Many of us who are following the Anglican Church of Canada on our socmed will have noticed a significant theme this past week: we got a lot of posts from both CLAY and Justice Camp. These posts have made me very happy.
Why? It’s not because I was there, that my pics or stories were the ones being shared. It’s because these events have taken place and have opened up new and exciting possibilities to those attending – just as opportunities were opened to folks in the past.
I’m happy to see these posts because I was, at one time, involved with both of these events. At the first justice camp, an abstract concept was brought to life in a real and exhilarating way; this has grown organically, moulding and forming and shifting as each new justice camp looks at different themes in different areas. But the premise, the overall structure, and the immense potential benefit all remain the same. In, my opinion, that’s a good thing! My involvement with CLAY (then CLYG) goes back even further, and here too I can see the benefit of the tradition, while recognizing the vibrancy of the changes.
These types of events speak to me of the importance of community, and of the commitment of the church to establish a forum for a specific type of spiritual growth and formation. These events, in particular, are two examples that demonstrate how this community can continue to grow in its tradition by being flexible enough to incorporate change. It’s a delicate balance, but one worth noting.
There are constantly conferences and events that are dreamed up and organized; some may continue on while others may end up being a one-time thing. In my opinion, however, it is the ongoing nature and ever-intentional inclusivity of events like these two I’ve mentioned that help to make them such a success, time after time. It is because they are founded on faith and rooted in tradition – while changing enough to remain relevant to a new demographic each time.
I would encourage folks to learn more about these events – and others like them! Let’s together, in and as community, delve deeper into the beauty of tradition – celebrating that its flexibility keeps it vibrant.
By Dawn Leger August 20, 2014 - 10:06 am
Yes and yes and yes!
I love watching community traditions return and grow year after year.
One of the challenges is remembering that our traditions are not obvious to everyone, especially those coming for the first time. The hardest traditions to pass on are those that were born, not created-things that just, “came to be”. At what point do those things become something we always do, and therefore should be shared with people in a way they can fully participate, not simply say, “Oh, we’ll have to come back and do that next year”?