The Way of Selah

“The way of Jesus cannot be imposed or mapped — it requires an active participation in following Jesus as he leads us through sometimes strange and unfamiliar territory, in circumstances that become clear only in the hesitations and questionings, in the pauses and reflections where we engage in prayerful conversation with one another and with him.”
Eugene H. Peterson, The Jesus Way: A Conversation on the Ways That Jesus Is the Way

Throughout the summer, I plan to share written posts on the values and commitments of Selah through a metaphor of the Camino, The Way, of Selah. We are all on a journey, a pilgrimage of life, that beckons us to places of hope, challenge, and awareness. Our destination seeks not an end, but rather a relationship, a deepening one with the Triune God who continues to invite us into places of unfolding discoveries with the Holy Mystery of God, others, and ourselves. The nature of the Camino invites us to companion with others whereby we share in similar language, familiar crossroads, and way stations, perhaps not at the same time, but certainly throughout ongoing pilgrimage. These posts give me an opportunity to articulate what’s important to the community of Selah with the hope that you too discover some of these same values in your life.

At the end of the summer, the posts will culminate with a Selah Gathering of Companions and Friends on September 8^th, 3-5 pm, Dumas Center, Federal Way. Throughout the spring and into the summer, we have been holding Gathering Hubs in various locations where there is an expression of Selah. From those conversations, we will have an opportunity to share in our Camino of Selah as well as our individual journeys that serve as an encouragement for one another. For as we say in Selah, above all else, if you are able to bring your desire to know God more deeply, and that is all at this time, then you share the journey. We hope that you are able to join us at the Gathering in September.

To begin the series of posts, here are the values of Selah that will be the focus for the summer.

• We affirm God’s initiating love expressed profoundly in Christ Jesus.
• We welcome God’s love as the true Source of our being and our becoming.
• We relate to God with receptive hearts and minds, nurtured in the way of Christ Jesus.
• We honor the uniqueness of all persons as the recognized presence of Christ Jesus.
• We encourage an openness toward, sanctuary for, and hospitality to all persons.
• We value community as shared journey with others who desire contemplative living.
• We recognize the triune presence of God as the One who fills each moment with us, gives inspiration for vision, births newness and hope, and reconciles all creation.

Should you want to dialogue around these values, please feel free to email me at director@selahcenter.org. Your thoughts, questions, comments are welcomed for further conversation both through the summer posts and into our September gathering.

Mary Pandiani, Executive Director