Cherith Brook
d’s Mercy & Gospel Resis
icing Go
Pract
C A T H O L I C
So E lijah did according to the word of the L ord; he went and lived by the C herith Brook…and the ravens brought him bread… I Kings 17
Word on the Streets
by Eric Garbison
We began our work on foot. In hopes of giving
airtime to street voices, we walked “The Avenue”
(Independence Ave) and we hung out behind Dairy
Queen. Later we frequented the “Alley House,”
“Indian Hill,” “The Haunted House” and “The Wall.”
We hiked into campsites behind Super Flea and
the I-29 ramp off The Paseo Ave. We slid gingerly
through broken windows and muddied our knees
crawling under fences. We had coffee at Hope Faith,
ate lunch at “Sally’s” (Salvation Army), and dinner
at “Monday Night Church” (Micah Ministries).
We had our own ideas, of course. And we
brought with us rich past experiences from prior
work in Atlanta and Davenport. But we wanted
street voices to speak into our calling. It is essential
for anyone to speak to their own needs and wants.
So, when people began to ask us if they could
come to the house to do a load of laundry or take
a shower, they helped create “The Shower House”
(Cherith Brook).
We still take our weekly pilgrimage but with a
different mandate. For one thing, we move around
a lot less. In fact, we usually make a beeline to Fast
Stop or Bronceados on the Avenue—both places
are notorious for high drug sales and prostitution.
And we no longer take food or toiletries. Aside
from our prayers, we go empty handed.
So why the change? Our experiences over the
past few years called to us for a new approach, in
fact they screamed bloody murder. One afternoon
we dragged a bleeding man into our living room
from a drive-by shooting. Enrique was shot and
killed in our alley after chasing armed robbers from
his Aborrotes. Keith came over with bruises on his
face and ribs after young men jumped him for the
meager change earned panhandling. I visited Wes at
Truman Medical Center after he suffered a shotgun
blast to his ankle due to a “misunderstanding.” The
Bigger Jigger bar down the street has had two fatal
bar brawls in the past year. Recently, Yuri Ives, a real
estate agent and a respected neighborhood leader,
was shot in his own home with his own gun by a 17
year old intruder.
Then there is the amount of violence concentrat-
ed toward women, mirroring the way our culture
persecutes women, consuming them for sexual sat-
isfaction and as release for rage. Once I met a young
lady on the streets who had her earlobe bitten off
and her kneecap broken by the swing of a hammer
held by her “date.” Last summer a friend showed up
bleeding after being attacked by a serial rapist who
tance
W O R K E R
was targeting prostitutes in the area. He had bitten
her and stabbed her with a screwdriver before she
fought him off.
These troubling experiences on the streets and
stories at showers continue to collide with our
understanding of Jesus and his gospel of peace.
Though taunted by a culture of death, is our com-
munity not also a Christ haunted landscape? Is
Jesus not already here in some form and if so where
do we encounter him? When we don’t, how can we
extend his presence by our own? How will we be
received if we have nothing to offer but ourselves?
Can our willingness to be there open up new pos-
sibilities or will it escalate the conflict? How can
such spaces be redeemed for God’s conspiracy of
goodness in a broken world?
Yes, we proclaim and witness to the fact that
Jesus is there, exorcising the darkness and rescuing
all things for God. Yes, we are a people of hope. As
Colossians 1:20 says, “Through Christ God was pleased
to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in
heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.”
Christians speaking about peace often give way
to a two-fold temptation: On the one hand, we
avoid affirming the transformative power of the
gospel. Do we believe that we have weapons of the
Spirit at our disposal? Do we believe that our com-
mitment to peace is backed by a force even more
powerful than the violence we face? If we proclaim
that resurrection overcomes death, do we believe
that includes the streets also?
One day while on our peace-walk, a man we
didn’t know approached us talking excitedly. I
Lent 2011
remember his body gestures were strong. He spoke
quickly but his words were tangled. We strained to
make sense of what he was saying. We asked ques-
tions to get clarity, but it soon became clear that he
was either strung out or crazy or both.
At some point I got a creeping feeling. His ges-
tures were becoming forceful. His eyes became as
wide as they were red. Was he angry or only getting
animated? Whatever it was, my discomfort was
rising. He called himself Gabriel but I was con-
vinced he was no angel. When his hand went into
his pocket I became cold. I suddenly realized we
were alone; the other men had vanished. I almost
stumbled backward. I remember trying to figure
out how to get the attention of the others without
worsening the situation.
When he ripped his
hand out of his pocket,
my fear was realized.
He had a knife. But
then he did some-
thing I did not expect.
Without pause, he
turned and threw the
knife across the street.
We stood there frozen
as we watched it skip
across the concrete.
For weeks we
tried to process this
experience. At first
we second-guessed
ourselves. Had we
created this problem,
instigated something or pissed someone off? Was
our approach too confrontational?
Then our processing turned to panic: What are
we doing? Who do we think we are anyway? I’m
scared! We should just forget it.
Evaluation is essential. And all of these respons-
es were natural. We have no death wish and we’re
not going to throw caution to the wind. And yet,
over time we became aware that we were so focused
on our fear we had ignored the outcome—Gabriel
threw away his knife! We were fixated on the
causes for the danger and not what caused Gabriel
to disarm.
I have learned to retell that story now in its
entirety. I believe it was a miracle of nonviolence.
That is to say, an event that points to Jesus’ victory
(continued on page 10)
 2 Cherith Brook Catholic Worker Lent 2011
Peacemaking
A Modest Proposal
by Nick Pickrell
In Jim Douglass’ recent work, JFK and the
Unspeakable, he writes in great detail about JFK’s
turn toward peace and how it led to a great rift
between the former president and the military
industrial complex. In the book, Douglass shares
from one of Thomas Merton’s writings:
“Our weapons dictate what we are to do. They
force us into awful corners. They give us our living,
they sustain our economy, they bolster up our politi-
