Leadership Assembly - Ngày 3

Dear all,

Morning prayer remind the delegates to trust; trust in one another, trust in God.  The only moment of the day that is calm.  It was as if the calm before the storm.  The rest of the day was not as calm; in fact, it was a tough tough day for all who was here.  Why was the day hard?  It was hard because we were all asked to give up a part of us which we all held so close to our heart. 

Restructuring of CLC-USA was not new to most of us.  We knew of the process for at least 5 years.  I found out that the process actually started almost immediately after the Assembly in Miami in 2004.  In fact, last year at the Leadership Assembly, Dong Hanh breathed a sigh of relieve when the proposed structure included an entity called "Affinity Group" that would satisfied Dong Hanh current structure.  If that was so, then why was this year so tough? 

There is a saying " the devil is in the detail".  This year's Leadership Assembly will begin to propose more specific detail.  This was when the rubber hit the road.  When the details begin to emerge, it did not even dawn on the delegates of the ramification until it was explained to us in more detail by anh Liem and anh Trung last night.  Dong Hanh now faced a reality that dong hanh as the way most of us know will cease to exist, if details of the structure are implemented.

Dong Hanh, a home to many of us; a place that give us identity; a place that nurture us;  Now we are asked to give it up.  Give up not only its name, but the life giving structure.  This is something that I have been struggled with these issues for the past few weeks with no clear answer.  Tension was high at time, in fact, as anh Liem put it, there was no freedom in our discernment at all.  The reality that was put forth was not even conceived of and not easily accepted by most of us.  Yet, this issue was placed on the shoulders of Dong Hanh delegates.  We took much time, more time than any other communities, but it was to be expected, because we have much more to loose.  To give up our identity in exchange of something concrete may be easier to decide, but even the details that were presented was very sketchy at best.  So we were ask to give us something so dear to us in exchange for more unknown and uncertainty.

My contemplation revolved around the prayer of St. Francis especially the part that say "in giving that we are received".  Oh such painful invitation.  But then just like the mustard seed, it must die in order to give life.  Just like Christ, there is no resurrection if there is no dying.  I was reminded of all the morning prayers - on Friday, freedom comes from giving up of value; on Saturday, we are asked to trust in God, trust in one another.  I was also reminded of the quote from Progressio that Liem uses as his signature that CLC exist so that the Church may grow (paraphrase).  If that is so, then what about Dong Hanh?  Does Dong Hanh exist so that the church may grow?  I am being asked to die myself so that the Church may grow?  We are all being invited to die "one self" so that the Church may grow and grow stronger.    I began to get clarity on what must be done.  At the group sharing, it was apparent to many of us too.

I honestly don't know where this will lead us.  I do know is that as a community (of delegates), we were faced with an invitation to grow deeper in our relationship with His Church and instead of  running away, we face the growing pain together.  We face the fear of uncertainty head on.  We discern as a community with God as our center.  We arrived at a consensus freely.  We emerge from a place of deep desolation to a place of clarity.

We were reminded that to follow Christ, we will never be the same again;  So it is with Dong Hanh.  Where we go from here I don't really know.  However sitting here at 7am on Sunday morning, I feel a sense of peace; I feel confirmed; I feel free; I feel that I am, we are all at a good place.

In Christ's Love,
Khánh

P.S.  Attached is the picture of all the delegates from Dong Hanh and 2 other vietnamese delegates represent other regions.  Missing from the picture are Thai Son and cha Doan.

More pictures:
http://dh-online.smugmug.com/Events/2012/LA2012-day3/23887837_r9ZVq3#!i=1937272208&k=Zr6gpd5