Open Space as Spiritual Practice

In honor of Colin Morley, who died in the London bombings on July 7, I have decided to collect your reflections on how Open Space Technology can be considered a spiritual practice.

OST is a simple method of organizing--or should I say not-organizing?--meetings that has been used for everything from product design to conflict resolution.  Its primary discoverer, Harrison Owen, has said that people of many different spiritual traditions have told him that OST is consistent with the teachings of their own tradition.  So what's going on?  Is it possible that OST expresses and distils the teachings of many different faiths, in a way that might help us all to work and play together with more trust and love and better communication?   

I invite you to contribute here your own experience of how OST: 

• helps you (or your group) develop spiritually, or
• reflects the teachings of your spriritual tradition.

To do this, just click on "Comments" below.  Please give specific examples, if you can, and a quotation from a spiritual text or teacher would also be great. 

Ultimately, I will compile all these and see what we've got.  Thank you!

Comments

[christy lee-engel]

dear marty,

thank you for sending the OSList the link to the beautiful tribute page for Colin. such an outpouring of appreciation and love, which gave me a glimpse of someone extraordinarily passionate, gentle, kind, generous, creative and skillful.

here is a passage that illuminates the way that OST reflects an essential teaching of mystical Judaism (this passage is also one of the few messages I have posted to the OSList)

from The Mystery of Love, by Rabbi Marc Gafni:

"Maybe the most important Kabbalistic teaching on love comes from the realm of cosmology, where the biblical mystics introduce to us a beautiful and important idea that enormously affects how we live our lives. The idea in two sentences: The world does not come into being through divinity stepping forward in a creative gesture. Quite the opposite--God steps back in a movement of sacrificial withdrawal in order to create the world. God creates an empty space, and only then, in that space, can the world emerge from the divine womb of being! 'But how could that be?' we ask the mystics. 'Isn't the whole point of the God idea that divinity is infinite and everywhere? How can God just step back?'

'This', respond the biblical mystics, 'is precisely the mystery of love.'"

i am happy to know about your blog, marty, and will come back and visit again

[chris macrae]

It seems to me that spirit is in the DNA of open space because of Harrison's learning curve and unique passions including inspiring stories and explorer's verve. I have heard a few of his personal stories that echo this, especially those relating to when he decided that there was more conflict out there in the world to practically help people through than training to be Anglican Priest would flow to. Before that he had also experienced how circular communion is practised in such grassroots contexts as Peace Corps missionary visits to Africa, if my recoollection is correct. And this communal humanity and sense of being seems to travel across continents and time: Gandhi's India's Be The Change; The Quaker's Be The Light- both of which Colin linked.

Perhaps as a communications systems mapmaker, I would add the twist that for me there isn't a greatest of faith , hope or love; they all need to conversationally connect and with iterative and whole transparency. Holy in a 21st C setting.

Also: I need to add something about presence as a networker who does not just do one open space but connects across the learning curve of many of them. In my albeit limited observations, 3 people are uppermost in that global and local networking competence of peacemaking : Harrison, Colin, and a 3rd person who does not use OS but listens more intently than anyone I know.

[Fr Brian S Bainbridge]

OPEN SPACE TECHNOLOGY AND SPIRITUALITY

Not long after I was ordained a Catholic Priest in 1966, my then Archbishop suggested he would like me to “do some further study”. I asked what field of study he had in mind and was told “Whatever you find interesting, Fr Brian – it will be of good for the Church and the world”.
That interest led me into Management and focused on applied psychology in thearea of Organization Change and Development (as it was labeled at that time).
Within a short time, I was teaching – and then consulting in a range of organizations – and always the question in the air “What is a priest doing in this field?”
Somewhat later, through connections at the Western Academy of Management, I tripped over the work of Harrison Owen, met him in Washington, and chatted about the work I had been doing and the approach I had been using.
To my amazement – then and ever since – I found huge resonance with all that Open Space represented.
And ever since, I have been buoyed by the fact that the principles, as I understand them, resonate so deeply with the commitment I have to people as a Priest.
For me, “Whoever comes is the right people” is utterly consonant with the Jesus teaching of “Love one another” and treating others as you would have them treat you.
The “Whatever happens is the only thing that could have” is another way of saying – as the evangelicals put it – our mission is to reach out to people and help them move forward; The Jesus stories of needing to have faith to move mountains; and looking to the New Testament, as he labeled it.
“Whenever it starts is the right time” is, for me, something of the urgency so strong is many of the Jesus teachings to do with mission and Spirit, especially after the Resurrection when he was urging them to get on with it all – and the time after Pentecost when that is exactly what they did. And they just changed the world in doing what they did, despite the resistance of so many hierarchs and heavies and politicians and incumbent managers and governments.
And “When it’s over, it’s over” has much to do with the Jesus “Be not afraid” and his urgency of going out to the whole world (and not wasting time dallying).
As well as that, the OST acknowledgement of spirit and passion and responsibility – so foreign to most management thinking – are utterly on target as well. And reflect so many of the Jesus parables –The Good Samaritan, The Good Shepherd, The lost sheep, the prodigal son, for a start.
Finally, I don’t know of any client I have been “not-hired by” because I am a priest (I am sure there have been some, especially within the Catholic Church as it happens), but I do know of many who have hired me because I am a priest using a process which seems to have and emphasize integrity (which priests are supposed/expected to have) and a person who ought to be trustworthy.
For the first time in my life, I have now been appointed Pastor of a large parish, (God has funny ways of catching up with us, I guess) and the now challenge is to see if I can help the parish move from a traditional top-down way of being and operating to something reflecting an Open Space entity which values spirit and passion and responsibility, and is truly missionary in bringing something new into the world of the parish by accessing and building on the qualities and spirit of the people who are already there. I don’t yet know of any other priest in our world blessed with this sort of wonderful opportunity and challenge - and still continue opening space with groups and clients around the world.

[anne Stadler]

From the beginning of my contact with OST, I have been living Open Space as a spiritual practice. For me, The Law of Two Feet is take responsibility for what you love--thus OST wherever practiced amplifies a field of love...ergo peace. As I open to Spirit through love in action, so does whatever relationship I am in. Opening space is first and foremost opening INNER space in order to widen the band-width for our Godliness/Oneness to be fully present, showing up in whatever action we are guided to take.

I am honored to write in this space, to mark the passing of Colin and the central feature of his life--his own Godliness and his being as Spirit manifesting in human life.

Thank you for this opportunity!