| CONTENTS Preface Prologue |
ANTIOCH WEEKEND LEADERS MANUAL |
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THE INTRODUCTORY TALK |
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| Introduction
to the Antioch Weekend
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THE INTRODUCTION: Speaker: The leader Duration: 35 minutes Purpose: To introduce the team and the Weekend to the Students making it. To set the tone for the Weekend, and to help set the students at ease. To start them thinking, and to put them in a frame of mind to re-evaluate their lives and their Christianity. To orient them to the Weekend, explaining to them in a brief way what it will be like and what they will have to know in the way of practical details. To take control of the situation showing them who will be giving the instructions and reassuring them that they will be in competent hands. Style: Welcoming - showing a gladness that they are there. Sometimes lightly, with humor, because the Weekend will often be light. Serious - introducing the seriousness of what the Weekend will be concerned with. Not pushy or challenging in tone. Confident and assuring - communicating the fact that the situation they are in is secure and stable and can be trusted. Progression: The Introductory Talk begins by the leader introducing the Weekend and the team. This first section (the general explanation) should be short. It is meant as a transition to the main part of the talk and to the Weekend as a whole. Section II of the talk is the main part of the talk and should take the longest. Its purpose is to present the Weekend as something serious in the life of the student. The section begins by stressing the fact that students are making decisions that will affect the future of their lives and that therefore have to be carefully examined. It goes on to point out that Christianity is not just an idea, as students often think of it, but something tat affects a person's life and way he lives his life. (This point is completed in God's Call). Finally it explains that the Weekend is an integrated whole, preparing the students for what to expect so that they can take greatest advantage of it. By the end of this section of the talk, the students should have a general idea of the kind of thing the Weekend is and what they can get from it. Section III of the talk considers what is called for from the students taking the Weekend to make it a success. It makes the point that God will be responsible for the success of the Weekend as of everything in Christianity, but that each person must cooperate with Him. The advice given should convey a sense of peacefulness, but also should bring out the need of active cooperation. Section IV is the place for the practical instructions of what they will have to do and avoid to make the Weekend work. The tone should not be that of a school teacher or a sergeant. The approach should be: this is what you have to do in order to get the best out of it and to help everyone concerned.
THE OUTLINE: I. GENERAL EXPLANATION A. This is an Antioch Weekend - it is not a retreat, day of recollection, etc. B. It will be given by a team (priest, students, faculty). II. THE PURPOSE OF THE ANTIOCH WEEKEND A. Its purpose is to provide (1) an understanding of (2) the role of the Christian student (3) in the modern world. 1. Being a student is important. a. A student is someone who is making crucial decisions, deciding on his life. b. Our decisions are determined by our goals and values. c. The Antioch Weekend gives us a chance to stop and think seriously about: what it is worthwhile to live for what are the most important things in life where true happiness can be found 2. The Antioch Weekend presents an understanding: a. We students have an occupational hazard of considering everything (Christianity included) as an idea or position. b. It is especially important not to do this with Christianity because it is more than an idea - it is an invitation, a call. c. That is why the Weekend centers on the Bible, considering what God has to say. 3. Being a Christian is different in the modern world. B. By situating the student within God's plan. 1. There is a picture running through the Weekend of the way God through history gathers the world back to himself in Christ, in the Church. 2. Each talk will deal with an aspect of the picture. a. Let them unfold, but try to see the unity b. Pay attention to everything, even if it sounds like you've heard it before. 3. Warning - it will not be like a standard catechism (or theology) course. III. ITS SUCCESS God will make it successful if you: A. Relax - put it in his hands. 1. Forget the time, outside affairs, problems, etc. 2. Take each thing as it comes. 3. Have patience: it will start slow, but by Sunday night you will not want to leave. B. Join in. 1. It is a joint effort (including the practical arrangements). 2. The more you contribute to it, the more you will get out of it. IV. PRACTICAL INSTRUCTIONS A. Get to know one another B. Follow the schedule (listen to the bell, stay at the activities, etc.) C. No silence, but quiet at nights, especially at the first one. D. Get sleep E. Stay "in bounds." F. Other details ________________________________
THE COMMENTARY: I. GENERAL EXPLANATION The talk begins by the leader introducing himself, giving some background on himself (major, year, job, etc.). He should also introduce the assistant leader in the same way, associating the assistant leader with himself as someone who is in charge of the Weekend. The leader then introduces the whole Weekend. He does not at this point explain very much about it. He simply warns the students making the Weekend that it is not like anything else that they have experienced. If there is anyone in the group who has made a high school weekend that is somewhat similar or a college Weekend that is somewhat similar, he should seek them out individually and tell them that the Antioch Weekend is like the program they experienced, but that it will be an new experience and will add to (build on what they got out of the other program. At no time should the leader suggest that other programs (including retreats) are of little