THE ORDER OF THE ROCKING CHAIR

We are delighted and excited to announce The Order of the Rocking Chair - a new community of transformative storytellers. Born out of our work over the last six years at The Porch, this is the manifestation of years of dreaming and discerning — and we want you to be a part of bringing it into being.

By storytellers we mean anyone who tells a story as part of their contribution to the world - writers, musicians, artists, filmmakers, therapists, clergy, and people in leadership roles.

By transformative stories we mean stories that seek to move beyond "us versus them"; the myth of redemptive violence; and both the belief that either there's nothing I can do to change things, or that I have to save the world almost entirely by myself.

By transformative storytellers we mean those committed to discerning, learning, and practicing a storytelling that changes the teller as well as the audience; pays attention both to wisdom that has stood the test of time and to the new understandings about what it is to be human that are emerging every day; and know that there is a deeper source to our telling than our own minds alone.

The Order of the Rocking Chair seeks to gather and support transformative storytellers on the path of learning and sharing life-giving stories of surpassing depth. It's a bit like a professional association in that it supports networking and sharing ideas and strategies, but you don’t have to be a professional storyteller to join - just someone who knows that their life includes telling stories and seeking to find the best ones. It’s also a bit like a religious or spiritual order in that it envisions commitments to a shared vocation and expression of core values, but you don’t have to be religious to be part of it - just compelled by a lived relationship with mystery and committed to the common good.

Think of it as a community of people who want to connect, sharing and receiving support as writers, storytellers, and other creatives who want to be in community together and nurtured in their lives and work. 

You can learn more about our initiating members below, but among us are both Pulitzer Prize winners and writers whose words are rarely shared beyond their home communities; Emmy Award-winning broadcasters and podcasters who have done beautiful work for a small community; hit recording artists and musicians whose exquisite craft has perhaps yet found only a living room audience; leaders of organizations with hundreds of employees and people who work alone; sculptors and poets, photographers and therapists, spiritual directors and educators, retreat leaders and movie producers. 

Story-imbibers, story-shapers, story-sharers, co-creators of a way of being that transcends false or unhelpful narratives of both utopia and doom. Instead, we seek to be transformed by the story of union among people and the ecosystem, and the genius gifted to each of us but which only flourishes when mentored by wisdom and added to the alchemic mix of the gift that others are bringing too. 

You have a genius, whether or not you know it. 

You have a gift that the rest of us need.

You have needs that can only be met in the context of community with other people paying attention to the transformative story of liberation, reconciliation, courage, creativity and the common good.

The Order of the Rocking Chair is for anyone who senses the call to pay attention to stories that offer a way out of “us versus them”, the myth of redemptive violence or the myth of redemptive suffering, the belief that I can’t change anything or must save everything all by myself. Whether you tell stories with your voice, your pen or keyboard, your music or visual art, in a spiritual, therapeutic or business context, if you know that the story you’re called to tell is an invitation to liberation and reconciliation, we invite you to apply to join us.

Membership is open to anyone who shares a vision for transformative storytelling as outlined here, and who is already on the path of sharing such a story. If you join you will find a supportive community who believes in your work and values relationship with you. We think you will bring and receive much, and we would be honored if you will join us.

We are treating this as an experimental year in which we will discern the shape and meaning of the work and community. What membership offers is listed below.

• Opportunity to participate in a monthly online Porch Circle for Transformative Storytellers (completely optional). These will be ongoing Porch circles for those who want to meet in smaller circles to engage in transformative storytelling for the common good in their own lives, and to receive mutual support from others discerning similar questions. These will also be a great space to build trusting relationships and share ideas, and to receive feedback on your own work; and the possibility of offering or receiving mentoring.

• Opportunity to participate and be supported in a path toward completing a creative project in twelve months or less - a book, a record, a website, or even just getting your life in a place where you can devote more time to creative work.

• Monthly newsletter with Gareth Higgins’ essay of the month reflecting transformative storytelling for the common good + four pieces each month by members of the Order published at The Porch Magazine (pieces will be paid). 

• Annual opportunity for showcasing all members of the Order of the Rocking Chair in The Porch - an elegant annual post with a link to each member's website and/or a piece of their work. 

• An emerging “Rule", manifesto or set of commitments that emerges from the work we do together in the first year.

• Discount on Porch events, coaching/spiritual direction, print publication.

• Priority consideration for being published in The Porch.

Membership also supports the Porch Annual Gathering and the publication of a new annual print and e-book anthology of the best of The Porch.

Please note that membership does not require a specific time commitment - especially in this first experimental year. Some members may limit their involvement to simply reading the newsletter from time to time and knowing that they are connected to others on a similar journey; others may find that membership becomes a key part of their lives. The amount of time you give to it is entirely up to you - but we would be glad to have you with us. And let us reiterate: there is no time commitment required, just a willingness to commit to some shared values about transformative storytelling, and to connect with others on the same path.

We offer this invitation with respect for the light and shadow of the moment that we’re in, the legacy of courage and creativity unto the common good, and the desire to share in that same work today.

Applications to join the Order of the Rocking Chair will open soon, and we'll announce that on this email list. But if you would like to join, you can click here to fill out a form and let us know of your interest.

 And we wish you courage, creativity, and community in the spirit of a better story.

 PS: If you already support The Porch financially, nothing will change - unless you want it to! If you’d like to help support our work, we’re grateful, and we invite you to take a look at our Patreon page here.

INITIATING MEMBERS OF

THE ORDER OF THE ROCKING CHAIR