Comments on: About http://spiritualfriendship.org Musings on God, friendship, relationships Mon, 20 May 2013 03:01:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: L http://spiritualfriendship.org/about/#comment-516 Wed, 09 Jan 2013 15:38:19 +0000 http://spiritualfriendship.wordpress.com/?page_id=2#comment-516 Hi Karen. As far as I understand, visitors of all ages are welcome. While I was there over Christmas, there were a number of visitors in their 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s. I think Summer Institute working guests are generally ages 19-35.

Peace,
L

]]> By: Karen http://spiritualfriendship.org/about/#comment-514 Wed, 09 Jan 2013 02:02:56 +0000 http://spiritualfriendship.wordpress.com/?page_id=2#comment-514 The Madonna House looks interesting. Although I was disheartened to see that they specifically say visiting working guests are “usually between 19-35″ in age. I wonder why the age discrimination–especially when its supposed to be a retreat place for all people.

]]> By: L http://spiritualfriendship.org/about/#comment-513 Tue, 08 Jan 2013 15:52:25 +0000 http://spiritualfriendship.wordpress.com/?page_id=2#comment-513 Hi spiritual friendship bloggers. I’ve been reading your blog for sometime, as I’m recently legally divorced (with no children) and seeking God about how to live out our Christian covenant of marriage–or whether I should consider both the contract and the covenant broken. In my unexpected return to singleness, I’ve found that your discussions of friendship are very powerful and meaningful. Thank you.

I also want to let you all know that I just returned from 3 weeks at the Madonna House farm and community in Combermere, ON–it’s 60+-year-old Christian community of about 150-200 celibate men and women ages 20-90, working an organic farm and living life together in rural Canada.

It was such a strange and beautiful place, where gender is acknowledged and celebrated, but somehow sexual idolatry is lanced.

I have never received more healing and joy about what it means to be a sexual being. I’ve never learned more about the degree of healing that is possible when one’s entire life–including one’s sexuality–is submitted in joy and reverence to God.

The Madonna House Combermere farm receives visitors all year round, for any length of time (1 day to 2 years, I think), and you don’t have to pay anything–you just have to be willing to go with the flow of their life of farm work, service to the rural community, poverty, chastity, simplicity, and prayer/worship.

The community is Catholic and the visitors (who come from around the world) are everything–agnostic, seeking, Buddhist, Shinto, Protestant, etc.

I can’t commend it to you highly enough. It was beautiful. I hope that some of you are able to go and visit, and perhaps even consider joining your lives with them.

Madonna House also has prayer/listening houses in about 20 cities around the world.

peace,

L

Madonna House: http://www.madonnahouse.org/
St. Ben’s Farm: http://www.madonnahouse.org/tour/farm.html
Poustinia: http://www.madonnahouse.org/tour/poustinia.html

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