OIKOS INTENTIONAL COMMUNITY
- Fellowship for Intentional Community
- Near Glendora
- In Glendora
- In California
Mission: The Oikos Intentional Community has at the core of its mission service to the poorest of the poor and homeless. Discipleship and following Christ in the most authentic way is the intention. We do not seek to convert, but rather to love and serve other, denying ourselves daily and picking up our cross and following Christ.
The Oikos Intentional Community embraces Christian Naturism and hold nude meditation and nude baptismal services.
A WORD ON NUDE BAPTISM FROM OUR DASA
Nude baptism is as old as the time of the Christ. Like nude meditation, nude baptism brings us into oneness with the Elohim and allows us to do as Jesus commanded when He told us not to conform to the world.
I want to outline how this practice is instituted at our Oikos Intentional Community.
Just prior to entering the water the oikourgous (Oikos members, literally meaning keeper of the house.) remove their clothes, for the baptism is received nude.
In the baptism of a oikourgous, the Dasa anoints the forehead, pronounces the formula, and dips the head, then anoints the body with oil and washes the feet of the newly baptized. In the case of women being baptized, a female elder anoints the body and receives the woman as she came out of the water. The Dasa washes her feet.
The nudity expresses the idea of new birth- hence in art the baptizand is shown not only nude but smaller than the baptizer. This manner of representation is not an indication of infant or child baptism but follows artistic convention. The newly baptized person put on a white garment, symbolizing purity
Early Christians were baptized nude and it is highly likely Jesus Himself was baptized nude. One aspect of the symbolism of nakedness was the comparison of Christ, designated as “the second Adam” (see Romans 5:14, 1 Corinthians 15:22,45), with the first Adam prior to The Fall:
St. Chrysostom, speaking of baptism, says, “Men were naked as Adam in paradise; but with this difference; Adam was naked because he had sinned, but in baptism, a man was naked that he might be freed from sin; the one was divested of his glory which he once had, but the other put off the old man, which he did as easily as his clothes.”
St. Ambrose says, “Men came as naked to the font, as they came into the world; and thence he draws an argument by way of illusion, to rich men, telling them, how absurd it was, that a man was born naked of his mother, and received naked by the church, should think of going rich into heaven.”
Cyril of Jerusalem takes notice of the circumstance, together with the reasons of it, when he thus addresses himself to persons newly baptized: “As soon as ye came into the inner part of the baptistry, ye put off your clothes, which is an emblem of putting off the old man with his deeds; and being thus di
vested, ye stood naked, imitating Christ, that was naked upon the cross, who by his nakedness spoiled principalities and powers, publicly triumphing over them in the cross. O wonderful thing! ye were naked, imitating the first Adam, that was naked in paradise, and was not ashamed.”
So also Amphilochius in the Life of St. Basil, speaking of his baptism, says, “He arose with fear and put off his clothes, and with them the old man… “(Institutes of Biblical Law, p. 758, Presbyterian & Reformed Publishing, 1973).
BY THE REVEREND DASA WILLIAM GRIFFITH OF THE OIKOS COMMUNITY
OPEN AND AFFIRMING
Oikos Intentional Community does not hold the mainstream views about sexuality that the traditional church holds. We are an open and affirming community, welcoming LGBT members. We have a positive view of both sexuality and nudity, and believe the culture and society in which we live has polluted these two wonderful gifts from God. While our society promotes violence, pornography, war as acceptable parts of our culture, that same society views sexuality and nudity as negative elements. This is where society has it wrong. We teach our members how to empower themselves spiritual and lead them into their Oneness with God, their creator, who created us in His image. Our Dasa, Rev. William Griffith believes in studying the mysteries of God as they were intended and believes our lifestyle should reflect simplicy in a wealth driven culture, while promoting the natural beauty that God has bestowed upon humanity. The community is also engaged in social justice, meeting the needs of the homeless and poorest of the poor on the streets, as well as challenging the contemporary pharisees in our churches today.