value. The leader then says that there is a team of priests and laymen who are present. He will make a special point of introducing the priests, asking them to stand up if they are more than one or if it is difficult for the students to pick them out. He will pick out the main priest (the spiritual director) and say that this priest is the one who is ultimately responsible for the Weekend. This conveys to the students that it is the clergy who are ultimately responsible for the Church, a point that cam be obscured by the fact that the leader will give most of the directions. Any time during the Weekend that the leader can reinforce the idea that it is the spiritual director who is in charge, he should do so. After introducing the priests, the leader should say that they are present to be at the service of the students, and that they should feel free to approach the priest(s). The leader ends by introducing the student (lay) team members by name. He should not ask them to stand, calling a great deal of attention to them, but he should tell the students that they will have a chance to get to know these team members during the Weekend. The team members should introduce themselves as team members naturally by taking a responsibility for the Weekend, but they should not be put on a higher level than the students (as would happen if too much were made of their position at the beginning). No attempt should be made to hide them. the leader should introduce the janitors at the end, asking them to stand up, and explaining that they are the ones to ask for any supplies. II. THE PURPOSE OF THE ANTIOCH WEEKEND This section begins with a one sentence summary of the purpose of the Antioch Weekend. The three numbers in the outline are there to indicate that the summary has three parts that will be discussed. II.A.1 Being a student is important Most students do not think of being a student as something important. they receive no special honor and have to scrounge for money, ask for admission and take what the administration and faculty are willing to give them. They live in "little boxes made of ticky-tacky", and it does not matter all that much which cubicle has their name on it. Being a student does not seem important while waiting on a registration line. But it is. It is because in 10 years, because of the time they have spent as students, many people will be depending on them and seeking them out. But it is even more important for another reason: a student is someone who is making crucial decisions, decisions, that will determine his life. II.A.1.a A student is someone who is making crucial decisions The key notion to center on, in the section on the importance of the student, is the idea of decisions. The student has many possibilities open to him, more than anyone else in society. His life is still flexible, largely undetermined. Because of his ability, he has a greater range of possibilities open to him than do others of his age. Whether he is conscious of it or not, he is making decisions, determining the course of his life. To make this point, it might be well to point out the kind of decisions the student has made and is making (to come to X university, to choose X major, possibly marry X girl). The fork in the road illustration should be the main feature of this section. When a man comes to a fork in the road, he has to make a decision. either path is open to him. He has to take one or the other. At the time it does not seem like much of a difference, but in a few hours he will be many miles away from where he could have been by taking the other road. He may be in a different nation. The decisions the student makes don't always make a great deal of difference now, but they will in the future.. It is important to make the right decisions now. II.A.1.b. Our decisions are determined by our ideals and values This section is designed to make those listening conscious of the role their goals and values play in their lives. It should induce them to examine their goals and values more closely. Decisions are not just a matter of examining the facts. The facts will usually reveal a number of possibilities. Each person makes a choice among the possibilities and is guided by his goals and values. This point might best be made by giving examples of how goals and values do influence students' decisions. One possible example to use: "the middle-class dream', i.e. the secure, respectable job, the pretty wife, the house in the suburbs, the two cars, the 2 and 3/4 kids, etc. 1) People often absorb their ideas and values unconsciously from their environment. A good way to establish this point is to give a couple of examples of how cultural values seem so absolute to us, but not to someone from a different culture. A Latin American finds it natural for men to embrace one another, an Anglo-Saxon finds it all wrong. In some culture, men are expected to cry, even on demand. It would be well here to point out that other students, especially the ones they hang out with, are exercising an influence upon them. Why is it important, for instance, to go to the home football games, but not to the home soccer games? And this same influence is exerted in more important areas. 2) Sometimes we are unaware of what goals and values are influencing our decisions. Often we tell ourselves that our ideal is one thing, but it is really something else. This is another point that can be established by examples. Perhaps their roommate considers himself a charitable guy, or a hard worker - but they know better. Point out to them that it is possible to find out what our values really are, what our ideal is, by considering where we spend our free time, what we do with our money, and where our thoughts take flight to. These things are good indications f what we really want and where we really are headed. 