Communal living

Could you share the name of the monastery that the Lawlers' live near? We're in western Mass. as well, and I'd love to get in touch with the community.>

There were a number of Christian communities started back in the '70s and early '80s, some just covenants among a group of families, some closer to communes. I'm not sure how many have survived. Bethlehem Books was begun by one such. I don't know that community's current status but the business is going strong. The St. Martin de Porres Community in Kentucky was originally founded by a group of genuine hippies who converted en masse--quite a story. A quick Google shows them still in existence. There were a lot of Catholic Charismatic communities, usually not "communes" but more loosely structured. I'm pretty sure there was a big one in Ann Arbor.>

Won't that just create a whole bunch of young people who have a hard time dealing with people who are different from them? In the real world you have to deal with all sorts of differences. Sheltering children from them just makes it even harder for them to cope with differences.

Just my two cents. As long as people are aware of that when they make the move, then great for them. Every type of living has a downside. It's just not one I'd be willing to concede to, personally.>

There were also a number of intentional communities among the Evangelical Orthodox Church in the late 1970s, the group that ultimately was received into the Antiochian Archdiocese.>

My husband and I just bought our first home in the city of Everett, WA. We moved from Seattle. It's about 25 miles north. The neighborhood was considered "low income". There are always houses up for sale here and most of them were built in the early part of the 20th century, so good structure and charm. Just need a little fixing up, maybe. We're always hoping a nice family moves into them when they go up for sale. The big plus is that we have a beautiful Catholic Church within walking distance. We'd love for more believing Catholics to live on our street and in our neighborhood. That is our dream. We live in the Riverside neighborhood of Everett. This would be ideal for someone looking to leave their city dwelling if they currently own their home, since they'd probably get the same amount of house for much less money. E-mail me if you're interested.>

I think many of the small ethnic enclaves in rural America (as well as some urban ones, for that matter) tend to be those that last. This is especially true for those groups where ethnicity is primarily defined by religion and a committment to religious activity. Though I'm ethnically a German and confirmed a Lutheran--I've been living in a Dutch Reformed subculture with its own Christian schooling network across the country. It is NOT hermetically sealed (though some may think that who are outsiders--in areas like Northwest Iowa where I am. I teach at Dordt College, a school historically linked to the Dutch Calvinists--Kuyperians) --- but it has persisted for generations (though there are signs of this breaking down, in fact). That is an example that tends to work best, I believe, for the long term. They can welcome outsiders and it is not a formal agreement (those usually fail) but one driven by religious motivations of like-minded people.>

This is an interesting thread. Your opening lines caught my attention as my husband and I have been in the process of creating a communal living situation for some time now and one of our tag-lines is: Communal living, it's not just for hippies anymore. My husband lived for close to 15 years in two different communal situations. They were some of the best years of his life. Both had a faith-base (though not a mainstream Christianity). We would very much like to attract others who are resonant with our vision so we can begin demonstrating the life-style alluded to in Acts 4:32-35 where Jesus' disciples speak of the communal lifestyle they lived in. We want to create a home for many families that is faith-based, environmentally conscious and supportive of people living creatively and lightly on the Earth. If you're interested in reading more, please come to our blog: http://www.fullcirclefamily.blogspot.com Thanks, Llyn