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Report on the 16th Annual Conference of The Community of Celebration/Fisherfolk
June 14-17, 2001



QUESTIONS GOD ASKS

This summary of Celebration's Annual Conference held at Gilmary Retreat Center June 14-17, 2001 was written by Community member Phil Bradshaw for The Living Church.

Where are you? What is your name? What are you doing here? What do you want me to do for you? These were some of the questions God was asking the participants at the Community of Celebration's annual conference, held at Gilmary Conference Center, Coraopolis, PA in June. Led by the Rev. Dr. Ann Paton, one time Professor of English at Geneva College, each session gently probed some of most sensitive areas of the spirit with a combination of inspirational teaching, private meditation and time for sharing, praying for and blessing one another.

During afternoon workshops on community and evangelism, Captain John Stanley of the Church Army, now living in Celebration's row houses in Aliquippa, shared some powerful experiences of his family during the course of ministry in Kings Cross, the red light district of Sydney, Australia. Using a rapid question-and-scribble-on-the-flipchart approach, he drew out the fact that many of the words we use to describe the gospel in action are the same words we use to describe community. Ordinary, simple ways of building community are not therefore peripheral to the gospel; they are the very stuff of the good news itself.

Celebration is well known for its worship, with which the conference was well seasoned in formal and informal ways. The Gilmary chapel especially lent itself to the daily offices and other services. One such was a beautiful Taizé style service, which left a profound sense of peace as the lights were finally switched off, leaving the chapel in darkness save for an array of silent, flickering candles.

Rest, relaxation and fun are also on the menu at Celebration conferences. This year, one notable feature consisted of jamming by various guitarists and singers. There was actually a serious side to this. In Aliquippa the Community are joining forces with the Church Army in seeking to build bridges into the local community. One attempt involves a group singing in local bars - which in turn requires practice and generation of material. Through the medium of fun, the conferees were thus drawn into what it is hoped will be an emerging ministry.

All the various threads of the conference were drawn together in a concluding Eucharist. The Rev. Phil Bradshaw (a Community member on detached service in England) preached. He spoke about the difference between the religious approach to God, often unconsciously "going by the book," with that of Jesus, which was more like "singing the song of God." The service included a space for prayer ministry to those who desired it. Many old friends renewed acquaintance and fellowship at this conference, and many, too, went away with a song in their heart.

 

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