OUR RULE AND RHYTHM OF LIFE
“Ordered Members” of the Oikos Intentional Community share the common Rhythm of Life by ordering their lives according to the Oikos Community Rule of Life.
http://www.oikos.community/#!oikos-rule-of-life/c1x7n
From www.ic.org/directory/oikos-intentional-community/:
Oikos Intentional Community is a new monastic community focused on discipleship, common living and serving in the abandoned places of our cities among the homeless and poorest of the poor. Oikos adheres to the 12 Marks of New Monasticism, in addition to others vows of poverty chastity, obedience and humility. Vows depend upon the individual's calling and not mandatory. Observing the 12 Marks is essential. Oikos life resembles that of the early Christians. The leader of the community, our 'Dasa' (meaning servant, slave of...) has taken extreme vows of poverty, chastity and obedience and has chosen to wear a simple dhoti, sandals and a shawl. Community members are to dress simply and as casually as possible.ABOUT SUNFLOWER VILLAGE
The Sunflower Village project will be the first residential new monastic community of Oikos to be founded by Reverend Dasa William Griffith.
Sunflower Village is where Dasa has had a vision of building a new monastic Community of Love: creating a healthy, nourishing environment where people can learn the art of living in harmony with one another and with the Earth.
Sunflower Village is intended to be a small, rustic farmstead, and will house a new monastic monastery, It is a continuation and housing facility of the Oikos Intentional Community.
At SunflowerVillage we weave mindfulness into all our daily activities, training ourselves to be mindful throughout the day: while eating, walking, working, or enjoying a cup of coffee or tea together. The practice of Christian Naturism is a fixture of the Village, and will be a beautiful, nourishing, simple environment in which to cultivate the mind of awakening.
As we do at Oikos, we enjoy periods of silence, sitting meditation, rest, relaxation, mindful work and play. All practitioners who come to Sunflower Village will be invited to join in the communal activities,, whether it is preparing meals, cleaning or washing dishes, as a way of learning to cultivate joy and mindfulness whatever we are doing.
Every year, Sunflower Village will welcome thousands of meditation practitioners from all around the world who come to experience the art of mindful communal living, regardless of religious affiliation or their individual faith systems. The Village will also host an annual Summer Retreat which offers special programs for all who attend.
A committee has been established by Dasa for the location of the land in California to make Sunflower Village our home.
ABOUT THE SUNFLOWER ROSARY
The 1st Dasa of the Oikos Intentional Community commissioned the oikourgous (ordered members at Oikos) to begin making Sunflower Rosaries for those belonging to the community and also for the outside world. The Dasa believes prayer beads are a positive meditative tool for focus and contemplation, and developed the Sunflower Rosary for his new monastics.
WHY THE SUNFLOWER?
The Dasa chose the Sunflower for the name of the rosary because the Sunflower means “adoration, loyalty and longevity”. We desire to communicate with God and to draw closer to God because of our adoration of God. We vow loyalty to God and desire to serve our Master for our length of years.
Gifts of radiant warmth, sunflowers are the happiest of flowers, representing our joy as new monastics. They are unique in their ability to provide energy in the form of nourishment and vibrance, an attribute which mirrors the sun and the energy provided by its heat and light. Our Dasa teaches the importance of spiritual energy, derived from our disciplines in harnessing our emotional and sexual energy for nourishment of the Spirit.
No flower can lift spirits quite like sunflowers can. Bright and cheery, bold yet comfortable, the sunflower is a warm and caring gift. With brilliant yellow petals that surround the flower’s center, sunflowers have an unmistakable sun-like appearance that has made them a passionate flower choice for many. Sunflowers come in a number of varieties, ranging from small to large and from daylight yellows to sunset reds.