3) Usually we do not consider seriously where we are going. We make our decisions half-unconsciously most of the time. We drift in a lot of areas of our lives. In the back of our minds, we feel that we should stp and think things out, but we don't have time. There's an exam coming up, a big date, vacation (and who feels like it on vacation?). II.A.1.c The Antioch Weekend gives us a chance to stop and think The Weekend is not trying to change them. It is offering them a chance to seriously consider their own lives and make a change if it seems in order. A motivation for taking this chance more seriously can be presented by considering our lives as an investment. Each man has a chance to invest his life in something. It is a good idea to think seriously about what investment will yield the greatest returns. We only have one life to invest. II.A.2. The Antioch Weekend presents an understanding The Weekend presents an understanding, it is true. If the students taking it make good use of it, they will come out with more understanding of themselves and of life. But there is a danger of being too detached. The three points in this section are intended, not so much to state the fact that the Weekend presents an understanding, as to explain the kind of understanding it presents. The goal is not to have the detached understanding of a fact or theory. It is to have the kind of understanding that shows us what to do. This section is meant to prepare the students for the Weekend's hitting home. II.A.2.a We students have an occupational hazard Here is the point where the difference between thinking about things in a detached academic way and in a personal way is made. Sometimes the only time we understand something is when we feel called upon to do something with it. An example might make the point: if a girl is sitting next to a guy and says that she is cold, he probably doesn't understand her at all if he takes it as a statement of fact. she wasn't just conveying information; she was inviting a response. Taking her remark as a statement of fact may be called "knowing the truth", but it is also called "missing the point." II.A.2.b. It is especially important not to do this with Christianity Christianity is more than just an idea or a position. If we just consider it in detached academic ways, we are missing the point. Christianity is a call, an invitation. We are being offered something by God; not to make a decision to accept it is to reject it. This point should not be overdone. It should just be simply stated. It will be developed in the talk, God's Call. II.A.2.c. That is why the Weekend centers especially on the Bible This point should also be made briefly. It is not necessary to explain how the Bible is a message from God. The place of the bible will be explained in the next talk. The Bible is only mentioned to present it as something that is central to the Antioch Weekend and to indicate to the students how they will be able to find the understanding of Christianity that they need. II.A.3 Being a Christian is different in the modern world The modern world is an ever-present factor. It has revolutionized man's life; it makes a difference in the way he lives his Christianity. The modern world has not changed Christianity. God is still God, and man still needs to be redeemed. But men's lives are different, and the way they live out their commitment to Christ is different. It is better not to go into an extended treatment of what the modern world is.. The students should realize that the leader knows that the modern world is there and knows how to deal with it. They should also feel somewhat challenged to wonder if their approach to Christianity is not medieval and inadequate for the situation they are in. Maybe the thing that is wrong with it is that they have not taken modern conditions into account. The best way to handle this section is probably to use a couple of simple examples to make the point. For instance, 100 years ago, it would be possible at birth to tell a child's future occupation. He would probably inherit his father's occupation. And if he did not, he would only have a couple of other opportunities open to him. His occupation was given. Now, it is a student's own fault if he does not pick a worthwhile occupation. Another example might be the problem of scheduling. Everything in our lives is scheduled. We can probably tell now what we will be doing next Thursday at 11:00 a.m. Things are scheduled by the day, by the week and by the year. 100 years ago it wasn't so. There is no need to draw the implications for Christianity from these points. They will be brought out in later talks. It is enough to implant a consideration that the modern world has something to do with how to be a Christian. II.B. By situating the student within God's plan The Antioch Weekend provides an understanding of the role of the Christian student in the modern world by situating the student within God's plan. There is unity to the Weekend which is important. Much of the effect of the Weekend comes from presenting an overall view so each person can see his life in a better perspective. At the end of the Weekend, he should see himself and the things he is involve in more in the way God sees them. This section is designed to help prepare the students to watch out for the overall view. They should begin to change their "set" so that they can take in the whole message of the Weekend. II.B.1 There is a picture running through the Weekend The leader has a major responsibility in keeping the Weekend integrated and in reminding the students that it is integrated and not just a medley of interesting talks on important topics. The main way he will help them to integrate it in their minds is through the diagram which he will draw before each talk. In introducing each talk, he will indicate how it will build on what has come before and what it will add to the picture that is being sketched in. The diagram is first presented at this point in the Weekend. The leaders should draw the full picture and explain it as he draws it. He should point out: that it is a diagram of God's plan that the Weekend will draw a picture of God's plan that God, through History, works to gather men to Himself that this is done in Christ and in the Church, through Christ and through the Church The diagram: II.B.2. Each talk will deal with an aspect of the picture From the fact that the Weekend is integrated, it is easy to go on to point out that each talk takes an aspect of the picture. This section is