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“Forget Your Perfect Offering”

– Leonard Cohen

There is some hubris needed, in sitting down to pen a creed, a prayer, an anthem, or other aspirational words, that is written for others to say, and yet sticks in your own throat when the same words come haltingly out.  Perhaps even more hubris to pause and reflect on the same.  Who the hell am I?  To be writing this, to be involved in this project, to be doing any of this?  And aren’t elders a bit beyond making another commitment, another pledge, another promise?  Isn’t the season of the Elder, (which I’m not in) the stage in which all such silliness is abandoned as being too small, perhaps a bit precious, as their horizon gives way to the wordless Mystery which cannot be contained?  

…And yet…even simple lyrics, sung in unison, somehow points us beyond ourselves, to the universal.  Music, poetry, psalms, hymns and the like,  open us to what flows between the words…and the words, crude though they may be, yet serve as a worthy enough container through which a larger chorus can break through….

Perhaps these “imperfect” words are not what Elders are to offer us, (if Elders were to come up with such a thing)…and indeed in the end, what we ultimately want is not words from Elders at all, but their flesh and blood, incarnate presence!  But if I, and I suspect the other younger brothers and sisters around me, were to dream of a concert sang to us by a chorus of elders all over this earth, these simple words might be one of the lyrics we would relish hearing sung.  Particularly if they were more heartfelt, than I can offer them as of yet…

~Ned Abenroth

A Prayerful Offering of Elders
We stand on common ground,
      Honoring the presence of the Wild One
           in all that is,
We join with all creation:
In grieving the wounds of this world,
In celebrating the beauty of all,
In welcoming all beings and their place in the world,
In yearning for the healing of all,
In loving all, especially the broken and marginalized,
In acting for the good of the world,
As elders, we commit:
All that we are,
       and
All that has been granted us:
our time,
our energy,
our money,
our talents,
our bodies,
our breath…
To be used as Spirit calls us.
We step into our call as elders to live on behalf of the whole
We step:
into death,

into life,
into growth,
into joy,
into beauty,
into relationship,
into leadership,
into holy folly,
into nothingness,
into everything
For the sake of our ancestors and descendants,
For the sake of the more than human world,
For the sake of each other,
For the sake of ourselves, and
For the sake of the Beloved Friend, in whose beauty, we pray.
~ Ekone Ranch September 2018

The sun drops low at Ekone

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Reflections On The January Retreat

Illuman Of Washington
I attended the January retreat and was moved by the power of the male community. The greetings upon arriving shifted my focus to assessing my gifts, wounds, and blessings. The time and space shared presented an opportunity to seek spiritual direction and understanding in the community of brothers.
~Stephen
Illuman Of Washington
I attended the January retreat and was moved by the power of the male community. The greetings upon arriving shifted my focus to assessing my gifts, wounds, and blessings. The time and space shared presented an opportunity to seek spiritual direction and understanding in the community of brothers.
~Stephen
Illuman Of Washington
After making the MROP years ago, and coming home to unpack the experience virtually alone, the Illuman retreat gave me a sense that, finally, a community is present, and willing, to share the journey.
~Participant
Illuman Of Washington
The January retreat was a great way to reconnect with the deepest needs of the spirit and leverage time-tested rituals for powerful impact. A wonderful opportunity to connect with other men that are on their own path of spiritual transformation, and learn from their journey and experiences.
~Participant
Illuman Of Washington
At the end of the retreat, I felt deeply at peace and very grateful for all the men who shared this space with me, as well as the volunteers who made it happen. I can't wait to go again!
~Ned
Illuman Of Washington
The combination of the gathered group, the small group "council" times, and the time in solitude was refreshing. It felt like a safe place to reflect and refocus, receiving encouragement from others along the way.
~Participant
Illuman Of Washington
In the stillness of a damp, quiet corner of the Seattle metro area, a diverse group of men gathered to share rituals and a common desire to become better, more generative men. It was perhaps the first time I've ever experienced real unity in such a group of men, and the sacred time paved the way for some life-changing healing that could only have happened in the company of others.
~Sam
Illuman Of Washington
It was comforting to spend time in the company of men who are there to support you; and who you can support as they and you walk through the stages of life.
~Dennis
Illuman Of Washington
Last year's retreat, was powerful as a continuance for those of us who had been through an MROP and for our brothers who were interested in learning more about MROP's and opportunities for being with like minded men.
~Participant
  • Home
  • Men’s Rites of Passage
    • What is the MROP?
    • Initiator Program
    • MROP Reflections
  • Elders’ Rites of Passage®
    • What is the EROP?
    • An Elder’s Offering
    • Registration & EROP Details
    • Before & After EROP
    • Returning Elders
  • Teen’s Rites of Passage
    • Growing Teens
    • Illuman Rising
  • Journey of Illumination
    • Overview of the JOI
    • Centering
    • Gathering
    • Connecting
    • Releasing
    • Serving
  • Events
  • Resources
  • Community
    • What are Councils?
    • Council Gatherings
    • Join – Serve – Lead
    • Members Portal
  • About
    • About Us
    • Contact
    • Partners

Illuman Of Washington
19110 – 17th Ave NW
Shoreline WA 98177
Jeffrey Batstone, Convener

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