Sunflowers originated in the Americas in 1000B.C., where for centuries they were cultivated as a valuable food source. The use of sunflower images as religious symbols has also been documented in some native societies. With the European exploration of the New World, the sunflower was brought to new areas, and the flower’s popularity eventually spread as the rest of the world began to appreciate its beauty and sustenance. Artists throughout history have appreciated the sunflower’s unique splendor, and those of the Impressionist era were especially fixated on the flower. Today, sunflowers continue to provide a resource for commonly used seeds and oil, but they have also become recognized as a floral symbol of great significance.
Much of the meaning of sunflowers stems from its namesake, the sun itself. Wild sunflowers are often photographed with their tall stalks and bright petals stretched towards the sun. This unique behavior, known as phototropism, is a motif that has appeared in many ancient myths and is viewed as a symbol of loyalty and constancy. Their physical resemblance to the sun has also influenced their meanings. The sunflower’s petals have been likened to bright yellow rays of sunshine, which evoke feelings of warmth and happiness. In addition, the sunflower is often associated with adoration and longevity.
For a flower which reflects so many of the sun’s positive characteristics, it is little surprise that people enjoy basking in the sunflower’s warming glow. With the sense of brightness and warmth that sunflowers naturally impart, they have become an ideal choice for sending sentiments of cheerfulness and sunny get well thoughts.
The sunflower is really a collection of 1,000 to 2,000 tiny flowers arranged in an intricate pattern that creates a reproductive opportunity for the plant. This fact represents “community as a whole”. Ray florets are flowers with long, straplike petals along the outside of the sunflower. Each petal on the outside of a sunflower is a flower. Disc florets are the flowers tightly clustered together inside the ray florets. The ray florets are unable to reproduce by themselves because they are missing one or more sex organs. The disc florets possess both male and female reproductive organs. This represents God as both male and female, and how we were created in the image of God with both male and female in each of us.
Perfect and Imperfect
Perfect flowers have male and female reproductive organs, which are the stamen and pistil, respectively. Imperfect flowers are missing one of those organs and, therefore, cannot pollinate themselves. Self-pollination is not necessary for a sunflower plant to reproduce, but it makes it simpler for the plant to accomplish fertilization by wind or insect. A sunflower relies on bees and other insects to help move pollen around its head to each flower. Butterflies and other insects often perch on an upturned sunflower head because its large, flat surface is inviting to insects searching for nectar.
Complete and Incomplete
Complete flowers have all four floral organs. The floral organs consist of sepals, which are small, green, leaflike structures at the base of petals; petals, which are the colorful part of the flower; female sex organs, including the ovary and ovule, which together are called the pistil; and the male sex organs, including the pollen-producing anthers, which together are called the stamen. If a flower is missing any of those parts, it is incomplete but still could be considered perfect. If, for example, a flower is missing sepals but has male and female reproductive organs, it would be a perfect flower; because not all four floral organs are present, however, the flower is also incomplete. Sunflower ray florets are missing both stamen and pistil, making them sterile. Sunflower disc florets are perfect flowers and create fruit when fertilized. That fruit is sunflower seed.
Sunflowers are used for their seeds, meal, oil and foliage as well as for the beneficial properties they provide when grown alongside other crops. The Oikos Intentional Community also grows sunflowers for their seeds and oil.
Health benefits of sunflower seeds
Delicious, nutty, and crunchy sunflower seeds are widely considered as healthful foods. They are high in energy; 100 g seeds hold about 584 calories. Nonetheless, they are one of the incredible sources of health benefiting nutrients, minerals, antioxidants and vitamins.
Much of their calories come from fatty acids. The seeds are especially rich in poly-unsaturated fatty acid linoleic acid, which constitute more 50% fatty acids in them. They are also good in mono-unsaturated oleic acid that helps lower LDL or “bad cholesterol” and increases HDL or “good-cholesterol” in the blood. Research studies suggest that Mediterranean diet which is rich in monounsaturated fats help to prevent coronary artery disease, and stroke by favoring healthy blood lipid profile.