cians, they sell our mass media, in short we live by
CMYK
them. But if they continue to rule us we will most
surely die by them.”
Thomas Merton, a highly revered spiritual
leader, saw something very sinister happening in
the world. As World War II ended and the arms
race of the Cold War began, Merton saw nothing
but doom ahead. Military spending across the
world increased sharply. More weapons were
built, more workers were employed to build
them, and more resources were diverted from
other sectors to accommodate the arms buildup.
This caused large amounts of people to become
reliant on war for their family’s survival.
Woodcut entitled Peaceable Kingdom by Fritz Eichenberg
The year is now 2011 and we are living in a
nation where unemployment has skyrocketed but
the military is hiring and spending significantly
more than it did during the Cold War years (even
after accounting for the inflation rate). The
DOD is the nation’s largest employer, touting a
workforce four times as large as Wal-Mart’s 1.3
million employees. We are spending over 54% of
our nation’s discretionary budget on the military
while education gets 6.2% and health gets 5.3%.
Our nation is also the biggest spender when it
comes to the military, accounting for 46.5% of
the world’s total military spending while the
next top 10 countries combined for only 20.8% of
the world’s total military spending (Stockholm
International Peace Research Institute, Yearbook
2010).
Aside from financial concerns, many young
adults are joining the military today for eco-
nomic reasons. They need a job with benefits to
provide for their family; they need a way to pay
for college; they need a way to pay for training to
become a pilot; or they would like to be able to
travel the world. Recruitment brochures high-
light these perks but downplay the physical and
emotional cost that comes with taking another
life. At Cherith Brook, there are many we love
who have been unable to cope with the horrors of
war and now struggle with addiction, homeless-
ness, and mental illness. Also, our neighborhood
high school is a military magnet school and for
many students is the only obvious path towards a
college education.
As more and more Iraq and Afganistan veter-
ans show up at our place for a shower and a meal,
it is becoming apparent that a new path must be
forged. We are now dying by the very swords we
have made, and more and more families are being
ravaged by the pain of losing sons and daughters
because of war.
Peter Maurin, co-founder of the Catholic
Worker movement, spoke adamantly about how
all people should be able to practice the Works
of Mercy in their jobs. Meaning, all should have
occupations where they are not contributing to
war, exploitation, oppression, and destruction
of life, which is the antithesis of the Works of
Mercy. Working toward this vision of a society
without war can seem overwhelming or foolish to
some, but we are in desperate need of a new way
forward. To help break us from the hopelessness
that sets in when thinking of how to affect posi-
tive change in society, below is a modest proposal
for how to “build a society where its easier for
people to be good.”
1. Get out of debt
Students in the US have an average of $24,000
in school loans, households in the US have an
average of $8,100 of credit card debt, and 80%
of Americans are living with debt. These three
statistics spell disaster for many. Because the
majority of Americans are living in debt, two
things happen. First, businesses are granted the
opportunity to “lord it over” their workers. If
the majority of the labor pool is in debt and des-
perately seeking gainful employment, businesses
gain an unfair advantage over the workers. From
low pay and no benefits, to longer work weeks
with no vacation, businesses can do what they
want and expect to still have many people apply-
ing for positions at their company.
Second, debt puts the worker in a precarious
situation. If an indebted worker feels an injustice
has been committed in the workplace, the reali-
ties of possible termination and long lines at
unemployment weigh heavily on someone who
wants to address the injustices they face. The
worker is forced to decide between taking on
multiple low-paying jobs to make ends meet or
risk losing everything because the employer de-
cided to replace all the workers who thought they
were being treated unjustly. The worker ends up
being enslaved not only to his or her debt but
also to the employer.
When we come out from under the burden
of debt, we are freer to be men and women of
conscience. We are freer to speak up and act out
against the many injustices in the world because
we are no longer enslaved by debt.
2. Join a community
We live in a society where aggressive competition
runs rampant. Nations compete in arms races,
economics, and education. Individuals compete
in the workplace and in politics. This kind of
competition does nothing but tear communities
apart and create conflicts like the Cold War. In
order to create a more lasting peace, we need to
recapture the practice of collaboration and cama-
raderie. Pope John XXIII, in his famous “Pacem
in Terris” Encyclical, states:
“Everyone must sincerely co-operate in the ef-
fort to banish fear and the anxious expectation of
war from men’s minds. But this requires that the
fundamental principles upon which peace is based in
today’s world be replaced by an altogether different
one, namely, the realization that true and lasting
peace among nations cannot consist in the possession
of an equal supply of armaments but only in mutual
trust.”
This was written in 1963, when both the
Vietnam War and the arms race with the Soviet
Union were escalating. The world was anxious
and fearful, and not much has changed. From
high unemployment rates to the “War on Terror,”
people are still being beat down by fear and a
“dog-eat-dog” workplace. What better way to
counter all this fear and competitiveness than by
living in community.
In community, fear and competitiveness give
way to collaboration and camaraderie. Instead
of looking out for one’s self at the expense of
others, people take personal responsibility for the
community. Also, with all this newfound sharing
comes new possibilities. Through the sharing of
resources people are freed up to work less--al-
lowing more time to foster a healthy community.
People are then freed to inspire, challenge, and
encourage one another--which leads to mutual
trust. And that is the foundation of a more last-
ing peace.
3. Live below the poverty line
As stated earlier, 54% of our nation’s discre-
tionary budget is spent on war while 11% is
(continued on page 5)

