The % figures in the workshop descriptions indicate the relative percentage of presentation, discussion, and experiential activity.
Friday Workshops - Two Hours (choose two and one alternative)
F1. The Integral Model: A Map for the Return Home. How can we gather up the spiritual insights of saints and sages from across the world’s religious spectrum, and use them to guide each one’s journey towards our spiritual home? Join me for a dyadic and experiential walk through Ken Wilber’s Integral Model of Consciousness Development, a map for returning home, a guide to the unfolding of Spirit. While studying a dizzying array of saints, psychologists, physicists, anthropologists, and the like, Wilber seeks to chart the territory of Spirit’s unfolding. Spiritual directors will find a model that informs the theory and practice of our work. 60%, 15%, 25%. Barbara Alexander holds an M.A. in counseling psychology, an MDiv, and a Diploma in the Art of Spiritual Direction from San Francisco Theological Seminary, California, USA.
F2. Bringing Written Spiritual Direction out of Exile and into the
21st Century. Technological advances in the way we communicate have opened the door for even intimate practices of sacred
conversation to take place in cyberspace. Internet technology also provides an unprecedented opportunity to connect with the growing number
of people seeking spiritual companionship. This workshop presents a contemporary model for practicing written spiritual direction using
e-mail. The model is based on the letters of spiritual direction written by Baron Friedrich von Hügel, an early twentieth-century lay
theologian and spiritual director. The model reveals essential aspects of developing and maintaining the spiritual nature of the
director-directee relationship, and it provides guidelines for spiritual conversation in written form. 50%, 50%, 0%. Kelly
Arora is an Episcopal layperson, spiritual director, teacher, and retreat leader. She offers spiritual direction to small groups and
individuals in person and in writing. She lives in Colorado, USA.
F3. Dreamwork: A Way of Coming out of Exile and
Returning Home. Working with our own dreams and the dreams of those we work with in the direction setting can be a very helpful way
to assess how God’s Spirit is at work in our lives. This workshop will explore the significance of dreams in discerning spiritual
growth and familiarize participants with the psychology of dreaming and with contemporary methods for discerning the religious meaning of
one’s dreams: in one’s own spiritual growth and development as well as working with dreams in the context of spiritual direction.
60%, 20%, 20%. Janice Bachman, OP , is a retreat director and a Jungian analyst trainee. She is on the summer faculty at
Creighton’s Master’s Program in Christian Spirituality, Nebraska, USA, and the Wellstreams Ecumenical Spiritual Direction
Training Program, Ohio, USA.
F4. The Heart of Islam. Explore core principles of Islam such as
unity, jihad, respect for all believers, prophets and messengers of God. Read and discuss key passages from the Qur’an and the
teachings of the Prophet Mohammad regarding human nature, and a Muslim’s proper relationship with him(her)self, with others and with
God. Experience practices from mystical Islam (Sufism) designed to lead sincere seekers to a direct experience of the Peace, Unity, and
Reality pointed to by all major religions. Sessions will include mini-lectures, Qur’anic reading, discussion, and experiential
exercises. 50%, 40%, 10%. Sheikha Sanaa Joy Carey has pursued a lifelong interest in the integration of wisdom teachings
into everyday life. She is trained as a Christian spiritual director, has been a practicing Muslim for 14 years, and leads regular Sufi
gatherings under the direction of her teacher, a Muslim scholar and Sufi Master. She lives in Washington, USA.
F6. Journey of the
Soul: The Drama of Spiritual Transformation in Dante’s Divine Comedy. Dante Alighieri’s great poem, The Divine Comedy,
is the mature poet’s memoir of his own psychological and spiritual transformation told through the metaphor of a pilgrim’s
journey. His depiction of the transformation of desire in the conversion process, of the dynamics and methods of spiritual advancement, and
the role and functions of the spiritual guide is startlingly contemporary for spiritual directors. In this slide-illustrated workshop, we
will trace particular stages in the pilgrim’s journey to his spiritual home, first with the guide Virgil in the dark wood of the soul,
up through the purification of desire in Purgatory under the guidance of Beatrice, into the illumination of Paradise. 50%, 50%, 0%.
