A Companion in Community has taken a covenant vow, together with other Companions, to embrace the Rule as a Way for Living and to live it out. This includes a commitment to:
- Seeking God as the ‘one thing necessary’ and maintaining a rhythm of prayer using the Daily Office;
- Being available to the Community and other Companions through relationship, prayer and practical activities;
- Contributing to the Community’s financial needs, with a suggested donation of at least £40 per month
- Taking time at least once each year to reflect with at least one other Companion or as part of a retreat on where they are on their personal journey and their journey with Community;
- Annually renewing their covenant vow of Companionship to say ‘Yes’ to Availability and intentional, deliberate Vulnerability as their way for living.
Journeying with the Northumbria Community
Although we are not a religious order as such, we do take our vows of Availability and Vulnerability very seriously. We seek, as a geographically dispersed Community network, to follow a lifestyle of Alone/Together that mutually blesses and encourages one another on the journey. We use the term Companion to describe one who is walking the journey with us. A Companion is a person who associates with another, who shares the lifestyle of, and travels with, another. The root meaning of the word is the latin phrase ‘cum pane’, literally ‘one who eats bread with another’. Our understanding of the spiritual life as travel emphasises a willingness to explore the inner journey, the landscape of the heart, as well as the outer journey, the landscape of the land which we all traverse in life as it is. In this we find that most are more alone than together but find inner companionship with those who have embraced the same Way for Living. So for us it is not so much being a member of an organisation but rather being a Companion with others in a conscious embracing of a shared life and lifestyle. We are all on the same journey of faith with the Rule of Availability and Vulnerability uniting our hearts so that we are Alone in our uniqueness but Together in our commitment to persevere as Companions in Community on a journey. It is this sense of ownership and belonging which marks out a Companion who is committed to the vision and vocation of Community.
We eat together, even if it isn’t at one table, we live together, even if it isn’t in one house, we pray together, even if it isn’t in one chapel
If you are interested to explore Companionship, the first step is to sign up as a Friend of Community, and attend one of our Community Introduction retreats, where you will hear about the history and ethos of Northumbria Community. We offer these Community Introduction retreats regularly, both online and in person at Nether Springs.