Poetry Sustainability
Chickens
by Henri Garbison
From Desk to Farm
By Matt White
Chickens are nice, My hands reminded me of the labor I had
Chickens are mean. demanded of them. Every time I opened a door,
grasped the steering wheel, or picked something
Chickens are fat up, I felt the nagging sting of blisters. This lasted
and chicken are lean. several weeks until the blisters formed into
respectable calluses.
Chickens are nice This summer I departed from my usual work
and chickens don’t drool. in front of a computer screen to work on a farm
growing vegetables. There were many motivating
Chickens Like rice factors to my decision: the timing was right and
and chickens don’t go to the pool. I found myself between video jobs. Also, a steady
diet of Michael Pollan and Wendell Berry drew
Chickens are awesome me to the occupational change. I ached to get my
and they’re scared of a possum. hands dirty.
This is a chicken
and this is how they act,
and if you’re not careful
you might get attacked.
Some seedlings at the family farm.
I managed to find a small family farm that was
in need of seasonal help. They were expanding
their gardening efforts to accompany their egg
and milk production, and the produce was to be
harvested and sold weekly to a CSA (Community
Supported Agriculture) of about 20 members. At
the time of my hiring, planting was behind sched-
ule, so there was much work to be done.
The transition from desk work to farm work
was a challenging one. I foresaw the physical
challenges, but I did not foresee the complexities
of the job. Being a rookie, I had questions about
every process. The work could be daunting at
times, especially since I often worked alone. Each
day brought new challenges: the surprisingly
quick growth of okra, a black snake in the grass,
an entire row of beans washed away by a heavy
rain. Everything was in a constant state of change,
leaving me to juggle the balance between weeding,
Henri Garbison holding one of our chickens named Rosie. watering, planting, and harvesting.
I was surprised how differently the garden
looked every morning. I arrived most days,
welcomed by the coolness of the wind and the
rising of the sun. The roosters would make their
appropriate noises and three dogs and a cat would
greet me, eager for my attention. I would usually
walk through the garden to look over everything
Lent 2011 Cherith Brook Catholic Worker 3
and plan out the day’s tasks.
I felt a sense of accomplishment as the season
progressed. The cucumber vines grew out of their
mounds, the tomatoes made their way up the
fences, and beans began appearing from flower-
ing plants. What a marvelous world!
But, farming was very much a roller coaster
ride. Sometimes I felt caught up on weeding, and
consistent rain made watering an easy task. Oth-
er times it would be much different: the squash
would be under attack by various unfamiliar bugs,
and the soil would be as dry and hard as concrete.
One thing I can say: farming is not boring work.
As I fumbled my way through the growing
season, I couldn’t help
but feel a connection
to those who have
gone before me and
were so familiar with
this labor. I thought
of the first people to
cultivate the earth. I
thought of my grand-
father who spent
most of his days rais-
ing wheat from the
flat Kansas ground. I
thought about how he
would have stood in
the shade and longed
for a breeze to stir the
air. I thought about
the migrant farm
workers that pick tomatoes in the heat, and I
grew in admiration for them all.
I spend most of the day indoors now. My hands
are soft once again. Though I enjoy the work I am
doing presently, I often look out the window and
wish to be in the sunshine. I’m not sure what role
farming will play in my future, but I will definitely
bring this experience to my home garden and
continue in my hope for a sustainable world.
Matt White enjoying the great outdoors.
 4 Cherith Brook Catholic Worker Lent 2011
Community
An Uncommon Purse
by Jodi Garbison
There’s nothing “common” about shar-
ing money. It’s quite unnatural. We each
bring our own history, inherited perspec-
tives and entanglements when it comes to
money and spending. In fact, when Eric
and I got married, people warned us that
most of our arguments would center around
money. If this is true, and for many people
it is, why would we take the risk of includ-
ing five other people in something that can
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be difficult for even two people to navigate?
Our common purse started as an experi-
ment to deepen our commitments to each
other, by living simply and by practicing
solidarity. We wanted to live lives that
more closely resemble Acts chapter 2, which
states, “Because believers shared all in
common, no one was in need and all had
enough.“ The idea of sharing each other’s
burdens – even financially – seemed scary
but we felt ready for the challenge. The
idea was to live with a personal sacrifice
and continue the downward mobility the
gospel speaks of. To do this, we needed
something besides our own perspective and
limited vision.
We first sought advice from different
communities we knew who had some form
of common purse. We contacted Jubilee
Partners in Georgia and Reba Fellowship in
Illinois and they were kind enough to share
ideas of how things work in their communi-
ties. After much discussion and prayer we
decided to combine things we had learned
and tailor them to fit our needs.
As a first step, each of us submitted a
personal budget, which included fixed bills,
monthly income and “wants”. From that
we tried to work through the difference
between “wants” and “needs” and how to
simplify the bills we had. We tried to imag-
ine life without so many things and how
we could cut back on things we have grown
accustomed to. What could we potentially
do without? This is where the ideal of com-
mon purse met the practical reality of day-
to-day living. How were we going to actually
implement our plan?
We agreed to find part-time jobs that
would not require us to work more than 20
hours a week outside the community. This
is important since we all understand our
first call and commitment to be the work
we share in common at Cherith Brook – the
works of mercy, peacemaking and build-
ing community. We need money, however,
for personal bills. These are bills that
wouldn’t be covered by donations such as,
bills for cell phones, cars and kids’ activi-
ties. The money made from these part-time
jobs would be our common purse -- all of us might arrive soon. If we are unable to find
would decide how it is used. It makes no what we need, then we discuss it as a group.
difference whether you make $900 a month The rub comes when not everyone agrees.
or $300 a month. We all have equal voice in Is it working? It certainly isn’t easy.
the decisions, even though we all have jobs We have struggled through many difficult
with different pay. conversations and we have all learned and
Once we worked through the bills we grown from each one of them. Sharing
tried to determine a monthly stipend for money challenges the false sense of power
each person. It’s obvious that we are all at and/or security we often place on money.
different life places socially and what we do We continue to need each other for account-
with our time and money for entertainment ability in order to move beyond selfish and
varies from person to person. I might go careless spending. By releasing our tight
grip on our money
we hope to undo
the culture’s influ-
ence of consum-
erism and indi-
vidualism. We have
learned a lot from
each other on how
to challenge deep
seeded practices
of spending and
yet still love each
other.
Sound like a
miracle? Yes, you
are right…it is a
miracle! Several
times throughout
the last couple
years I’ve wanted
to bail – gather
“my” money, count
the losses and go
my own way. It’s
certainly easier and
cleaner to make de-
cisions on my own.
But is it healthier?
Is it healing? Is
it promoting the
Kindom of God and
restoring posses-
sions and owner-
Woodcut entitled Lord’s Supper by Fritz Eichenberg ship to their right
order? When I’m
to a movie for rejuvenation, Eric might buy tempted to run, I’m gently reminded that
a book or Nick might go to a concert. We this common purse isn’t just for us, the
came up with $100 for a monthly stipend. seven who share it. Our common purse is
The way this money is spent is discretion- for the good of everyone, the good of others
ary. The purpose of the stipend is not sole- who read about it or hear about it. It’s for
ly for entertainment. It is also to be saved anyone who is challenged by it and is in-
for trips or for vacations throughout the spired to try something similar. It’s for the
year. Any need that arises beyond the bills good of others who benefit because we have
is brought to the community to discuss. realigned our hearts to be sharers and not
If anyone needs something like clothes hoarders and to live in trust of God instead
or shoes or hygiene items, we first look of fear. Hopefully we now have more in
through donations. Many times, exactly common and no one is in need.
what we need is given or if we are patient it