Like other nuts, they are also a very good source of proteins with fine quality amino acids such as tryptophan that are essential for growth, especially in children. Just 100 g of seeds provide about 21 g of protein (37% of daily-recommended values).
In addition, sunflower seeds contain health benefiting poly-phenol compounds such as chlorogenic acid, quinic acid, and caffeic acids. These compounds are natural anti-oxidants, which help remove harmful oxidant molecules from the body. Further, chlorogenic acid helps reduce blood sugar levels by limiting glycogen breakdown in the liver.
Further, the seeds are indeed a very rich source of vitamin E; contain about 35.17 g per100 g (about 234% of RDA). Vitamin E is a powerful lipid soluble antioxidant, required for maintaining the integrity of cell membrane of mucus membranes and skin by protecting it from harmful oxygen-free radicals.
Sunflower kernels are one of the finest sources of B-complex group of vitamins. They are very good sources of B-complex vitamins such as niacin, folic acid, thiamin (vitamin B1), pyridoxine (vitamin B6), pantothenic acid, and riboflavin.
Sunflowers are incredible sources of folic acid. 100 g of kernels contains 227 µg of folic acid,which is about 37% of recommended daily intake. Folic acid is essential for DNA synthesis. When given in anticipant mothers during the peri-conceptional period, it may prevent neural tube defects in the baby.
Niacin and pyridoxine are other B-complex vitamins found abundantly in the sunflower seeds. About 8.35 mg or 52% of daily-required levels of niacin is provided by just 100 g of seeds. Niacin helps reduce LDL-cholesterol levels in the blood. In addition, it enhances GABA activity inside the brain, which in turn helps reduce anxiety and neurosis.
The seeds are incredibly rich sources of many essential minerals. Calcium, iron, manganese, zinc, magnesium, selenium, and copper are especially concentrated in sunflower seeds. Many of these minerals play a vital role in bone mineralization, red blood cell production, enzyme secretion, hormone production, as well as in the regulation of cardiac and skeletal muscle activities.
Just a hand full of sunflower kernels a day provides much of the recommended level of phenolic anti-oxidants, minerals, vitamins, and protein.
HOW TO SAY THE SUNFLOWER ROSARY
The Sunflower Rosary is a contemplative prayer form. It is a modern prayer forumula developed by the Dasa, combining the Roman Catholic Rosary with the Orthodox Jesus Prayer Rope. It is comprised of 33 beads (the traditional number of years of Jesus’ life). There is one “INVITATORY” bead followed by four sets of seven beads each (called “stamen”) with a single bead (called the “pistil” bead) in between each Parakaleo. In the Judeo-Christian tradition the number seven is that of spiritual perfection and completion. The circle of beads is prayed, unhurriedly, three times to signify the Holy Trinity. This makes for ninety-nine prayers, and in Middle Eastern traditions, 99 is the complete number of the Divine Names. Rather than a crucifix or a cross, a Sunflower charm or tassel hangs from the beads. If you include the FLOWER at the beginning or the end, this brings the total number of prayers said to 100, which is the total of the Orthodox Rosary and represents the fullness of creation. Typically the saying of the Rosary is followed by a period of silence for reflection.
There are no set prayers for the Sunflower Rosary. It is your choice! You may also use the Dasa’s Prayers from the Salos or develop your own prayers for the stamen section of the rosary.
Listed below is the method of using the beads and some of the more commonly used prayers. Remember, it is the practice that is important, the time spent in communion with God; the rosary is simply the vehicle for getting there. It is a tool for meditation, contemplation and spiritual focus.
HOW TO USE YOUR BEADS
1) Loosely hold the beads in your hand, grasping the cross in your other hand. If desired, say your opening prayer.
2) With your thumb and forefinger, grasp the pistil bead and say your chosen pistil prayer.
3) Move your fingers up the chain to the first of the 4 beads and say your chosen prayer.
4) Move your fingers up the chain to the first set of stamen to the right (you will be saying the rosary in a counterclockwise direction). Grasp the first bead and say your chosen prayer for the weeks. Repeat this prayer on the next six beads.
