1. Going with God’s Flow
The Charity of Christ Impels Us
by Regina Bechtle, SC

2. Going with God’s Flow
The Charity of Christ Impels Us
by Regina Bechtle, SC

3. Introduction
Energy of God’s love
Overview
God’s energy impels us toward
Relationship, connection, collaboration, partnership
Ways we resist energy
Resistance is an invitation to go with the flow
Resource to harness energy of resistance
Wisdom of our Vincentian founders
Great Vincentian word “and”

4. God’s Energy Impels Us
Reign of God = new way of being in relationship
Jesus’ dream - belonging
Vincent and Louise’s vision
Poor have a claim on us
We belong to one another
Elizabeth Seton’s vision
Relationships of belonging impel to lives of service
Frederic, Rosalie’s vision
Bring Christ’s love to a cold world,
make it a place where all belong

5. Creation
Fundamental direction of creation
From “I” to “We”
Grace of knowing we belong,
especially to those in need
Called to break boundaries

6. Breaking Boundaries
• Rich and poor
• Between
– Our groups
– Our Congregations
– Our Provinces
“We are food and drink for one another. We are one
another’s body and blood. We are one another’s
salvation.” (Ivone Gebara)

7. Resistance
A Look at resistance
Impel or repel?
All living things resist threats to survival
Institutions resist change
Resistance as a teacher
Usually in the place where we are afraid
Resistance has a positive face
Resistance is the dragon guarding precious
treasure

8. Resistance
Plays key role in transformation
Our wounds are doorways into conversion
“We must be so careful to meet our grace” (Elizabeth)
“Go to the places that scare you.” (Buddhist Saying)
“What if, at least occasionally, we came together in
order to change our mind?” (Margaret Wheatley)

9. Motivation to Transformation
What moves us to conversion and transformation?
Opening to the needs of others
Place of resistance is a holy place where God is
very active

10. Wisdom of Our Founders
The Vincentian “and”
The way to God is the way of both/and
– Love God AND love the neighbor
– Rich AND Poor
– Action AND Prayer
– Solitude AND community
– Head AND Heart
– Now AND not-yet
– Charity AND justice
– Service that is material AND spiritual

11. The Grace of “AND”
“And” is the place of grace for us in the
Vincentian Family
• Who else needs to be part of this conversation,
this planning?
• Whose wisdom are we missing?
• What if we invited xxxxx to join us?

12. Let Us Pray
God of relationship, deepen in us the conviction
that we are one another’s food and drink, one
another’s salvation.
God of the “AND”, turn our self-sufficiency into a
deep desire to be about Your mission together.
Make us pliable in Your hands, ever-creating God,
And unrestricted in our readiness to serve Your
energy,

13. Let Us Pray
To go with Your flow,
To be re-shaped and refashioned in Your image of
collaborative community,
Wherever You lead us.
AMEN