Peacemaking Continued
A Modest Proposal
continued from page 2
spent on education and health care combined.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was prophetic when he
said, “A nation that continues year after year to
spend more money on military defense than on pro-
grams of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.”
With the reality of our nation’s runaway military
spending coupled with the worst economic col-
lapse since the Great Depression, it is becoming
more apparent that we can’t pay for war as well as
health care and education. Something is going to
have to give in order to pay for it all. Thankfully,
we don’t have to wait in order to bring about
change in this arena.
The military’s budget comes largely from our
tax dollars. Over the years, more and more of our
tax dollars have been diverted to cover the rising
cost of war. Individual and corporation income
taxes, excise taxes on tobacco and alcohol, estate
taxes, gift taxes, customs duties, and savings
bonds (formerly war bonds) are all taxes that
have been and are still used for war. The way we
can change this is through war tax resistance.
There are two main ways people have resisted
over the years. First, individuals can choose to
donate the percentage of their tax dollars used
for war to any charity or justice organization they
choose. Many will also include a letter to the IRS
stating what they did, why they did it, and en-
close the receipt for the donation that was made.
Second, individuals can live below the poverty
line to avoid paying federal income taxes, which is
the primary tax source for the military. The good
news is that if you are living in community it is
significantly easier to live below the poverty line
because of the sharing of resources. Either way,
practicing war tax resistance is an empowering
way to build a society that cherishes peace over
war.
4. Craft Economy
The holiday shopping season with all its ad-
vertising repeatedly tells us that unless we have
certain benchmark items then we are not worth
much. Even children get in on the act, pressuring
parents to go out and buy, buy, buy. Because of
Mammon’s evangelists--advertisers--many shop-
pers turn into wild animals come Black Friday.
People end up trampled on, beaten down and, in
some cases, killed. All because we gave in to the
god of consumption. If we are honest though,
many of us are addicted to materialism even
outside of the holiday shopping season. We want
to “possess” lots of things that might grant us
status or power, even though all of these things
will break or rust or decay.
Because of our propensity for materialism, our
stewardship of the earth has greatly diminished.
We drive everywhere in cars, heat and cool our
houses, buy everything wrapped in plastic, and
play video games. In essence, we have isolated
ourselves from nature. We throw away lots of
things and watch it magically disappear, not
knowing where it goes. We eat food from grocery
stores and know nothing of the farms that grew
it. We buy cell phones, clothes, and televisions
and have no idea of the injustices that exist in the
manufacturing of these items. Instead, we turn
a blind eye to the harm being done to the earth
because of our insatiable thirst for consumer
goods.
These conditions have given birth to a war
between man and creation. Deforestation, soil
erosion, drought, pollution and food shortages
are all signs of this battle. Thankfully, in our
attempts to disconnect ourselves from the earth,
we are reminded of our interconnectedness.
Remember the tomato shortage recently? The
weather wasn’t conducive to a healthy tomato
crop so a massive shortage occurred, causing
many restaurants to charge anyone who wanted
tomatoes on their sandwich. Despite industry’s
claim on our allegiance, we were reminded that
even industry can’t prevent a crop from going
bad.
“We drive everywhere in cars, heat
and cool our houses, buy every-
thing wrapped in plastic, and play
video games. In essence, we have
isolated ourselves from nature.”
In the book of Isaiah, a beautiful description
of the Kingdom of God is proclaimed. People will
live in the houses they build, eat the food they
grow, and the lion will lay with the lamb. There is
a sense of justice and harmony between God and
man, brother and sister, woman and creation.
All are in harmony, working together for an
everlasting peace on earth. Our way to enter into
that kind of harmony now is through local living
and artisanry. Growing food, making gifts, and
trading goods with one another does a couple
of things to accomplish this. One, it is human-
izing. In war, a very deliberate effort is made to
dehumanize the enemy by distancing and differ-
entiating “us” from “them.” This gives people the
ability to destroy the enemy easier. Remember
the Christmas Truce of 1914? Once the enemies
came together to share pictures, food and stories,
no one wanted to fight each other anymore.
The same holds true for the environment. The
more distance we put between ourselves and the
natural earth, the easier it is for us to exploit and
abuse it. By making the goods we need, riding
bicycles, and growing food we decrease this dis-
Lent 2011 Cherith Brook Catholic Worker 5
tance and forge a new connection with the earth.
The other thing local living and artisanry does
is put a face on economics. So much of our work
and consumption happens inside large multi-
national corporations. These corporations in
many ways take on the role of god for us. They
are entities that we enter into, get money from,
buy goods from and produce for--which creates
a dependency. Conversely, when we practice
trading and bartering food we have grown, we
realize that we need God to bring some rain so
our crops don’t die. The intermediary has been
removed and a dependence on God and neighbor
emerges. It is empowering to know how to bet-
ter a neighbor’s life directly, without the corpora-
tion acting as the central hub.
Lastly, local living and artisanry slow us down.
Whenever anyone commits to making and
repurposing things, it takes time. We are forced
to sit for hours when looming a rug or carving a
spoon. Sure, we could buy it and save time but a
mind shift needs to take place. Anytime we buy
something that could have been made, it really
is time lost--not gained. Anytime we give in to
the snare of busy-
ness and efficiency,
we lose presence to
the moment as well
as time for solitude.
This truly is time lost
when we so desper-
ately need that kind
of time to foster a
healthy heart, family
and community.
5. Put your home in a trust
The Year of Jubilee is a pretty radical way to
practice economics. In Leviticus 25:23, Moses
relays this message from God to the people of
Israel, “The land must not be sold permanently,
because the land is mine and you reside in my
land as foreigners and strangers.” In a society
that has a strong sense of entitlement, this verse
gives us a much needed shift in perspective.
God reminds the people of Israel that the land is
ultimately God’s so they are not to possess it.
A. W. Tozer, in the book called The Pursuit of
God, puts fresh words to this Old Testament
Jubilee practice. He calls it “the blessedness of
possessing nothing,” and goes on to say that the
benefit of possessing nothing is that we are then
free to treat all we have as a gift. Houses, food,
friendships and family are no longer possessions
to be grasped tightly but rather gifts meant to be
shared and cherished.
Along with possessing nothing comes a
sense of freedom. I remember the time a fellow
worker, Josh, was talking about how free he felt
(continue on page 10)
6 Cherith Brook Catholic Worker Lent 2011
Community
House Notes
by Josh Armfield
Part of our covenant together at Cher-
ith Brook has to do with caring for God’s
creation. As we move into our fifth year
as a community we are trying to pay more
attention to the food that we eat, especially
when it is running around and growing in
our backyard. And that’s the point! Our
chickens are a constant reminder to us that
food comes from the earth and not from a
grocery store or a restaurant. Recently we
learned that chickens produce fewer eggs
in the winter because of a lack of light and
not so much a lack of heat. So we replaced
the tin roof on our chicken coop with a plexi
glass roof so that our chickens can get more
light. Thankfully the weather has warmed
up also, but since we made the adjustment