5) Move your fingers to the next pistil bead and say your chosen pistil prayer.
6) Continue in this manner until you have completed the circle of the rosary.
Some Prayer Suggestions…
The Flower
In the Name of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Or
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
Or
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen.
Or
Blessed be the one, holy and living God. Glory to God forever and ever. Amen.
The Invitatory
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.
Or
Open my lips, O Lord, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Or
O God make speed to save us, O Lord make haste to help us. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, I snow and will be forever. Amen.
THE PISTIL
Oh Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.
Oh Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.
Oh Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, grant us thy peace.
Or
Guide us waking O Lord, and guard us sleeping; that awake we may watch with Christ and asleep we may rest in peace.
Or
Behold now, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord. You that stand in the house of the Lord, lift up your hands in the holy place and bless the Lord.
Or
Holy God, Holy and Mighty Master, Holy Immortal One, Have mercy upon us, your slaves.
THE STAMEN
Almighty and merciful Lord, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, bless us and keep us. Amen.
Or
Naked Christ, lamb of God, have mercy on us.
Naked Christ, bearer of our sins, have mercy on us.
Naked Christ, redeemer of the world, give us your peace.
Or
I lift up my eyes to the hills; from where is my help to come?
My help comes from the Lord, the make of heaven and earth.
Or
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have mercy on me, a sinner.
Or you may use selected meditations from the Dasa in his Prayers from the Salos:
SELECTED PRAYERS FROM THE SALOS FOR THE SUNFLOWER ROSARY
SALOS 10
Humble me my Master, My Lord,
keep me chaste and speak to me,
command me, discipline me,
and let me follow.
Strengthen me in my weakness,
in my poverty provide my bread,
In You alone I place my trust,
in You alone I place my life,
my flesh,
my spirit.
I am Your own.
or
SALOS 12
My God, You are my eyes in the blindness
of this world,
You comfort me in suffering,
You enable me to embrace the pain,
You give me hope in hopelessness,
and strength in weakness,
You have spoken and I have heard,
You have commanded and I have followed,
There is only You my God,
my reason for being.
Take me into Your arms, and let me always listen,
let my silence be worship,
let my chastity be an offering,
let my poverty be my wealth,
let my obedience be Your pleasure,
You are my God, I see You in all there is,
I see you in the suffering, Your presence
evident, Your peace prepared.
Let Your mouth hush the noise,
of the world that does not know You,
and let us introduce You, to all who suffer,
not with trumpet, pomp or carpet,
but in love,
let this be the way.
or
SALOS 7
We were commanded by Christ Jesus, Our Master,
Our Lord,
to pick up our cross and follow Him.
We were commanded by the Christ,
to conform NOT to this world
but to turn it upside down.
We are called to be His disciples, O Lord God, take us.
We are Your slaves,
Your fools,
rejecting the world and following Him who brings us peace.
Or
SALOS 2
I come to You my Lord,
on my knees,
naked, broken, poor.
I come to You my Lord,
stripped bare,
rejecting all things,
but You.
I submit my flesh to you,
an offering for Your
sacrifice.
I submit my soul to you,
returning to You
what belongs to You.
I submit my possessions to You,
giving them to those
who ask,
as You demand.
I submit my mind to You,
surrendering every thought
to Your thoughts.
I submit myself to You my Lord,
giving myself to as Your slave,
the lowest of the low,
to do with me as You will.
I beg You my God, I beg You,
to accept this offering of ash and dust,
in all of my borkeness, all of my poverty,
all of my weakness.
or,
SALOS 1
The stench of poverty fills the city,
invading the air
and the nostrils,
Save us Majestic Lord,
God of the Universe,
Save us from the wolves
foaming at the mouth,
rabid, waiting to devour the darkness,
waiting to devour the night,
Save us Majestic God,
with the naked Christ,
Your Son,
humiliated, beaten, wounded, stripped,
blood soaking the soil of Calvary,
blood soaking the wood,
staining and cleansing the cross,
Let Your heart for the poor
make us poor,
make us obedient,
humble and washed,
Save us. Wash us.
