The Sonoma Didache Community:
Pronunciation: Did-ah-kay
The God of David: be with you!
The God of Jesus: be with you!
“Any community that cannot artfully and effectively pass on its cherished way of life as a program for divine wisdom and graced existence cannot long endure.” Aaron Milavec
“Any way of life that cannot be clearly specified, exhibited, and differentiated from the alternative modes operative within the surrounding culture is doomed to growing insignificance and gradual assimilation.” Aaron Milavec
How did the Jewish Jesus and Jewish Christians alter themselves into an inclusive movement―welcoming Gentiles into the Kingdom of One God? That is to say. How did they “pass on” their cherished Way of life?
State of the Problem:
Why are so many of our children, nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, grandchildren and friends dropping out of the Catholic (Universal) Way of life? The answer is: Any community, any way of life that cannot. . .
State of the Answer:
It is evident now and at least for the next twenty-five years that the dictatorial leadership in the Catholic Church has no desire to gather the laity to address the needless exodus, of our loved ones, from the Catholic Church. As laity we are faced with a dilemma what do we do? We go back to the earliest beginnings of our ancestors in the Jesus movement. In this past is our future. How did the Jewish Christians adapt to their God of David with their God of Jesus? How did these householders, not scholars, “pass on” their cherished Way of Life?
State of the Past Tradition:
What in the past holds the secret for artfully and effectively passing on our cherished Catholic, Way of Life?
This is the exciting part of my story. There were many Jewish Christian Communities at the time of Paul’s ministry who “trained” Gentiles to adapt to the God of David and the God of Jesus.
These communities used the Didache. The Didache is an oral training program calculated to irreversibly alter the habits of perception and standards of judgments of the novice-gentile. This oral program was finally put in writing. We know of its existences through other ancient writings that quoted from it. It was not until 1873 that the full text was discovered. And, it took more than 100 years before one biblical scholar extracted its full meaning. This scholar is Aaron Milavec. The Didache is a standalone program. That is, it is not influenced by Paul or any other Gospel writer. It was not interested in the faith in Jesus but in the faith of Jesus. That is to say: these communities where interested in the God of David and Jesus. The dating of this document is 50 A.D.
These communities were formed by householders! These communities were formed by homeowners, like us! Their business was passing on a Way of Life; a Way of Life that is revealed by the Father through the servant David and servant Jesus.
They tasted this Way of Life in two ways the first by an imperative and second by an expectation: 1.) You will love God; and you will love your neighbor, and 2.) tasting the “end times” in Baptism and Eucharist.
This is my hope; to locate 100 people to form a public household community based on the Didache program of these Jewish Christian homeowners. To plumb the depth of the Way of Life revealed by the Father through servants David and Jesus in order to mentor the lived Way of Life to those who left our household God and initiate ordinary holiness accomplished by ordinary people.
If you feel disheartened, saddened or maybe even guilty about your helplessness to pass on your cherished tradition of the Catholic faith to your children, grandchildren and so on; I know we can do something about it, not as individuals, but by gathering momentum from tradition.
Like the Jewish Christian householders of the past we too must have a plan; a plan to mentor a Way of Life revealed by the Father through the servants David and Jesus. These householders did not wait for the Temple Priests to gather the Gentiles, nor should we wait for Rome, local bishops and pastors to gather back our love ones who left the Catholic Church. We, today’s householders, must reach back to the Didache tradition to help us gather our loss kin!
For more information email me: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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