Shiella Fodchuk is the Coordinator of Spirituality Programmes at the Vancouver School of Theology, the former Executive
Director of the Cathedral Centre for Spiritual Direction at Christ Church (Anglican) Cathedral, in British Columbia, Canada, and a registered
clinical counselor.
F7. A Key to Life or a Door to Death: Finding Our Way Home After Betrayal. This
workshop gives spiritual directors and supervisors a way to consider the effects of the universal experience of betrayal. Betrayal can
be a major opportunity for spiritual growth and development. Together we will look at our own experiences of betrayal and see our
unique patterns of response. By naming the sterile choices we often make after betrayal, we can reclaim lost power and choose responses that
lead us home to our own lives, and deeper into the heart of the Holy. 40%, 40%, 20%. Billie Mazzei, MA, MMin , is a
spiritual director, teacher and storyteller. When she read that betrayal is necessary if one is to grow up, she threw the book across
the room. This workshop is the result of what happened when she calmed down, questioned and investigated the claim, grew up, and began
to share what she learned.
F8. Circles, Cycles and Coming Home –The Sacred Inner and Outer Landscapes in the Celtic and Desert Spiritual Traditions. In both the Desert and Celtic spiritual traditions the outer landscape and its seasonal cycles was inseparable from the topography of the inner land of the soul and was often the primary conduit for spiritual formation. This workshop will: explore through images, history and mythology the many circles of wisdom based on the archetypes of the sacred landscape; journey through the cycles of the Celtic Calendar as a decisive influence on spiritual formation and the Christian liturgical year; and come home in the discovery of spiritual companioning through the Abbas/Ammas and Anamchara (soul-friend). Finally, through visual imagery the workshop participant will experience the power of the outer landscape and its deeper wisdom for the homecoming journey. 70%, 10%, 20%. Regina Roman, founder/director of Sapira in Virginia, USA, guides and teaches pilgrims in the Sinai Desert and New Mexico on the sacred desert traditions. Marcus Losack , from Ireland, is the founder/executive director of Ceile De, an ecumenical organization in Ireland specializing in study programs and pilgrimages in Celtic Spirituality.
F9. Reclaiming the Masculine in Spiritual Direction. Positive male images have often been lost or denigrated as many reaffirm feminine imagery. This workshop will explore masculine images as they impede or facilitate spiritual formation. Fostering life- giving male archetypes for both men and women in spiritual direction will be central to this exploration. The workshop will draw on the work of Richard Rohr, Robert Moore, and Carl Jung. The parable of the generous father will be examined as an archetypal story of exile and return to the father. Strategies for integrating a healing, nurturing father image will be examined. 33%, 33%, 33%. Karl Ruttan, PhD, Episcopal priest, spiritual director trained at Duquesne, and adjunct faculty at West Virginia Institute of Spirituality, USA, leads of seminars, retreats and workshops on spiritual formation and wellness. Mary Barkalow, MSW, a social worker and former nurse with a master’s in theology, teaches and coaches in health and spirituality. Karl and Mary have been married twenty-eight years. Note: first presentation is men only, second presentation is women only.F10. A Rainbow of Genders. An unnecessarily limiting assumption of a two-gender world, and the derision and stereotypes that keep it firmly in place have forced many people into exile from their full gender identity. Body movement and an art experience will invite spiritual directors to return home to a place that accepts and nurtures not only themselves, but also their directees as the marvelously diverse persons that God created them to be. No previous artistic experience required. Materials provided. 10%, 50%, 40%. David Schimmel, MDiv, MA, is a gay man and spiritual director. He is on staff at the Institute for Spiritual Leadership, Illinois, USA, and writes the monthly journal, PASSION, Christian Spirituality from a Gay Perspective. Richard Bough, MFA , a gay man and a graduate of the Institute of Spiritual Companionship, Illinois, USA, has taught art and design to students of all levels (within formal school/university settings and one-on-one), and has been showing his work in galleries for many years.
