I am pleased to report that the Anglican Dominican Order of Preachers is growing!
One more Formation House has recently opened, with another one planned for after Easter.
God is working in the Order - evidenced by the numbers of people showing interest and numbers of seekers who are prepared to make a commitment.
The Dominican Mission is an active one. We are a dispersed Order and, like the early Dominicans, we are sent out to heal and to preach, and to bless those we meet. The Dominican infinitives - To Praise, To Bless, To Preach become imperatives in our lives.
The early church lived with a sense of urgency, they felt there was little time to spread the Good News. Early disciples fully expected the Second Coming within their lifeimes and they were charged to spread the news of the Kingdom to as many people as possible before that time. The harvest was plentiful but the workers were few! Today, we have to a great extent become complacent - I am not sure our church congregations are expecting the Parousia any time soon.
The reality is that the mission to spread the Good News is as important and as urgent as it was in the first century and it is wonderful that there are people hearing the call to go out, in humility, and make God's love manifest in small acts of service and kindness in the many and varied communities to which we have been sent.
To God be the glory!