St. Francis and the Portiuncula

Stripped naked gave he thanks to God.
Maker who always loved him.
Lover who first created him
then called him out from heavy gilt robes
to the weightless freedom of total exposure.
Little brothers followed.
 
Displacement: Francis
A poem by Jean K. Horne

When Francesco Bernardone stripped and stood naked in the center of Assisi’s piazza in the summer 1206, his family and neighbors thought he was mad.  Witnessed by his father, the bishop of Assisi, childhood friends, and a host of curious onlookers, Francesco (or Francis) gave himself wholly and completely to the service of God by renouncing his father’s wealth, the privilege afforded by economic systems of his time, and the religious and political institutions that could had given him sanctuary.  He set out on a life unsupported by all the social systems that had once provided for his livelihood.  At last, Francis was untethered, displaced, and exposed.
 
The spiritual journey which brought Francis to this moment in the city piazza began years earlier when he was wounded during a military confrontation with a neighboring province.  During his convalescence, Francis reflected on his life and the brokenness of the world in which he lived, and he searched for a deeper and more authentic way of living.
 
Praying before the crucifix in the church of San Damiano, Francis heard the voice of God commanding him to “rebuild my church”.  Francis took this call literally and set out on a church rebuilding program to revitalize three abandoned churches around Assisi.   Francis grew to love a cherish these churches because they symbolized both the simplicity of lifestyle he wanted to model for his followers, as well as the healing power of shared work and community. 
 
When others joined him, Francis recognized he was not alone, and that the call to rebuild might have broader meaning.  Francis drew a myriad of seekers also looking for something new.  In the work of rebuilding these little churches, and caring for the needs of those around them, Francis and these early seekers began to discern a direction for a new way of seeing life and faith. 
 
One day this scraggly band of seekers attended mass at the rebuilt church of St. Mary’s of the Angels (nicknamed the portiuncula, or “little portion” by the local villagers) and they heard the gospel of the mass proclaimed:
 
“As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘the kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff for laborers deserve their food.”
 
In this gospel passage, these spiritual seekers recognized a way to navigate the complex, and often destructive social systems that surrounded them, and to live a life more authentic to what the creator intended.  Francis and his early followers discerned a life of work, service, inclusiveness, and prayer founded on the apostolic mandate of radical simplicity and poverty.  They believed that intentional community that was untethered, displaced, and exposed could be a powerful witness to a world too often fueled by greed, selfishness, social status, and political factionalism.

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PORTIUNCULA GUILD is a faith-based association of creative folks and spiritual seekers working at the intersection of faith, craftsmanship, and creative expression.  The intent of the guild is to build mutually supportive creative relationships, foster conversations around the connection between art and faith, as well as seek out artistic collaborations in which art can engage the entire community in the spirituality of the art making process. 
 
Giving the medieval idea of an artist guild a modern twist, members of the Portiuncula Guild seeks to not only support one another in life, faith, work, and mission, guild members also promote each other’s vision to a wider world for the use, and benefit of, and in service to the entire community. Core activities of the guild are providing opportunities for retreat, meditation, and prayer, and occasional festival gatherings for creative seekers of all denominations and all faiths, offering hospitality and providing occasions for dialogue and conversation for all seeking a deeper spiritual, religious, imaginative experience within community.  In addition, guild members are committed to exploring and experimenting with the creation and celebration of innovative and inclusive opportunities for gathering, contemplation, prayer, life cycle rituals, meaningful learning, community building and social change. 
 
The Portiuncula Guild is not a church in any traditional sense.  It is simply a place for creative and spiritual folks who want to expand their spiritual life, as well as those who a explore new ways that the sacred and the imagination came together.
 

• The Guild is coordinated and overseen by a Board of Trustees, with consensus decision making among guild members.
• Every year, at our dedication service, we re-commit ourselves to our mission and work of the Guild for the coming year. 
• Every month we gather for worship or some spiritual practice. 
• Every day we offer ourselves the chance to engage in creativity, prayer, and reflection.
• Every creative encounter presents an opportunity to grow community, foster social change, and experience the divine.