Gifts don’t grow alone—they grow in community!
L’Arche was founded with Christian roots, and today, L’Arche NC is a nonfaith organization that welcomes people of all backgrounds. We partner with a wide range of religious and social organizations, which helps us live out our vision of being an inclusive community of communities. At L’Arche NC, we recognize that people of every belief system and tradition seek meaning, purpose, and belonging—and we strive to create a space where everyone feels at home.
Last Sunday, friends of L’Arche North Carolina joined Edenton Street UMC for worship. It was a beautiful Spring morning to share in community together. I had the honor of sharing a sermon; it was my first time doing so since L’Arche NC welcomed our Core Members and Assistants to move into the house. The lectionary text for the Sunday was Luke 13:1-9, the parable of the barren fig tree.
I’ve copied my sermon below; or, you can watch the YouTube clip, which also includes our L’Arche friends reading some of the prayers (beginning at 20:00), scripture, and assisting with communion.
Loving God, thank You for the gift of community – help us to receive Your Word today with open hearts and to grow in love for one another. Amen.
- The Fig Tree: Waiting to Be Seen
Beloved friends of L’Arche North Carolina, members of Edenton Street, and guests,
Today, we reflect on Jesus’ parable of the barren fig tree from Luke 13:1–9.
A landowner comes to a fig tree in his vineyard and finds no fruit for the third year in a row. He’s ready to cut it down—ready to write it off. But the gardener steps in with a plea: “Leave it alone for one more year. I’ll dig around it. I’ll fertilize it. Let me care for it, and then we’ll see.”
This parable is about more than a tree. It’s about how we respond to one another when we don’t immediately see results, productivity, or success. It’s a story of grace—and a call to faithful, patient, relational care.
Because the truth is: Gifts don’t grow alone—they grow in community.
At first glance, the fig tree looks like a disappointment. No fruit, no value—just taking up space. In a world that often measures people by their output, the landowner’s response feels familiar: If it’s not useful, remove it.
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Reflections from a Former Assistant
One of the many things I appreciated about my time in l'Arche is the emphasis on reflection. As a community member, you are encouraged to reflect through accompaniment, retreats, and personal time. You are called time and time again to remember. You remember the anxiety and excitement of first moving in. You remember the time when, in crisis, everyone dropped what they were doing to support one another. You remember the spontaneous moments of joy, like dancing in the kitchen or laughing in the living room. You remember our collective story: where we have been, where we are now, and where we are going. Memory is essential for our life together in l'Arche.
Prayer Nights in 2019
L'Arche North Carolina hosted our first prayer night in May at Duke Memorial United Methodist in Durham. The theme was "New Life." We reflected on the Easter story and decorated bare tree branches with flowers and ribbons to represent the Spring season. In September, we co-hosted a prayer night with St Francis Catholic Church in Raleigh. Over 40 people came to sing, pray and fellowship. Our L'Arche USA manager, Thomas Marquis, gave a short presentation on the structure of L'Arche. We used arts and crafts, movement, and dance to reflect on the Psalms. It was a joyous gathering of friends, old and new! [modula id="576"] Is your church or religious organization interested in co-hosting a prayer night with us? Send us a message!
Today.com: How L’Arche Helps Special Needs Adults Thrive
Not too long ago, Today.com published is great feature about our friends at L'Arche Atlanta. In the video, you'll meet Terry, a resident with intellectual disabilities who is thriving thanks to the L'Arche Atlanta community. L’Arche provides homes and workplaces for people with and without disabilities to work together and form relationships. L'Arche is different though, more than a group home, this piece shows how the center of L'Arche is about being with others in our vulnerability, and loving the beauty of relationships. https://youtu.be/vmSz1zAsFe0 We are working towards establishing a similar community in central North Carolina. Learn more here, come to an event or give to join our journey. You are always welcome to contact us to learn more.
Opinion: A Future Without the Disabled
This week I learned that the first genetically modified children were born. Chinese scientist He Jiankui made the announcement on a video that the “gene surgery” he performed on two embryos resulted in twin newborns who are immune to HIV. As this announcement washes over the news cycle my thoughts turn to my friends with disabilities with whom I shared life in L’Arche Portland, OR. L’Arche is an intentional community rooted in Jesus’ beatitudes, homes that that offer a place for people across the spectrum of disabilities to discover and share the gifts of eating, mourning, celebrating, laughing, and worshipping together. L’Arche began as a movement in France in the 1960s. Our ecumenical communities now spread across the globe from Bethlehem in the West Bank to Belfast in Northern Ireland. Erin, Ben, Marilyn, and Joni were my housemates in L’Arche, “core members” as we call them because they form the center of common life in our home. They have called me out of life of perfection and busyness, from getting ahead and climbing the corporate ladder into slowness, stillness, and into peace. This week I let myself imagine read more
As I Am: Santos and Pipe’s Story
When Santos was born, doctors described him as hemiplegic, epileptic, and intellectually disabled. By the age of 9, Santos described himself as a cowboy, magician, and innovative fisherman. If you can relate to wanting to write your own story, and wanting to not be labelled by others, check out the first chapter of a very long and unremarkable journey.
The Journey, by Boat
L’Arche means “the ark,” and I’ve discovered, in my time here, many of the ways that L’Arche is like a fantastic trip on a boat. In a recent homily I presented at one of our regular community chapel services, I asked everyone to think about a journey on a boat. Many of the responses were (excuse the nautical pun) “deeper” than they were at first glance. This seems to be a common theme at L’Arche. Most of the thoughts shared had to do with the people on the boat with us. Not everyone was happy about being cooped up on a boat in such close quarters for such a long journey. “We’ll have fun—if we don’t all kill each other first!,” one core member told me. My journey, and, I think, the journey of most people who spend time at L’Arche reflects this truth. Those we make relationships with on this “boat” do not always rub us the right way—and my time here at L’Arche was not been perfect. I arrived a basket of nerves, given responsibilities like helping people care for themselves, giving medications, cooking, cleaning, and read more
Letter from L’Arche
Dear Friend, It’s hard to imagine a life fueled by vulnerability. It seems that no place in our world is free from the drive of competition and perfection. But Joni can tell you a different story. Joni contracted encephalitis as a child. The fever led to irreversible brain damage. She was left unable to speak and finds it difficult to physically navigate her world.Because Joni lives in a L’Arche community, the limitations on her body and the way her mind works are part of her gift. When I was an assistant, living in the daily rhythms of life with Joni and the other “core members” of our home, I learned how to slow down. If we rushed through routines or meals Joni could sense my irritation. Like all of us, Joni wants a life where she is seen as beloved, not someone to rush past on my way to better things.L’Arche is a place where attention to gentleness thrives. Since its founding in 1964, L’Arche has steadily grown as a “sign of peace” around the world. From Uganda to Hebron to Northern Ireland, homes that thrive on the mutual gifts read more