Save us again and again and again.
********************
HOW TO ORDER THE SUNFLOWER ROSARY
The new monastics of Oikos handmake Sunflower Rosaries for those in the secular world who wish to join in this meditative practice. The Sunflower Rosary is a wonderful gift item and a primary souvenier of the Oikos Intentional Community. All proceeds from the Sunflower Rosary go directly back into sustaining the life of the community. Each handmade Sunflower Rosary comes with a prayer booklet, a card blessing from the Dasa and a pack of Oikos Sunflower Seeds from Sunflower Village.
VISIT THE OIKOS WEBSITE ONLINE
OIKOS.COMMUNITY
THE JOURNEY OF THE DASA
There is a period of time between the choosing of the dasa at the Oikos Intentional Community and his actual investiture.
When Reverend William Griffith became the 1st Dasa of Oikos, he took his vows, donned nothing but a simple dhoti and began preparing for his investiture through meditation, prayer and service. Chosen March 31, 2015, he shaved his entire body, signed a contract of submission with his prioress and was invested by anointing as the 1st Dasa in an official ceremony April 18, 2015.
In the Oikos Intentional Community, the spiritual leader is known as the DASA (" meaning slave/servant in Sanskrit"). The dasa is solely dedicated to achieving perpetual spiritual enlightenment ), through meditation and contemplation. . The dasa wears a simple dhoti as a sign of his poverty. He/she renounces all material goods. Being dasa is open to women; since God is both male and female. The dasa is meant to be an extreme example of servitude and enslavement to the Elohim.
BECOMING DASA
The processes of becoming the dasa were establshed in the Constitution and Bylaws of the Oikos Intentional Community. The rituals following his/her selection include meditation one month prior to the investiture. Before the investiture, the dasa shaves his/her head and body, including his eyebrows, to accent the androgynous character of the Elohim (the masculine/feminine name of God). The dasa must continue this practice as a sign of submission and obedience. It makes the dasa sexless and androgynous. They must also be naturists. The investiture is done with the dasa naked. He/she is anointed with oil and is given the title "The Reverend Dasa".
Extreme vows are taken for life by the Dasa:
POVERTY
CHASTITY (Celibacy)
OBEDIENCE
SILENCE (For a designated time)
A person who becomesa dasa must seek a pioress or prior before the investiture. There, he or she must sign a contract with the prior/prioress (who serves as physical and spiritual master of the dasa). The prioress/prior is in charge of excercising disciplines to build the extreme vows of the dasa. The dasa is in total submission to the prioress/prior for life and to God. The prioress/prior has earthly authority over the dasa and is charged with keeping him/her in a state of perpetual submission and obedience. This build the character of the dasa's vows.
Living as the dasa is meant to be a difficult lifestyle. Dasas are considered to be dead unto themselves, and legally dead to the world.
While the life of renunciation is described by the Christ in the gospels, the dasa must live witrh little, including minor portions of food. The dasa must be blessed with knowledge of the esoteric mysteries and use all energy, physical, emotional, mental and sexual energy for spiritual empowerment. The dasa must perform dity and mundane tasks for the community, like douing dishes, scrubbing floors, cleaning the community toilets. These activities, and there are many, are acts of meditation, worship and prayer for the dasa.
The Dasa is to never to be seen as divine, and nothing more than a slave-teacher. What knowledge and insight he/she has is from God. The dasa must routinely wash the feet of the oikourgous (Oikos new monastics) and serve them as slave. The prioress/prior assigns tasks to all of the oikourgous in the community, including the dasa.
The ruggedness of the dasa life deters those who are not enlightened. The practices are rigorous, such as the renouncing of all material goods and a detachment from common luxuries.
- Address
- Physical Address
- Glendora, California
- United States