From Anthony de Mello – The Heart of the Enlightened
An ancient legend has it that when God was creating the world, He was approached by four angels. The first one asked, “How are you doing it?” The second, “Why are you doing it?” The third, “Can I be of help?” The fourth, “”What is it worth?”
The first was a scientist; the second, a philosopher; the third, an altruist; and the fourth, a real estate agent.
A fifth angel watched in wonder and applauded in sheer delight. This one was the mystic.
And this:
Little Johnny was trying out for a part in the school play. His mother knew that he had set his heart on it but she feared he would not be chosen. On the day the parts were given out, Johnny, back from school, rushed into his mother’s arms, bursting with pride and excitement. “Mother,” he shouted, “guess what! I’ve been chosen to clap and cheer.”
We all have our part. It may be that we don’t see the value of what we offer because our definition of what is valuable is too small. We perceive that we fail because our definition of success does not encompass the things that we most deeply care about.
About Nate
Currently, Nate is living in Bend, OR, working as the co-founder for VillageWorks (celebrating abundance | creative connectivity) and the singular Bend|OR advocate of BridgeWorks (an educational 501[c]3). He is connecting and holding space for an emerging community of people, young and old, who are seeking to grow into more sustainable and mature relationships… with self, community and God. The vision on his heart is one of giving people experience of village culture and practice.
Nate can be found connecting people through at The Hub, VillageWorks’ Central Oregon community connection center (www.rockthevillage.com) and making oven pancakes for the biggest regular “village” breakfast in Bend every Saturday morning at 9:30.
Nate went to Bethel College in St Paul, MN (’03), got his BA in Youth Ministry, completed his Masters in Divinity at Bethel Seminary (’06) with an emphasis in Spiritual Formation, and is currently pursuing a certificate in Spiritual Formation at George Fox Seminary in Portland. His hope is to continue to pursue community spiritual formation within the framework of the neighborhood conversation and cross-cultural dialog.
Nate has been connecting people into more authentic community in Bend | OR since June ’07. Since day one of his arrival, Nate has been gifted with the chance to listen and learn about the culture and people of Central Oregon. Because of his passion for conversation and community, he has fallen in love with the people of this wonderful city and is committed to the growth of more intentional and transformational community.
Nate’s particular areas of interest are:
* conversational transformation
* spiritual formation
* relational mentoring and counseling
* small group strengthening
* men’s work (spiritual, emotional, and relational)
* “Village Knowledge” of homecraft, live food, etc
* Intergenerational community
* New visions of the gifts we offer to the community
* teaching for the 21st century, and more.
At this time Nate has not written any books, but hopes to some day have enough material to put into some type of publication. At this point, he is dedicated to building relationships in Bend, Central Oregon, and across the United States to connect people to what is happening in an emerging and evolving paradigm and with those who are seeking to follow God and live more authentically in the transforming presence of the divine.