designed to give two pieces of advice on how to become aware of the unity of the talks: the students should try to see the talks as a whole and they should pay attention to everything. II.B.2.a. Let them unfold, but try to see the unity. The point can be made simply. A comparison might help, e.g. it is possible to understand how a carburetor works considering it by itself, but it makes a lot more sense to see it where it fits into the engine as a whole. It will help to explain that the talks are structured to fit into and build on one another, and that some effort should be put into seeing the picture as a whole. II.B.2.b. Pay attention to everything. This point is intended to keep from "turning off" God's Call, the Work of Christ, and the Church and the World, just because they have heard a lot of the material before. The point which has to be made is that understanding something is more than hearing it or knowing it. It also involves seeing the significance of it. Two effective examples for this point are Newton and Archimedes. Both discovered the significance of unimportant, everyday things that everybody knew about. People have been seeing apples falling out of trees for generations. In fact, the famous moment of the discovery of the Law of Gravity probably wasn't the first time Newton had been beaned by one. But it was the first time he saw the significance of what had happened. The same thing was true of Archimedes. When he jumped into the tub and the water sloshed all over the floor, he said "Eureka!" And by that he did not mean "I've done it again." He meant, "I've seen something new!" He saw a new significance to something he already knew about. II. B.3. Warning Here the leader should forestall an objection that some will have. They will come expecting something along the lines of what they have gotten (or should have gotten) in catechism class or Theology. Sometimes what they are looking for will be a treatment of all the things covered in Baltimore #3 - creed, sacraments, commandments. Sometimes they will expect another run through salvation history. the point should be made here that these expectations will not be fulfilled. They should look for something else - a view into the nature of christianity that will make it possible for them to appreciate in a new way all the things covered in catechism classes and in theology classes. The leader should not imply a disdain for either catechism classes or theology classes. He only should warn the students to expect something else. An example to help make the point: The Antioch Weekend is like a light in an art gallery. Before the light goes on, we may see the pictures and know that they are there. We might even be able to make out in a general way what they are like. But when the light is turned on, we will be able to see them much more clearly, with all the colors brought out. The light lets us see what the pictures are and what value they have. So the Antioch Weekend lets us see more clearly what the different things in catechism (theology) class mean and what value they have. The view it provides of Christianity will be like a light that lets us see the significance of all the information we already have. III. IT'S SUCCESSFULNESS The third section of the talk presents the way of making the Weekend a success. The success of the Antioch Weekend depends on God - it is a work of God - but we can help by cooperating with Him. The more we cooperate, the more God can and will do. The leader should sketch here the two main pieces of advice: relax and join in. III.A. Relax - put it in His hands The leader should convey the possibility of trust and peace. It might be well to explain that the Weekend has been thought out and worked out. It has been put on many times before. Everything has been taken care of.. It is possible, in other words, for the students to feel secure and relax. As the Weekend develops, they will begin to feel that this is true, but it is well to indicate to them at this point that they can and should relax. There is a difference between relaxing and relaxing because things are in God's hands. It is too early in the Weekend, for most of those present to relax because things are in God's hands, but if the leader makes clear that that is the main motivation for relaxing, he will begin to teach them the importance of trust in God. This trust is something he himself will need very much during the Weekend. III.A..1 Forget the time, outside affairs, problems, etc. Here the leader gives a very concrete piece of advice - that they should try to put everything else out of their minds and give themselves fully to the Weekend. There will be many things that will be worrying them - studies, problems, etc. They should try to forget these things and relax during the Weekend. Some of those who have come have had a hard time in deciding to come. At this moment they are having regrets - thinking of the dance they are missing or the studying they are not doing. It would be well for the leaders to indicate that they should forget their regrets. They have made the decision. Now they should give the Weekend the most they can in order to get to the most out of it. They should not spoil what is possible by worrying about what might have been. The leader should be concrete in indicating what might be on their minds.. The more closely he describes the actual situation they are in, the stronger his advice will come across. III.A.2 Take each thing as it comes Here the leader advises the students not to worry about what is coming up. They should take one thing at a time, getting the most out of what they are doing. They should "live for the moment". Anxiety for the future is out of place. III.A.3 Have patience This piece of advice is very important, because there will be some who will be very disappointed by Friday night. They should know that the Weekend will pick up as it goes along; and that if they do not like it now they will like it better later. At this point, the leader should say that the Weekend will become more and more fun, and that by Sunday night they will not want to go home. III.B. Join in At this point, the leader makes an appeal for their