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Going with God ’ s Flow The Charity of Christ Impels Us

Embrace resistance as a teacher and key to transformation in this insightful exploration of Vincentian wisdom on belonging, collaboration, and service. Discover the power of "AND" in charity, justice, and love for the poor and rich. Learn how resistance is a holy place for God's work in us, guiding us towards conversion and deeper relationships.

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Going with God ’ s Flow The Charity of Christ Impels Us

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  1. Going with God’s FlowThe Charity of Christ Impels Us • by Regina Bechtle, SC

  2. Introduction • Energy of God’s love • Overview • God’s energy impels us toward • Relationship, connection, collaboration, partnership • Ways we resist energy • Resistance is an invitation to go with the flow • Resource to harness energy of resistance • Wisdom of our Vincentian founders • Great Vincentian word “and”

  3. God’s Energy Impels Us • Reign of God = new way of being in relationship • Jesus’ dream - belonging • Vincent and Louise’s vision • Poor have a claim on us • We belong to one another • Elizabeth Seton’s vision • Relationships of belonging impel to lives of service • Frederic, Rosalie’s vision • Bring Christ’s love to a cold world, make it a place where all belong

  4. Creation • Fundamental direction of creation • From “I” to “We” • Grace of knowing we belong, especially to those in need • Called to break boundaries

  5. Breaking Boundaries • Rich and poor • Between • Our groups • Our Congregations • Our Provinces • “We are food and drink for one another. We are one another’s body and blood. We are one another’s salvation.” (Ivone Gebara)

  6. Resistance • A Look at resistance • Impel or repel? • All living things resist threats to survival • Institutions resist change • Resistance as a teacher • Usually in the place where we are afraid • Resistance has a positive face • Resistance is the dragon guarding precious treasure

  7. Resistance • Plays key role in transformation • Our wounds are doorways into conversion • “We must be so careful to meet our grace.” (Elizabeth) • “Go to the places that scare you.” (Buddhist Saying) • “What if, at least occasionally, we came together in order to change our mind?” (Margaret Wheatley)

  8. Motivation to Transformation • What moves us to conversion and transformation? • Opening to the needs of others • Place of resistance is a holy place where God is very active

  9. Wisdom of Our Founders • The Vincentian “and” • The way to God is the way of both/and • Love God AND love the neighbor • Rich AND Poor • Action AND Prayer • Solitude AND community • Head AND Heart • Now AND not-yet • Charity AND justice • Service that is material AND spiritual

  10. The Grace of “AND” • “And” is the place of grace for us in the Vincentian Family • Who else needs to be part of this conversation, this planning? • Whose wisdom are we missing? • What if we invited xxxxx to join us?

  11. Let Us Pray • God of relationship, deepen in us the conviction that we are one another’s food and drink, one another’s salvation. • God of the “AND”, turn our self-sufficiency into a deep desire to be about Your mission together. • Make us pliable in Your hands, ever-creating God, • And unrestricted in our readiness to serve Your energy,

  12. Let Us Pray • To go with Your flow, • To be re-shaped and refashioned in Your image of collaborative community, • Wherever You lead us. • AMEN

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