Elder
Luke 6 Project -Community of Living Traditions
Position Description
The Luke 6 Project (1), a dispersed Christian community in formation, dedicated to the study and practice of nonviolence as a member of the Community of Living Traditions, seeks an Elder to give leadership to the work of the Luke 6 Project and coordinate its relationship to the Community of Living Traditions (2). The Elder will have a deep experiential and studied understanding of nonviolence as a way of living in the world and as a means of achieving God’s Kingdom on Earth.
The Elder will come from the Christian tradition with a capacity to teach about the principles of faith and practice of Christianity without the necessity to represent any particular denomination. While it is not necessary to be ordained or to have an advanced degree, the Elder will need to demonstrate the capacity to guide the Luke 6 community in its deepening understanding of Christian faith and practice.
The Elder will have experience in and commitment to interfaith dialogue and intentional living in an interfaith community. The Elder will relate as a peer, initially, to Elders of the Jewish and Muslim faiths, and potentially in the future to Elders of other faith communities. The Elders serve first as mentors to residents from their own tradition and second as mentoring resource to residents from the other faith traditions.
While the Community of Living Traditions is a residential community housed at the Stony Point Conference Center in Stony Point, New York and there is a preferred expectation of residence in the Community, it is possible that time will be distributed between this location and other locations. At the same time, the Luke 6 Project, is a community dispersed throughout the world which convenes in various ways at local, regional, and virtual venues from time to time, and comes together at Stony Point a few times each year. The Elder will serve as a resource to the community in dispersion and as a convener of the community at Stony Point.
The Elder will develop and deliver programs which extend and deepen the life of the Luke 6 Project using Stony Point Center as a preferred site of presentation but also in forms that can be used in other settings. The Elder will also coordinate with the other Elders multifaith programs dedicated to the study and practice of nonviolence at Stony Point and other venues.
The position includes housing, room and board, a small weekly stipend, and a health care package for an Elder who chooses to reside at the Stony Point Center. It is possible the role will be a part time position with a minimum of 20 hours per week in which case the level of stipend would be reduced and the health care package would not be available.
The position would support personal commitments to meditation and reflection, to research and writing, to speaking and advocacy, to partnerships and appointments with other entities. The position will report to the director(s) of Stony Point Conference Center. A letter of interest and resume should be sent to the attention of Kitty Ufford-Chase by October 15, 2010.
(1)The Luke 6 Project
We are a Christian community dedicated to the study and practice of nonviolence in solidarity with partners of other faith traditions. We understand nonviolence as a loving life-path of truth, justice, and right action that seeks to dismantle structures of violence, dehumanization, and oppression. We find particular challenge and inspiration for nonviolent living in the words of the sixth chapter of Luke’s Gospel, where we hear Christ calling us to deeper, more radical discipleship, a way of living which will often require us to make difficult choices that go against the currents of society.
Jesus overturns expectations and roots his powerful acts of love and inclusiveness in deep prayer. He calls a community of apostles together, shares his healing touch, speaks uncomfortable words of blessing, urges his followers to difficult acts of radical love for enemies and resistance to injustice. He calls people also to humility and care in building a strong foundation in obedience to God, and to thoughtful interactions with others.
With joyful hearts, we embrace the following interrelated elements of our Christian commitment:
Spiritual disciplines
Vocational commitment to seek peace with justice
Direct action
Radical hospitality and solidarity
Just and sustainable living
We identify as a community grounded in these elements of faithful living, and covenant to support one another in fulfilling them in concrete ways. In companionship circles we will share our strides and struggles, recognizing that none of us will follow our commitments perfectly or fully, but encouraging one another—not out of a sense of obligation but with love and gratitude for the opportunity to join together in making powerful, life-giving choices that we understand to be in keeping with God’s will for us.
Faithful people of all Christian traditions are invited to join us as we journey together. Glory be to God!
Stony Point Center is home to a residential, multifaith community dedicated to the study and practice of nonviolence and peacemaking called the Community of Living Traditions. Although Stony Point is a conference center of the Presbyterian Church (USA) , we welcome our Muslim, Jewish and indigenous partners of other faith traditions as they nurture their own spiritual practices and work with one another to discover common commitments that will lead to a more just and peaceful world.
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