I recently found out about the Knox House where four guys--Brent Hendricks, Eric Colby, Greg Hess, and David Weddle, a recently added member--live together. They are trying to live out monasticism in a revolutionary way. They are committed to live for two years in the North Central Neighborhood in Spokane.
“Some people call us hippies; others call us monks. I'm not sure I qualify as either,” Hendricks says.
They currently live without many of the amenities that we take for granted, including no TV, no Internet, and no dishwasher. They also try to minimize toilet flushing.
A daily routine in their home consists of prayer, worship, reading scripture, and eating together daily. They begin these shared disciplines at 6:30a.m. and complete them in two hours before leaving for work. Once everyone returns home they reflect and pray together.
They also are concerned about the type of food they eat, where it comes from and how it affects others in the world. So they have eliminated meat from their diet. They also have created a "garden" in their kitchen in order to grow food for their meals. They have a rooster and chickens from which they get their eggs.
These men live out community in their neighborhood in several ways. Every Sunday they invite friends/neighbors to their home for dinner and the number can be from 5 to 25.
“We are trying to be a Christian presence in the neighborhood, not by passing out brochures but by building relationships and have a lasting impact,” Hendricks says.
Here are just a few ways they have lived out community with their surrounding neighbors: shoveling snowy driveways, raking leaves and cooking meals. When a visitor arrives, he or she recieves a friendly greeting, a glass of tea, and undivided attention.
You can read a more detailed account about the Knox House at the link below:
You can read a more detailed account about the Knox House at the link below:
Sarah
3 comments:
This is very much the Simple Way style of living. So cool to see that it's possible in modern-day America. Speaking of simplicity, some friends of mine here in Durham have limited car usage to once a week. They moved to an apartment that is within walking distance to a grocery store, post office, etc. He bikes 8 miles to work each day, and she works from home as an editor. Ironically, the only driving they do is on Sundays to our church!
I have a question for anywhone who might be able to answer...
How does my decision not to flush my toilet affect the ability for those in Africa (for instance) to have water? I know resources are limited overall, but it seems like water in 3rd world countries are limited for different reasons. I also buy that my not flushing may help someone in Georgia with a water shortage. But I just don't quite understand the connection otherwise. Can anyone articulate the answer to this question?
Carrie, I don't know if this answers your question but this is what it says in The Better World Handbook, "Saving water: 1. helps support wildlife habitat by replenishing local streams and lakes and 2. saves energy that would otherwise have been used to heat and purify the water at your local water treatment plant." It also states that the toilet uses more water than anything else in our homes. The toilet accounts for 40% of a home's indoor water use. Also, you may not know but we are in one of the worst droughts in US history! I personally try to conserve water because I do know how precious of a resource it is around the world and try to be mindful of that every time I turn on a faucet. Hope that sheds some light to your question.
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