Bluestone

FEBRUARY 20

"The Future of Food"

Are you in a time of transition or a period of discernment? A very effective way to listen to God and to your own inner wisdom is by making a Wisdom Quest.

We spend a day of preparation for the quest, three days and four nights fasting alone and in silence in the woods at Melrose, and a day for sharing afterwards. All equipment is supplied, as well as meals on the non-fast days.

Cost:
For reservations or information, contact 845-278-9777 Ext. 11 or e-mail

COME LET THE EARTH SPEAK ITS WISDOM TO YOU

TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

At Bluestone Farm we move through our day with particular attention to the cycles of the sun, the moon and the seasons. We also honor a traditional monastic schedule of the divine office, observance of the great silence following compline (or combined office), and the practice of work silence during our daily work hours.

Each moon cycle begins at the new moon.

6:30 AM - Corporate meditation and Lauds
7:30 AM - Eucharist (Wednesday and Thursday),
followed by breakfast, farm chores and conference
9:30 AM - Morning hours
12:00 - Noon Office
1:00 PM - Main meal (Tuesday Agape meal)
2:00 PM - Afternoon hours (spiritual reading, rest,
prayer, work)
4:30 PM - Vespers and corporate meditation
5:35 PM - Work, rest, supper
7:30 PM - Compline

One of our resident companions, Suzanne Guthrie, presides at the Eucharist at 10:30 AM on Sunday. We then gather in the kitchen to prepare a brunch, which is our main meal of the day. Vespers is sung at 6:30 PM, followed by an informal dinner. We play as a family on Sunday evening — the eve of our Sabbath day.

Too many conflicts caused the cancellation of our January 22 fireside. Once again we will plan to view a part of "The Future of Food" as the topic for February 20, 2008.

The rest of the 2008 fireside dates are posted (below right).

Hope to see you soon!

------ Great Silence ------

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 20, 2008

Melrose Convent
Brewster, NY

Copyright © 2007 The Community
of the Holy Spirit. No material may be
reproduced in part or in whole without
written consent from holders.

Community of the Holy Spirit
Bluestone Farm
and Learning Center
118 Federal Hill Road
Brewster, NY 10509-5307
845-278-9777

'WOLF MOON" SCHEDULE ...
JAN 1 - FEB 5, 2008

DIRECTIONS TO THE FARM

DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED

Next Full Moon Fireside

"Full Moon Firesides" at St. Cuthbert's are relaxed, focused evenings of conversation. Each evening is held on the night of the full moon for that month, which not only recognizes the moon's phase changes, but also allows the meeting to occur on a different day of the week. We hope this enables more people to join us.

We begin with a half hour of drumming, then a brief meditation, followed by an evening where we can learn together what it means to be a powerful, responsible species on Earth. We'll explore some of Brian Swimme's work, throw in some cooking fun in the kitchen, and generally enjoy being "bio-spiritual creatures" together!

Join us for any part of any evening — or come to everything! If you're interested, e-mail us to have your name added to our e-mail notification list.

CLICK HERE to be added to the Full Moon Fireside e-mailing list, or if we can answer any questions you may have about these evenings.

We're not always available by phone

but you can always give it a try.

845-278-9777

Hope we see you soon!

We claim our authentic voice as self-reflective beings—we have something to say about how we shall live on the Earth.

group of nuns who are starting a farm in order to save our own lives and do what we can to save the Earth. We do not mean to startle or preach; we mean to declare that with intention and the labor of love we will ease the damage done to our Mother Earth by civilization gone awry. We mean peacefully to weave our own strand into the web of life as it exists here and now in our neck of the woods. We repudiate the dualism—and the myriad forms of power-over that it spawned—which has pervaded our human culture for so long. Instead, we proclaim the interconnectedness of all beings and claim being for all manifestations of creation. We claim our authentic voice as self-reflective beings—we have something to say about how we shall live on the Earth.

Great harm has been brought to the Earth by the depredations of the consumerist way of life known to all of us. There are many good analyses as to the why and how of our arriving at this terrible pass. Historical, economic, religious, psychological, and social theories, reveal our shortcomings. All of these, however, are of limited use to us now. The soil, air, and water upon which we depend for life are poisoned, and the generations will come to an end unless we stop, right now, consuming the Earth.

For our part, we are working to create a garden community that fosters a sustainable way of life. We are learning from the Earth how to grow the vegetables, fruits, and grains that we and our animal companions need for health and vitality.

We eschew any form of agricultural practice that shocks, destroys, or otherwise inhibits participation of all the species in the life of our farm. We recognize the rights of all beings to their habitat. Thus we enjoin upon ourselves the patience, tolerance, and care needed to proceed mindfully through our days.

We invite our sisters and brothers in the larger community to share our conviction. Working together, we will learn from one another how to care for our Mother Earth. Working together, we will walk naturally into the great creative rhythm of the universe. We mean our lives together to be our act of love for one another, and in love we are confident of redemption.

stand at the turning point. We are a small

* Fireside scheduled one day before or after exact full moon appearance.