to the roof we’ve been getting about six eggs
a day from our eight chickens! We hope to
be producing thirty eggs a day by the end
of the summer with the addition of twenty-
five more chickens to our flock. Of course,
now that we have more than thirty chickens
running around our yard, we’ve had to find
a way to keep them out of our garden space.
So we are fortifying our garden with chicken
wire! As I said, we are learning to pay more
attention to our food. And we understand
that these new steps toward local living will
create more work for us initially, but they are
healthy steps for us and for creation.
Twenty-five light brahmas enjoying their new chicken coop.
We are continuing to resist the construc-
tion of a new nuclear weapons plant on 150
Hwy and Botts road here in Kansas City.
On April 29-May 2, along with Holy Fam-
ily Catholic Worker, we will be hosting the
Midwest Catholic Worker Faith & Resistance
Retreat. The theme for the weekend is “The
Hope of Easter and a Disarmed World.” We
will have speakers and roundtables, and we
will end the weekend with a nonviolent ac-
Poetry
Tell Them
by Linda L. Skinner
Tell them I love them, tell them I care
Tell them don’t worry, for I will be there
Jesus, my Savior, died on the cross
To bring salvation to all that are lost
Tell them don’t worry, and have yea no fear
I’m here to save you, all that come near
Tell them I love them, just whisper my name
Tell them I wash out all shame
Tell them I hung here, it was not done in vain
Tell them I love them, tell them I care
Tell them I’m Jesus, I’ll always be here
Jessi McDaniel from Dominican University, Chicago, is
working on priming the railing for our front porch.
tion. Please consider coming to the gather-
ing to practice Gospel Obedience in resisting
Nuclear Weapons.
We know that peace starts first within
ourselves and with our relationships with
others. With this in mind, this March
we went through a two-day interpersonal
conflict-resolution training together as a
community along with our shower volun-
teers. We hope that we can continue to keep
in mind the nonviolent Jesus as we practice
the works of mercy here. We often talk
about the “Shower House” as a sanctuary.
The “Shower House” is a place for us all to be
free from the violence in our lives, whether
it is violence on the streets or violence in our
hearts. We must continue to train ourselves
how to live, speak, and work nonviolently
with others.
So needless to say, we are busy. We hope
that it is a healthy busyness. It is the busy-
ness of community, hospitality, and peace-
making. We are busy writing letters to our
friends in jail. We are busy hosting student
groups, teaching and sharing the life that we
live here. We are busy blessing the homes
of friends that were once homeless. We are
busy making candles and granola and keep-
ing our bicycles clean and oiled. We are busy A beautiful sketch entitled Breaking Free by Misty.
sharing meals together. And God continues
to change us into the beloved community
that Jesus so often spoke about as the King-
dom of God.
 Lent 2011 Cherith Brook Catholic Worker 7
Photos
8 Cherith Brook Catholic Worker Lent 2011
Community
A Call to Covenant
by Micah Waters
At Cherith Brook, we often talk about our
three orbs of life. These orbs are areas or
practices around which we structure our
daily living. We see in these orbs the way
the gospel has shaped us and leads us to
re-shape our lives. One orb is not more
important than another and none would be
complete without the other two. Day in and
day out the three orbs we continually seek to
commit ourselves to are community, peace-
making and the works of mercy.
Most people would see the complexities of
daily responsibilites and expect us to have
by-laws, contracts, or some sort of legally
binding document to force everyone to
participate in the ins and outs of daily life.
Between offering showers to people, work-
ing in the garden, welcoming people in for
meals, tending the chickens, painting walls,
making dinners, doing the laundry, building
fences, leading prayers and a whole score of
other things, some may think that we would
need something to make everyone do their
share. And in fact, we do have a compelling
Appeal
To Friends of Cherith Brook
by KC Catholic Workers
We are calling for people of faith
to practice Gospel Obedience and to
resist the construction of a new Nuclear
Weapons Plant at 150 Hwy and Botts Rd in
south Kansas City. On the weekend of April
29-May 2, Holy Family House and Cherith
Brook Catholic Workers will be hosting the
Midwest Catholic Worker Faith and Resis-
tance Retreat here in Kansas City. Catholic
Workers from all over the Midwest will be
coming together to put our faith into action
by resisting Nuclear Weapons. Along with
those coming from out of town, we greatly
need participation from local Kansas City
residents. The weekend will consist of a fo-
cus speaker, roundtable discussions, oppor-
tunities for spiritual reflection and prayer,
nonviolence training, and we will conclude
the weekend with a nonviolent action on
Monday May 2nd.
An urgent need has grown in Kansas City
to resist the production of Nuclear Weapons.
The Kansas City government has subsidized
a new federal Nuclear Weapons Production
Plant with $815 million in municipal bonds,
force in our lives to spur us on to carrying
our part of the load; it is our calling.
“...our calling began as a gener-
al longing to hear Jesus’ words
and do them. It began with a
desire to see the Sermon on the
Mount as something more than
an impossible ethic but rather
to see it as Jesus’ manifesto for
kingdom living...”
For us, our calling began as a general
longing to hear Jesus’ words and do them.
It began with a desire to see the Sermon
on the Mount as something more than an
over and above the National Nuclear Securi-
ty Association’s (NNSA) annual budget. The
new Plant’s selected 180-acre site at 150 Hwy
and Botts Road was mostly used for soybean
farming. However, the Kansas City govern-
ment declared that area “blighted” so that
it could use bond authority under Missouri
state law designed to fight urban blight to
give NNSA a new bomb plant. Taxpayers will
pay an estimated $4.5 billion over 20 years
for the new Kansas City Plant, which the
City will own until private developers pay
the bonds back through a lease-to-purchase
scheme backed up by a virtually certain rev-
enue stream from the federal government.
This new Plant will replace an old Nuclear
Weapons Plant, also in Kansas City; which
has significant environmental and worker
health concerns. We want to ensure that
these matters are handled promptly and
comprehensively.
We are outraged by this act of planned
violent destruction of human life, the misuse
of funds intended for our blighted neighbor-
hoods in which we live, the disregard for the
impossible ethic but rather to see it as Jesus’
manifesto for kingdom living; to hear Jesus’
summons to take up
our cross and follow
him and be ready to
encounter suffer-
ing on our journey
of discipleship. We
hoped to gain new
eyes so when we
heard Jesus’ words,
“Whatever you do
unto the least of
these, you do unto
me,” we would be
able to see Jesus
on the margins of
society.
This calling is
one we hope for all
Christians to respond to; to hear the call to
follow Jesus and to respond with action with
a reshaping of their lives. We are also
(continued on page 11)
health of workers and the pollution of our
streams, fields, and air. We need your help
to stop the future production of parts for
nuclear weapons. We need you to pray with
us, act with us, and be with us the weekend
of April 29-May 2, 2011.
We encourage you to discern and pray
about how God might be calling you to
participate in these events. Here are some
options: 1) You may come to the scheduled
round-tables and listen to the speaker, 2)
You may participate in the nonviolent action
on Monday morning, 3) You may also choose
to practice gospel obedience by risking arrest
at the action (if you choose to risk arrest on
Monday, we request that you at least partici-
pate in the nonviolence training that we are
offering throughout the weekend).
We hope that you are able to participate
in all three of these. A brochure about the
weekend can be found on page 9 of this pub-
lication. We hope to see you there. Grace
and peace to you.
 Lent 2011 Cherith Brook Catholic Worker 9
Faith & Resistance Retreat

