What does it mean to belong? This issue of Cowley investigates how we claim and form our identity in community with others. The Brothers of SSJE ask what it means to be Christian, how community can transform us, and how the Sacraments of the Church hone who we are becoming in Christ.

This issue is the third of a three-part series on "What does it mean to be the Church today?" Check out the other two issues on:

  • Credo - What does it mean to believe? 
  • Challenge - How does God engage with us? 

Selected Articles

Letter from the Deputy Superior – Advent 2022

By Br. Keith Nelson

“It is humbling to know and feel that we belong: that the threads of our being are woven into a fabric so much bigger than we can comprehend, and all for the fulfillment of God’s purpose.”

Letter from the FSJ – Jane Shaw

By Curator

“The notion of being knit together in communion and fellowship has begun to take on new meaning in the light of my spiritual quest during this pandemic time.”

Communities of Transformation

By Br. Todd Blackham

“Community is more than a simple affinity group; it offers a way of becoming more fully who God has created us to be.”

An Open Letter to Those Who are Spiritual-Not-Religious

By Br. Michael Hardgrove

“When we stand in the mess of life with others, acting in love for the sake of Christ, we can get a taste of the divine life now.”

Letter from the Editor – Advent 2022

By Br. Jim Woodrum

“Life in community teaches us about the love and grace of God as it helps us to grow into the fullness of our place in the Body of Christ: accepting our limitations, giving freely of ourselves when we see a need, and recognizing that we belong to one another through our  Baptism.”

Belonging: Living in God’s Contentment

By Br. Geoffrey Tristram

“Through faith we can come to know again the original blessing of belonging to God and recover that divine contentment which is God’s desire for us.”

Identity & Belonging in the Great Sacraments

By Br. Jim Woodrum

“As a follower of Jesus with my own diverse and at times complicated identity, where and how do I belong in this equally diverse and complicated realm of Christianity and the Church? And what does such “belonging” entail?”

Formation in Practice – Advent 2022

By Curator

“We hope that in reflecting further on the topic of belonging, you will find it meaningful to share in discussing these questions with others.”

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