We were very fortunate; the four-story city convent is located in the "heights" of Manhattan and escaped damage from the winds and flooding there.

In Brewster the rain bands appeared to pass on either side of us, and our location on the lee side of a hill protected us from the worst of the winds. Just a mile away, on the other side of the hill, our friends are still cleaning up the remains of twelve huge trees that landed in their yard, on their home and on their cars. Twenty more trees were downed on the small woodlot next to them.

Many, many people in the Northeast are still suffering deeply from this storm. Your prayers, and any other assistance you might be able to offer, are deeply appreciated.

The Community of the Holy Spirit
What is an "Associate"?

Associates are persons, both lay and clergy, who seek an active affiliation with the Community of the Holy Spirit. Many people are searching for ways to deepen their relationship with God. Following a Rule of Life helps women and men to focus on their prayer life, committing some part of their day to intentional prayer and/or service. Having a sense of the baptismal call to community, they wish to live it more fully and desire to be helped in this commitment by keeping in touch with the Sister for Associates.

If you are interested exploring this possibility for your life, please contact Sr. Leslie, Sister for Associates.
---  Leslie, CHS
Sister for Associates

 

TEAny Hats and Seamen's Church Institute

 

Over the years, sisters at the Community of the Holy Spirit have been part of the volunteer knitting program for the Seamen's Church Institute. In the early days we knit scarves and caps for seamen, but this year three of us joined in the 1200 TEAny Hat Project. For the past several weeks we've been knitting teensy weensy little seamen's watch caps, which will go on Tazo tea bottles this coming winter. It's a unique awareness effort sponsored by participating Starbucks in New Jersey. 

Many people don't think about the fact that most of our "stuff" comes to us on container ships, and the seafarers who work on those ships spend an average of nine consecutive months away from their families. Each little cap comes with a label that says "Baby, it's cold outside!" and talks about the comforts we all enjoy thanks to the seafarers' efforts. It gives a link to the Seamen's Church website so interested people can learn more and volunteer in the various projects they offer.

So far we've knitted close to 100 little hats, and some of our holy statues have been kind enough to model them.
--- Claire Joy, CHS 
On the Lighter Side

In August, while Sr. Carol Bernice was away at a NOFA Conference, Resident Companion Jody Ballew jumped right in with helping on the farm by milking our Jersey cow Sil. The early days were not easy. Below is the poem he wrote after his frustrating first effort alone.

Jody, ready to milk
Dearest sisters on Bluestone Farm
I never meant your cow no harm,
But when I went to milk your Sil
She really gave me quite a thrill.  
She kicked, she hissed, shoved and spit.
She knocked the bucket into her fit.
I think this cow maintains a station
in a movement of liberation.
I begged, I pleaded, and even prayed.
This warrior would not behave.
Perhaps what she don't understand
Is why so rough is a man's hand.
In time I hope that she will see
The tiny distance she is from me.  
Til then, I ask, when she has kelp,
That one of you please give me help.
Then there'll be more on the shelf,
For none is true when by their self.


--- Jody Ballew

Sisters' note: it has been our experience that the cow never ends up on the short end of a human encounter. Eight hundred pounds of cow can do anything she wants to do, any time. (As Jody cheerfully put it, "No cows were harmed in the composition of this poem"!) Following those first few challenging days, he now peacefully milks both Sil and Jiffy regularly and in a state of meditative peace and breathing discipline -- a great gift to cow and sisters alike!
Book Nook

 Paul Gilding


Gilding analyzes Earth's crises today -- economic, environmental, and social -- and prospects for the immediate future. Unlike many other forecasts, this goes deeply into and beyond the monumental crash that seems inevitable to consider the ways in which humans have reacted in the past and what might be a real possibility in the future. Not an easy read, definitely not unrealistic, but an eye opener to  he potential we have for change and why that may result in a future we can hardly imagine.





Charles  A. Kupchan


This book, like The Great Disruption by Paul Gilding, deals with the disaster toward which our civilization seems to be headed, and its possible aftermath. Unlike Paul Gilding, Professor Kupchan does not foresee a world dominated by one or more great powers; rather, he predicts multiple centers of power -- it will be no one's world -- requiring major changes in international relationships and diplomacy.

This is not an easy read, but it is well written and I, for one, am going to reread it soon. It deserves serious consideration by everyone concerned about our future.

--- Mary Elizabeth, CHS