Morning Gathering

ARI is a spiritual community. Each weekday after breakfast the entire ARI community goes to Oikos Chapel for Morning Gathering. It is a special time, and many people will tell you it is their favorite part of the day.

At each Morning Gathering a member of the ARI community (participants, staff, volunteers) makes a presentation (about 30 minutes) of their choosing. The stated purpose of Morning Gathering, from the ARI Training Handbook, is “a time for each of us to lead the nurturing of our spiritual lives. … It should be a sharing of your life experiences, a testimony to the work of God or the effects others have had on your life.” Almost every presentation includes prayer and often there is one or more hymns or spiritual songs.

One of the richest parts of our ARI experience has been hearing the Morning Gathering stories of others in our community. There are people here from over 20 countries, mostly from Southeast Asia and Africa. Most of the participants are from rural areas in developing countries. They lead lives and have had experiences that we could not begin to imagine. Their stories can be touching, funny, tragic, uplifting, heartbreaking, raw, joyful, and often very vulnerable. We truly are blessed to be able to share as a community this chapter of our lives together.

Last week Scott gave his Morning Gathering presentation and this week Chrys gave hers. Scott’s presentation was built around the question “Why am I here at ARI?” – a question he gets asked often here – and no doubt many of you have wondered the same thing. Chrys’ presentation was centered on Rules to Live By. She has just hit a milestone birthday, and she shared seven rules for living she has developed during her life’s journey.

We are among the oldest people in the community. Most, if not all, of the participants are young enough to be our children, and many of the other volunteers could be our grandchildren. Our Morning Gathering presentations allowed us to share our perspectives on God and life from the place of “retirement.”