General Guidelines for Gathering Together
The “How To” of It All
For your convenience, material for gatherings is located at the bottom of this page in pdf file links.
Coming together with loving kindness and compassion is our prayer for all our relations in this world. We come from different religions, cultures, races, nationalities. When we gather together in simplicity for prayer, study, or sacred conversation and sharing, something strong and beautiful occurs.
When we are together and acknowledge our condition of being, our interdependence, our relationship with each other and all living beings we deepen our prayer for this world.
When we confront, accept, embrace and share our personality, behaviors, thought processes, our frailties, our ideals as simply states of being, we are on the journey of willing transformation, the journey to our true identity in that hidden source.
Because of our diversity we come together for prayer, meditation and sharing in the most fundamental ways through silence, sound, movement and story. The three Guidelines for Gathering reflect this. They are not meant to limit the ways in which we gather, but are fundamental to the fourth order life. They are not evangelical events. There is no one to convert. We are not building a new religion. We have no ambition but presence.
The gatherings of the fourth order of Francis and Clare are self-facilitated with shared leadership. Any member of the group may lead following the simple pattern outlined below.
The three basic gatherings are similar in form for simplicity. They differ only in focus. The form is simple, can be duplicated with ease, and provides order and comfort. It is a simple container holding us as we share communally in three different ways and with three different and important attentions of spirit.
The Form
In each gathering, if practical or culturally appropriate, we prefer sitting in a circle. However sometimes the space or cultural considerations require other seating arrangements.
The evening facilitator reads a Welcome, which explains the focus and process of the gathering to new people and assists people in feeling comfortable. Each of the three basic gatherings has a prepared welcome for the ease of the facilitator. The Basic gathering format is as follows.
- Facilitator invites people to introduce themselves by their first name
- Facilitator leads the Simple Prayer.
- Facilitator reads the particular Gathering Welcome.
- A person selected by the evening facilitator reads the Condition of Being.
- The Traditions are passed around for a shared reading out loud by the group.
- The focus of the gathering (sharing, meditation, wisdom study) is begun.
- The gathering closes with spontaneous prayer, song and the Simple Prayer. (The group may choose to substitute the Prayer of the Heart or the Long Antiphonal Chant as the opening or closing prayer.)
Three Different Gatherings – Three Different Attentions
The three attentions are all functions of the practice of presence to the divine mystery, to ourselves, and to each other. Each of the three gatherings has a specific attention of spirit.
- Silence: deepening our spiritual lives through shared experience of Silence.
- Story: deepening our spiritual lives through contemplation and reflection on the wisdom of experience – our stories.
- Ancestral Teachings: deepening our community lives through contemplation and reflection on the writings from the Basic Text and ancestral wisdom scriptures.
Practical Considerations: These guidelines are based on common sense and respect.
Place
A fourth order gathering can occur anywhere. If indoors, simple preparations such as cleaning the area physically, removing distracting clutter are helpful. We assist our attention by setting the intention of the space for peace and sharing through communal prayer, song or silence. The senses have always been a way to assist in the quieting of the mind from busy distractions into a more peaceful, reflective state.
Prayer
Gatherings begin and end with the Simple Prayer of the fourth order which is foundational to our practice of right relationship, humility and compassion. Inclusive spontaneous prayer or song is encouraged within the context of the gatherings as well as formal inclusive prayers from our different faith traditions. Prayers of thanksgiving, guidance, protection and discernment are most fitting. Individuals should feel free to pray in their own language. Acknowledging our ancestors, both personal and within our faith traditions is encouraged.
Song
To sing is to pray twice! Chanting and singing prepare our hearts for silence. So let us sing from the songs of our traditions, teaching one another, sharing the power and joy of song and breath with one another. Short repetitive songs, humming and chanting are best, particularly when followed by sitting meditation.
Movement, Dance, Swaying, and Music Making
If singing is praying twice then to dance or make music is to enter the heart and rhythm of creation and its source on many levels including the fullness of our bodies. Dancing and making music prepare us for the great silence. They can become silent meditation even in the sound. When followed by sitting meditation the silence gifts us with itself.
Silence
In the silence is the great mystery of presence beyond all thoughts. This is the heart of the fourth order practice.
Symbols
We do not use the symbols of any particular faith unless the focus of the gathering is the sharing of wisdom from that tradition. If we choose a symbol or focus we take that from nature which is the common gift to us all, for example a candle with the element of fire, the branch of a tree, flowers, etc. Some people use incense or smudge. Most traditions have some history of incense. We want to be careful here not to overdo and to be considerate of those with allergic and respiratory difficulties. Remember all of these are simply aids. They all fall away. Our practice should never be dependent on them.
For ease of choice the following links are to pdf’s of the basic readings that form the container for the different types of gathering. Choose whatever gathering style you like! This is the unruly fourth order and these gatherings guidelines are about as “ruly” as we can get.
Gatherings
Coming Together for Silence – facilitator’s guide
Coming Together for Sharing – facilitator’s guide
Coming Together for Study – facilitator’s guide
Auxiliary Readings
The Simple Prayer – a copy for each person present. Each page has four copies of the prayer on it.
The Condition of Being – only one copy needed.
The Traditions of the Fourth Order – only one copy needed to be passed around.
Long Antiphonal Chant – a copy for each person present.