The Midwest Catholic Worker

Faith & Resistance Retreat
“The Hope of Easter & A Disarmed World”
April 29 - May 2, 2011

@ De La Salle Education Center

3740 Forest Avenue, Kansas City, MO 64109

Schedule: Please Consider:

Friday 4.29 Coming to the retreat.
6:00pm. Dinner & documentary Join us for as much as your schedule allows. We
would love to have you with us.
Saturday 4.30
8:00am. Breakfast Coming to the action.
9:30am. Art Laffin Keynote Ask off work and come to the nonviolent action
(from Dorothy Day CW in DC) on Monday morning, May 2.
12:00pm. Lunch
1:30pm. Roundtable Discussions Civil Disobedience/Gospel Obedience.
(worker contamination, environmental con- Talk to your community, family and workplace
tamination, nuclear weapon policy, etc.) about acting on your convictions through civil
6:00pm. Dinner, Songs & Stories disobedience at the Monday morning action.

Sunday 5.1
8:00am. Breakfast
9:30am. Worship
12:00pm. Lunch
1:30pm. Action Planning
6:00pm. Dinner, nonviolence training
7:30pm. Prayer

Monday 5.2
7:00am. Breakfast
8:00am. Action

What to Bring: Come Early:

Sleeping bag, pillow Create Art, Props & Puppets.
Toiletries
Extra food to share Your Hosts: Come to Kansas City the week on April 22 to
help us with preparations. We especially need
Instruments and songs artists and experienced builders. 10 people
Supplies for signs & puppets Cherith Brook Catholic Worker are welcome to stay at Cherith Brook and Holy
Money to contribute to speaker and space cherithbrookkcmo@gmail.com Family Catholic Worker. Please call if inter-
816.241.8047 ested!

