This lead article in this issue is a continuation of the interview with Graham Pulkingham on Community. The cover with the picture of the communion elements really illustrates the spiritual center of our Ministering Community.
This page of the interview with Graham is his lengthy response to the question regarding what happens when we resolve to live as a family. Of course, this was the most difficult part of the equation. When Linda and I moved into Westby House along with our two children, there were also the Pagaard family, the Woodend Family and the Pletcher family. This was difficult! I was fortunate enough to be sent on deployment to Westpac with the Navy, so it was my wife and children who had to make this difficult adjustment. By the time I returned, the Woodends and the Pletchers were gone. Still over the years, we had single parents, unaccompanied children etc. I think the parenting of children was the most difficult part. My wife really had difficulty with who ran the house -- the kitchen etc. Who was responsible? The philosophical issues weren't terribly difficult; it was practical living that was difficult.
The conclusion of the interview continues with how the idea of living with an extended family stretches our current understandings of living as a nuclear family. Most of us know how difficult it is to live with adult parents and grandparents -- but when the blood relationship disappears, there is another level of difficulty. To be perfectly honest, I had no problem with living in community 90% of the time. I really loved it. It was that 10% when things didn't go right that was the problem; strong emotions! Yes, I lost it a time or two -- as did most of us.
One of the neat things about OLT was the freedom that anyone had to write a little article and submit it for publication. Here we have three small articles by Janet Scott, Mike Lee and Ken Mays.
This is a little Theology Lesson submitted by Larry Clark which really needs no explanation.
This picture of Jesus the Good Shepherd looks like Brenda's work to me -- but I'm not sure.
The article "The Other Side of Trial," by Judy Alsop expresses her feelings as she struggled to submit to giving up so much as she moved in community. Many of us can identify with the feelings whether we would express them exactly the same or not. Community life was great -- it was horrid -- it was difficult.
Of course, the issue ends with news of the "Family."
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