"Artur F. Silva" wrote: >Very interesting, Lisa. I would never believe that this was possible within the Catholic Institution... But probably American Catholics are different from the ones I know in Portugal and Spain - after all it was in Spain and Portugal that the Inquisition was invented, an that was a terribly efficient way to "close the space"...<
Well, dear Artur, I will have to let the other American Catholics (or 'recovering Catholics', or returning Catholics) give you a sense as to whether the American Catholics are different from the ones you may know. I am not Catholic. I do know that some years ago there was the "Vatican 2" message from Rome that things will have to reflect more the needs of the people if the Church is to remain alive into the future. Maybe someone on this list can further explain that. But I do know that, as you may well imagine, some Church leaders are bringing the Church into the future and some are clinging to the known, fearful of the unknown / change / transformation, and even doing quite a bit to try to keep things in the Dark Ages that you describe. You wrote: <And it seems that the Catholic Diocese of San Jose will soon became another model for the Open Space Organization. Very interesting, indeed.> A marvelous reminder that there are OS-thinking people within many institutions, eh? Of course, these are often also the ones who try to help those institutions transform, and sometimes the waiting and the difficulty of being the very few cause them to leave for other organizations, eventually. But sometimes, sometimes, they (we) are there to see the change.... !! And the people I am working with are truly 'members of our tribe'. And really wonderful, visionary leaders... You wrote: <One question: shouldn't critical issue #4 (the organizational one) be also a heading for some of the 500 (!) "recommended strategies"?> Good point. There were a good number of people from the organizational working group in the large OS. So they actually brought up these topics and used this for expanding on strategies. You also wrote: <And a final observation: even if you were describing a very spirited event, I think that you have never used the word "Spirit". But you have used "breath" a lot. I think that it has been written that one shall not use the name of God in vain. Maybe the same should also be said about Spirit - especially has the word is more and more used in marketing materials, and even commercials. So I wonder if "breath", after all, is not the word that should be used instead...> Hmmm. The breath and the breathing is so very present in the circle. And it is true, the breathing, from the "Oh Shit!" that Harrison describes as the moment OS can come into many organizations, to the breathing between each ring of the Tibetan bells, to the breath I often have to remind people to take when they are feeling a bit full or conflicted. It turns out that when we return for Weekend #2, we will as part of our opening show the group a picture of how their work fits into the larger journey as the organization comes toward the end of this strategic planning process. Picture a point, which is the clarifying of the mission. . Then an expansion outward, that is the data gathering process where the organization met with so many of its constituents and neighbors to identify issues. . <> Then in again, as data was analyzed and the three/four issues were identified. . <> . Then out again, as we Open Spaced it. . <> . <> And after Weekend #2, in again, as we will have identified 5 hot issues in each of the three/four areas. And so on. Into the next calendar year, as then out again as all 52 parishes do whatever it is they feel will achieve those goals. Then in again for a report back event. So you see, not only do you have an inoutinoutinout, but picture now your hands holding a small accordion (known as a concertina). In, out, in, out. Like breathing. Like the bellows fanning a fire of spirit, as Jeff says. Like the Polka of Life, I now say laughing. But seriously, the breath... ...is always present... Breathingly (laughingly, sighingly, catching my breath in wonder), Lisa -- L i s a H e f t Consultant, facilitator, educator Experiential learning and Open Space Technology 2325 Oregon Berkeley, California 94705-1106 USA (+01) 510 548-8449 www.openspaceworld.com * * ========================================================== [email protected] ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of [email protected], Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