F11. The Enneagram and Spirituality:
Returning to the True Self. Often through our enneagram knowledge, observation, and meditation, we become very attuned to dynamics
that operate within ourselves. And then we are stopped. We try to change- or our ego tries to manage itself in a particular way, but this
doesn’t last. This workshop will present ways persons of each type habitually distance themselves from both their true self and the
Holy One, and ways of attending at a deep level to what is real. Spiritual Directors will gain awareness in recognizing these
“edges” of resistance to the divine and to the true self, and how conscious presence facilitates greater wholeness in themselves
and in their clients. Basic enneagram knowledge is presumed. 40%, 30%, 30%. Donna Steffen, SC, MA, is a spiritual director
and trainer of spiritual directors since 1981, and is a certified enneagram teacher through Helen Palmer.
F12. I Bore You On Eagles Wings: Jewish Spiritual Direction as Returning Home. This workshop will help directors both identify and understand some of key issues that Jewish directees may be bringing to direction or that may be serving as impediments to their spiritual growth. It will also offer a Jewish conceptual vocabulary, texts and practices that can liberate these inhibitions. After providing a conceptual framework for the workshop, much of the time will be devoted to interactive case studies. 25%, 50%, 25%. Dr Linda Thal is co-director of the Yedidya Center for Jewish Spiritual Direction, conducts an interdenominational spiritual direction training group for rabbis and is on the faculty of Makom, The Center for Contemplative Judaism of the JCC in New York, USA.
F13. The Art of Teaching Prayer. In the spiritual journey one way of returning home is through prayer. Some people come to spiritual direction to learn how to pray while others realize this desire as other life issues arise. This workshop will explore the art of teaching prayer as one of the roles of the spiritual director. We will examine the importance of preparing the heart before new prayer methods are offered, experience some strategies that help others broaden and deepen their prayer lives, and discuss the joys and challenges of teaching others to pray. 40%, 20%, 40%. Jane Vennard is ordained in the United Church of Christ to a special ministry of teaching and spiritual direction. She is the author of five books, the most recent of which is A Praying Congregation: The Art of Teaching Spiritual Practice.
F14. Evangelicals and Spiritual Direction. In this workshop, I will examine the realities present when evangelicals encounter direction. With candor and humor I explore the evangelical issues, fears and suspicions of direction. The group joins in a dialogue about their ideas of issues that surface with this particular population. I will lead the group in a dialogical exploration of the benefits of direction for evangelicals as well as the benefits of evangelicals for direction. As a group we imagine some of the skills required to artfully work with evangelicals and talk about our vision for where that work might lead. 40%, 40%, 20%. Rev. Dr. Heather Parkinson-Webb is a licensed therapist, ordained Presbyterian minister, Associate Professor of Spiritual Formation, and a spiritual director.
Saturday Workshops - Three and a half Hours (choose one
and one alternative)
S1. The Discerning Heart: A Holistic Approach to Discernment. This workshop will present an approach to discernment that integrates the wisdom of Christian tradition and psychology. Besides discussing concrete discernment skills and practices, this workshop will also present a theoretical understanding of discernment that grounds the many spiritual practices used by Christians today. By providing a broad and inclusive understanding of the multiple ways God can provide guidance, this workshop will help individuals to honor the unique and idiosyncratic ways that they receive divine guidance, as well as provide guidelines that guard against possible self-deception and personal blind-spots. 33%, 33%, 33%. Wilkie Au, PhD, is Associated Professor of Theological Studies at Loyola Marymount University, California, USA, and the author of By Way of the Heart: Toward a Holistic Christian Spirituality and The Enduring Heart: Spirituality for the Long Haul. Noreen Cannon Au, PhD , is a Jungian analyst in private practice and a faculty member of the C.G. Jung Institute of Los Angeles, California, USA. With her husband, she is the author of Urgings of the Heart: A Spirituality of Integration and The Discerning Heart: Exploring the Christian Path.