Holy Family Catholic Worker

holyfamilycw@gmail.com
816.753.2677
10 Cherith Brook Catholic Worker Lent 2011
Peacemaking Continued
A Modest Proposal Streets
continued from page 5
when he was riding his bicycle across the country.
“It was just me, my bicycle, and the road.” I
think Josh was practicing the “ blessedness of
possessing nothing.” He spent two months of his
summer being present to all that was around him
while sharing conversations, meals and bike rides
with others along way. Another way to engage
in this Jubilee practice of non-possession is by
putting your home into a trust. And don’t stop
there! Invite others to share in this gift as well.
When living in community, a shared household
can be a beautiful thing because everyone who
moves in is equally responsible for caring and
nurturing the shared gift. Everyone then has
the opportunity to share in both the joys and
burdens of keeping up a place so many people call
“home.”
6. Practice the Works of Mercy
Nothing could be further from participating
in war than practicing the Works of Mercy. A
longtime Catholic Worker, Rita Corbin, created
a beautiful banner which contrasts the Works
of Mercy and the Works of War. It highlights
how diametrically opposed they both are to one
another. In practicing mercy people feed the
hungry; in war people burn crops and land. In
practicing mercy people care for the sick; in war
people inflict wounds and kill. War creates peace
through fear of the other while mercy leads to a
mutual trust built on love--which is fundamental
for a more lasting peace.
Woodcut entitled Works of Mercy, Works of War by Rita Corbin
Another way to look at the power of the Works
of Mercy is to understand what the Matthew
25 passage meant in Jesus’ day. When Jesus
speaks of feeding the hungry, think of how Jesus
embodied that. He invited the poor, the ill, the
sinner, the prostitute and the tax collector to
the table. Jesus ate with them. They shared
stories. They were welcomed. The Pharisees were
outraged by this because it violated their clean/
unclean laws. They were outraged because Jesus
was eating with the “enemies” of the Jewish
society. Jesus also exploded the conventional
meaning of “neighbor” in his day. The parable
of the good Samaritan is a prime example of
this. A Jewish person is robbed and beaten and
a Samaritan comes to help the beaten man while
a priest and Levite pass right by. Samaritans and
Jews loathed each other in Jesus’ day and yet he
uses this parable to describe how to be a good
neighbor.
What Jesus did was decrease distance from
one another. Jesus intentionally brought
together the rich and the poor, the “clean” and
the “unclean,” all to demonstrate the way of the
peaceable kingdom. He understood that mak-
ing someone “other,” by dehumanizing another
human, is to make war with them. It is to make
someone our enemy. The Works of Mercy is the
prescription offered for changing a people bent
on elevating themselves over another, and by
practicing mercy we undo the inner attitudes that
lead to war and violence.
* * * We are well aware that there are no assurances
There are many ways to live differently - peace-
ably - in these days. The Catholic Workers, the
Community of the Ark, the Bruderhof Communi-
ties, the Koinonia Farm, and the many monastic
orders are all groups of people who are devoted
to living life differently in the present day. These
communities look different in the way they
operate but are similar in that they are proof
that we can live differently. St. Francis of Assissi
once said, “Start by doing what’s necessary; then
do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the
impossible.” These are very empowering words for
anyone looking to loosen the grip war has over
them. It encourages movement, however small,
in the direction one wishes to live. Then, by
continuing to take small steps towards peace, the
impossible will suddenly be happening and there
will be no end to the possibilities of what can be
accomplished.
It is imperative, however, to begin this journey
now. In the midst of a turbulent time, Martin
Luther King Jr. spoke of how he journeyed to
the mountaintop and saw the promised land on
the other side. Many people caught that vision
and pursued it. Until we are willing to make the
same step-by-step progress towards realizing a
reality marked by peace instead of war we will
never make it to the other side of the mountain -
marked by peace, tranquility and freedom. Let us
join together in the necessary work of “building a
society where it is easier for people to be good.”
Peacemaking Continued
continued from page 1
over death. It exposes the chimera of violence
and calls us to greater trust in the truth of Christ’s
peace. I have no other way to make sense of it. And
as I think back over the past four years, there are a
dozen such occurrences.
Do we recognize the weapons of the Spirit at our
disposal? Do we believe that our commitment to
facing danger without harming others is backed by
a force more powerful than evils surrounding us?
Do we affirm the Resurrection we profess is stron-
ger than the death we face? It is a great temptation
not to. We have been disciplined by a belief in the
need for force that overshadows the possibilities
present in this age of resurrection.
This story highlights the other temptation. We
are enticed to think God would not call us into work
that might involve risk or even harm. Ron Sider
once wrote of practicing Christian nonviolence,
“Making peace is as costly as waging war. Unless we are
prepared to pay the cost of peacemaking, we have no
right to claim the label or preach the message.” Will we
only affirm ministry that can guarantee our safety
and security? Do we support those called to this
kind of work or write them off as naïve or foolish?
that that things will always end up in our favor or
that we will not be harmed. Glamorizing nonviolent
living is no more truthful than glamorizing war. In
all honesty, this work has exposed our own willing-
ness to give into these temptations as well as our
own fears, our own brokenness, even the violence
within. We want to take seriously that as followers
of Jesus we are set apart - made holy for the ways of
peace - even if our vessels are humble, broken and
vulnerable.
The sign and source of peace in the Colossians
passage quoted above is the cross. It is, ironically, a
symbol of violence. But it does not symbolize our
means of power nor a weapon we might use against
an enemy. In fact, in I Corinthians 1 & 2 Paul admits
that others will see this symbol as a stupid or an ir-
rational choice. They will see it as an indication that
we are weak or passive. But we believe it was meant
to symbolize that the power of peace is not an issue
of might, force or coercion--all forms of human
strength to which we often turn.
The cross is a revelation of the way God’s power
plays out in the world. It was intended to jog our
memory. It was Jesus’ humility, patience, willing-
ness to endure suffering, and refusal to do harm
that won the day. A contradiction to some and an
insult to others, it is, nevertheless, to be our means,
our strength and our comfort. “For to this you have
been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving
you an example, so that you should follow in his steps.
‘He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his
mouth.’ When he was abused, he did not return abuse;
when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted
himself to the one who judges justly” (I Peter 21-23).
 Lent 2011 Cherith Brook Catholic Worker 11
Community Community Continued How To Help