cooperation.. If the Weekend is to be a success, they have to give what they can give. He will ask for their cooperation many times again during the Weekend. Unless they cooperate, they will not get as much out of the Weekend as they could and the others will not get as much out of it. III.B.1 It is a joint effort The first motivation for cooperation which is presented is the altruistic one. The whole Weekend is a joint effort. each person depends on the other. It is not like a retreat in which it does not matter to one person how much the other person is putting into it. The Antioch Weekend is a community effort, and everyone depends on the rest. It would probably be a good idea to state very bluntly: your brother depends on you. He will get more out of the Weekend if you put more into it. If you do not put anything into it, you are depriving him. An example might make the point. An ordinary bike is an individual effort, and one man does not suffer much if another is not putting much effort into pedaling. But a tandem bike is a different matter. A tandem bike involves a joint effort. It can be explained at this point that joint study is a part of the joint effort. Talks will be presented, but the whole group will work on the ideas together in discussions after the talks. This is a good point to explain that they will be helping with the physical arrangement in the Weekend. It is a do-it-yourself Weekend. They will have to help with the dishes, cleanup, etc. As they have already noticed, there is no vast organization which takes are of every detail. Many people are helping, but there is a lot more to do. Actually, it would be possible with very little effort, once the Antioch Weekend program is established in a certain place, to take care of all the physical arrangements. It is better not to, because having things for the group to do gives everyone a chance to work together as well as pray together, play together and discuss together. Spiritual cooperation and material cooperation cannot be easily separated. For this reason, the appeal for cooperation with the program should also include the explanation of the need for helping in the work. III.B.2 The more you contribute to it, the more you will get out of it. It is not true to say: you will get as much out of it as you put into it. The students will get a lot more out of it than they put into it. moreover, they will find that it will get easier and easier to put more of themselves into it. But at the same time, they will find that the more they do put into it (the more of an effort they make, the more open they are, the more receptive they are) the more they will get out of it. IV. PRACTICAL INSTRUCTIONS This section follows naturally on the previous one. It gives some very specific advice on what kind of cooperation is needed. This section can be a good place for humor. IV. A. Get to know one another There will be two problems in the group. Some of those who come will know one another very well, and will have a tendency to stick together. Most of those who will come probably will not know many others (if any). The leader should urge that they take advantage of the breaks and mealtimes to get to know the people that they do not know. He should request that they make an effort, and he should suggest that they try to avoid staring with the people they already know. IV.B Follow the schedule Two kinds of problems will present themselves. There will be a tendency to be lax in assembling and beginning new activities. And there will be some who will want to skip out on talks, discussions, etc. Therefore the leader at this point should explain that the schedule is carefully worked out. This means that when the leader indicates that something is about to begin, everyone should come. (If he uses a bell, he should ask people to pay attention to it). In order to keep the Weekend from lasting until 3:00 a.m. on Monday morning, it is important for everyone to cooperate. He might at this point announce the traditional rule: 5 minutes after the rising bell, anything is fair for anyone who is still found in bed. He also should stress the importance of sticking close to all the activities. He might do this by saying that free time is available for personal needs and that therefore everyone should stay at all the activities. He might also say that nothing will begin until everyone is present, so that if someone is wandering somewhere, he will beholding up the group. IV.C. No silence, but quiet at night The leader should explain that since this is not a retreat, silence will not be asked. But quiet will be important at nights, especially tonight. If they cannot sleep, they should try to be quiet. Also, silence will be kept after a certain time in the sleeping room. The leader an explain that a meditation will end up the evening, so that tonight will be a special time for individual reflection and personal prayer. Tonight is the time to make a special effort at being quiet. IV.D. Get sleep This point should not be belabored (especially since there will be some who do not need much sleep), but the leader should recommend that they take advantage of the opportunity they get to sleep, especially the first night.. They will need alerness and strength. IV.E Stay "in bounds" "In bounds" is meant only in the physical sense. They should stay near-by so that they can be found when something new begins. In some places, there will be a limit on how far they can go, e.g. if a parish school is being borrowed, there will probably be places they cannot go without annoying people. If this is so, the limits should be spelled out at this point. IV. F Other details Depending on the situation of the Weekend, there will probably be other things to announce. Sometimes, for instance, the facilities will be cramped, and it might be well to ask them not to shave before breakfast. Sometimes the layout will hve to be explained (where to find the chapel, the priest, the showers, etc.). It might be well to explain that they can dress informally, do not have to shave if they do not want to, etc. The leader should end by introducing the song practice. |
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