| INTRO I ARTICLES I PRAYERS I LINKS | |
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 The Cenacle in Jerusalem |
CENACLE
1. A clique or circle, especially of writers.
etym. (The American Heritage Dictionary, 2000) |
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These pages are dedicated to our own idiosyncratic views, which we hope will entertain, intrigue, and edify all at the same time. No thoughts expressed here can be in any way construed as official. They are from the heart; we suspect, in all humility, that they are closer to the earnest, yet playful, and deeply optimistic, spirit of the desert Fathers, than to the heavy dogmatism (however necessary) of the Councils.
We find that the richness of the Christian mystical and intellectual heritage is too easily brushed aside as dogmatic and sterile, out of date and lacking mystical depth when compared to the gourmet selections of other religions stacking the shelves of bookstores, when in reality it compels us to engage with it because of its ubiquitous presence in almost every area of our culture. For most English speakers the old Christian tradition is our primary experience of religion, yet so many leave it for the allure of vaguely understood formulae of other religions. This shows a hunger, one which for most intellectuals is not typically satisfied by the churches. While social and ethical work is indeed the primary collective duty of the church, the individual spirit is also in need of nourishment, which can only come from tranquil contemplation and prayer in solitude. As the example of the spiritual life for Christians, the ministry of Jesus gives us examples of both kinds of spiritual exercise, which feed both the outer and the inner. Trusting that individuals are active in the public work of their respective churches, these pages instead offer nourishment going to the inside, to thought and contemplation, in the quiet of the upstairs room away from the noise and hubbub of the street. +Mar Gregory |