Cherith Brook House

CW Covenant
by Cherith Brook Catholic Workers
Covenant
continued from page 8
Needs
Coffee, Sugar, Creamer
Vinegar (gallon size for cleaning)
1. We commit to a life of discipleship, following Jesus, cross bearing, acting learning to hear a more specific calling. It
on our reflections and reflecting on our actions. “If any want to become my is a calling that beckons us to respond to Baking Soda
followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” the needs we encounter in the Historic
Dish Soap
Northeast part of Kansas City. To spend
2. We commit our daily lives to practicing hospitality: Listening for the knock time listening to the lives of those who have Toilet Paper
and looking for the face of Jesus in stranger and friend, while receiving from been cast aside around us, and respond as we
Milk, Eggs, Butter
them God’s welcome of us. “When you did it to the least of these my sisters learn to recognize Jesus as he needs cloth-
and brothers, you did it to me.” ing, food, drink, and welcome. Black Beans
As a response to both our specific and gen-
Salt & Pepper Shakers
3. We commit our daily lives to pursing the nonviolence of God’s Shalom em- eral calling we have written a covenant. We
bodied in Jesus’ life, teachings, death and resurrection. We will pursue the have an annual covenanting retreat in order Folding Tables (standard size)
peace struggle with ourselves, each other, and our enemies, on the streets, to keep our covenant and calling central to
Energy Saving Light Bulbs
in our city, our country and our world. “Love your enemies” and “Overcome our lives. During this time we explore where
evil with good.” God has led us and look forward to where Trailer (flat bed)
God might be leading. In preparation for our
Bike trailers
4. We commit to the journey of forgiveness in all relationships, striving retreat, we each spend time in prayer and
toward reconciliation in ways that recognize the differences in each person. reflection in order to create space to hear Old candles
“Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in where God is leading us. Then we share our
Bicycles
Christ has forgiven you.” thoughts with the community to help each
other discern their call. Sharing reflections
5. We commit to common living. has been especially helpful, as it allows
We will play and celebrate together. others to clarify where we are unsure, and
We will share in the work of the house and garden. to solidify where we feel God’s call. Indeed,
We will eat together at agreed upon times. we believe that where two or more gather in
We will worship together. the name of Christ we can be confident in
We will practice a weekly prayer rhythm and encourage personal prayer, discerning truth.
reflection and solitude. At our retreat, we reflect on our year;
We will live locally, present to our neighborhood and community.
We will make decisions by consensus, striving for full agreement.
We will practice Sabbath rhythms—creating space for rest, prayer,
where have we been faithful to God’s leading
and where have we faltered? Is God leading
us in a new direction, or is God calling us
Shower
solitude and reflection.
We will hold our finances & resources in common.
We will work less than 20 hours a week outside the community.
to deepen something we are already doing?
Through our time of reflection, we are able
to write into our lives where God is calling
Needs
us. In writing, we can remember what God Tennis Shoes (men’s & women’s)
There are many other ways of resisting the idolatries of capitalism. We has done and also look forward to what God
Jeans & Belts
celebrate those as well. “All who believed were together and had all things in is doing. Then, as we discuss and share, we
common…” are able to give concrete reality to ideas. (men’s 30-34, women’s 4-6, 16-18)
Our covenant is our written response to
Men’s Underwear (size 32-38)
6. We commit to prayerful discernment: listening to God and to each other, God’s calling. Without calling, we cannot
listening to scripture and trusting in the presence of the Spirit in our lives. covenant but through our covenant we are Women’s Panties (esp. 4-7)
able to clarify and deepen our calling. As
Bras
7. We commit to being servants of creation, caring for the earth and her we spend time at Cherith Brook we are able
resources, reducing our dependence on technology and fossil fuels, rejecting to understand who God has created us to Shampoo & Conditioner
the busyness of modern city life, and returning to the garden of God’s inten- be and what God has created us to do. For
Deodorant & Razors
tions. “And God saw that it was good…very good.” some, that journey leads elsewhere, while
for others, it solidifies their calling to be Tube Socks
8. We commit to living at a personal economic sacrifice: trusting daily for at Cherith Brook. Either way, through
Foot Powder
God’s provision, sharing freely and living off the excess of our culture. “Give our shared life and work and through our
us this day our daily bread.” community discernment and covenant, we Toothpaste & Brushes
are able to hear God’s call more clearly and
Tampons
9. We commit to shaping our lifestyles around Jesus and his manifesto in respond.
the Sermon on the Mount, living in expectation of his return. “let your light Ibuprofen & Tylenol
shine before people, so they can see the good things you do and praise your
Laundry Soap (high efficiency)
heavenly Parent.”
Stamps
Cherith Brook Catholic Worker
3308 East 12th Street
Kansas City, MO 64127
(816) 241-8047

cherithbrookkcmo@gmail.com
http://cherithbrookcw.blogspot.com

Our
Who Are We? Schedule
Community—Cherith Brook is a residential
Christian community committed to sharing
table fellowship with strangers, and all our
resources with one another. We have found our
inspiration from the early church, the Church of
the Savior, and the Catholic Worker.
Mercy—Our daily lives are structured around
practicing the works of mercy as found in Jesus’
teachings. We are committed to regularly feed-
ing the hungry, clothing the naked, giving drink
to the thirsty, welcoming the stranger, visiting
the prisoner and the sick in the name of Jesus.
Peacemaking—As followers of Jesus, we
understand our lives to be centered in God’s
Shalom. Cherith Brook strives to be a “school”
for peacemaking in all its dimensions: political,
communal, and personal, working constantly to
undo poverty, racism and militarism.
Upcoming
Events
Showers M, T, Th, F 8 am–noon April 22, 4pm
Good Friday Way of the Cross
(meet at 11th St. and Oak in KCMO)
Prayers M, W, F 6:30–7 am
Community Meal Th 5–7 pm April 29 - May 2
Faith & Resistance Retreat in KC
Women’s Day Monthly, Last Wed 11:30 am–2 pm
May 17 - 19
Haircuts Monthly, 2nd Sat 9–11 am Community retreat
Garden Workday M 2-5 pm
July 3, 6pm
Open mic night @ Cherith Brook
Group Workday Monthly, 2nd Sat 9 am–1 pm
July 17 - 31
Cherith Brook closed

These three orbs can be summed up as the struggle

to connect with the God of life. We pray that Cher-
ith Brook is a space where all of us—the broken—
can come to learn and relearn the ways of Jesus;
a place to struggle together for God’s call of love,
mercy, peace and justice.