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| Joseph René Vilatte. |
Some of us from fairly diverse corners of the movement gave the idea of creating some unstructured space to get to know one another a test run over my ordination weekend and found we liked it. John Plummer, known to many of you as the popularizer of the term ISM, suggested that we try it on a bigger scale.
You'll find full information on an invitation page on Facebook.
You might think of the proposed weekend as being closer to Burning Man than to a church convention. There will be no central organization or official events. People are invited to come to Asheville, North Carolina over the July 4 weekend and organize worship, social time, and interest groups either before hand or on the spur of the moment. The purpose is simply to strengthen the bonds of fellowship, not to conduct business or make grand proposals.
Here's a bit more information from the Facebook page:
Where: Asheville, North Carolina
When: Friday, July 5, - Monday, July 8, 2013 -- Or thereabouts. Come and go as you wish!
* The Independent Sacramental Movement (or Independent Catholicism, Old Catholicism, Autocephalous/Non-canonical Orthodoxy, Free Sacramentalism, Alternative Anglicanism, the world of the Wandering Bishops, etc.) is a big, complicated, and sometimes dysfunctional family – and we love it! Despite our considerable differences, we are related to each other, sharing a history and a devotion to sacramental practice. Some of us thought it would be fun to vacation in the same place with the intent of hanging out together. The best opportunities for support and collaboration often arise from friendship, regardless of jurisdictional membership or theology.
* All ISM folks are welcome – lay and ordained, traditionalist and gnostic, jurisdictionally minded and ecclesial anarchist. No matter what corner of the movement you are from, please consider spending the weekend with us, and pass along the invitation to others! We trust that all attendees will approach one another with an open and hospitable spirit, willing to learn from those who are different (or at least be entertained by them!), even if we continue to disagree.
* Our only agenda is to spend time with one other and foster friendship. Attendees are welcome to offer liturgies, talks, social outings, or other events if desired. The organization of any event will be the responsibility of the person offering it. If we just sit around with beer and iced tea, telling stories and jokes, that’s fine, too.
* Attendees are responsible for their own travel and accommodations. Asheville has options from inexpensive camping to luxury hotels. Reliable information can be found at exploreasheville.com. Asheville is a lovely tourist destination, so friends and family members who are not interested in the ISM will have plenty to do! (Helpful hint: If coming from a long distance, it is sometimes cheaper to fly to Charlotte, North Carolina instead of Asheville – especially if you already plan to rent a car.)
* We chose this weekend, as it follows the 4th of July holiday. Thus, US attendees may find it an easy time to take a long weekend away from work. July 8 is also the 84th anniversary of the death of Joseph Rene Vilatte, one of our colorful ancestors. As this is a summer holiday weekend, attendees would be wise to make travel plans well in advance.