S2. Liberate the True Nature of Your Soul: An Introduction to Classical Mussar. A challenge confronting Spiritual Directors is to be in the presence of another person with such open-heartedness and such authenticity that the spirit of the moment yields up the mystery. The Jewish tradition offers a path of preparation, a 1000 year old practice named Mussar, which is an exploration of an individual’s imbalances in soul/character traits. In this workshop we will provide theoretical content and experiential learning about Mussar, guide participants in several contemplative Mussar practices related to humility, which will provide opportunities for personal discovery in your soul’s curriculum, at the same time for learning practices to share with your directees. 33%, 33%, 33%. Alan Morinis, DPhil, author of Climbing Jacob’s Ladder is president/founder of the Mussar Institute and on the faculty of the Morei Derekh spiritual director training program, California, USA. Shirah Alice Bell, PhD, is a certified spiritual director, personal communications specialist, vice-president of The Mussar Institute. She teaches communications skills, financial practices, and spirituality in private and corporate settings.
S3. The Tooth that Nibbles at
the Soul: Lesbian and Gay Experience of Exile and Returning Home. In this workshop, we will address issues of exile and return in
the spiritual experience of lesbian and gay people. We will explore the uprooting from religious institutions that occurs during the coming
out process and throughout life, but will then turn to the notion of return as "coming in." We will examine the Via Negativa and
Via Positiva as roads queerly taken – the initial experience of loss, of confusion, of disorientation in contrast to the
possibilities inherent in spiritual (re-)emergence, resolution, and integration. Using the poetry of Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman, we
will illustrate aspects of lesbian and gay experience of the transcendent, and of the call to the prophetic life as the common spiritual
vocation awakened in thecoming in process. 25%, 50%, 25%. Dr Anne Benvenuti is a licensed clinical psychologist, and
Professor of Psychology, Philosophy, and Religious Studies at Cerro Coso College, California, USA. Dr Elizabeth Davenport is
an Episcopal priest and serves as Associate Dean of Religious Life at the University of Southern California, USA. Elizabeth and Anne are life
partners, and bring together their combined and varied spiritual experience in religious communities of Anglican, Buddhist, and indigenous
(Welsh/Celtic) traditions.
S4. Identifying and Calling Forth the Archetypal Voices of the Spiritual Directee. The
default narrative voices of our popular culture are, most often, the “victim” or the “wounded child.” It’s
prevalent in advertising, political discourse, and even in entertainment where, daily, people offer themselves up on talk shows to be
diagnosed, defined and prescribed to. Discovering and calling forth alternative narrative voices – the warrior, the wounded healer, the
lover, the prophet, the servant, the hero/heroine, the holy fool, etc. -- is an empowering and liberating experience. None of us has just one
of these archetypal voices working within us, but many. Using the “Sacred Contract” model developed by Caroline Myss in her book
of the same name, participants will have the opportunity to self-identify some of their own archetypal voices. 35%, 35%, 30%. Jim
Curtan is a lecturer, retreat leader, and spiritual director in practice in California, USA. He has studied and taught with Caroline
Myss for seven years and has been on the faculty of the Caroline Myss Educational Institute since it’s inception in 2003.
S5. Tending the Dream – Attending the Holy. Through the drama of the dream, the faithful voice of God invites,
affirms and gently draws Divinity into consciousness. The spiritual language of the unconscious manifests itself in dream symbols,
their concealed truths waiting to be actualized for fuller, richer lives. Accepting and integrating the dream message have personal,
relational and social implications for creative change and freedom. 20%, 35%, 45%. Patricia Ann Dwyer, CND, MA, CTS , past
elected member and President of Spiritual Directors International Coordinating Council, specializes in holistic spirituality with an emphasis
on dream tending. Personal experience of dream work with Jeremy Taylor carries the energy to facilitate dream tending.
S6. Coming Home To Peace: Spiritual Direction As A Tool For Peace-Making. In our spiritual lives, we seek to enter deeply
into God’s peace, to be at home with God moment by moment. How might we as spiritual directors bring our knowledge of God’s peace
to places in the world torn by conflict? This workshop seeks to explore the power of spiritual direction as a tool for peace-making in
the world and will include study of sacred Jewish texts that express our shared yearning for peace, and the teaching of grass-roots peace
activists on how to build peace, one relationship at a time. Experiential exercises will illustrate the power of contemplative listening to
transform hatred, challenging spiritual directors to use their skills in the service of world peace. 33%, 33%, 33%. Rabbi Amy
Eilberg co-directs the Yedidya Center for Jewish Spiritual Direction in Minnesota, USA. She recently received a powerful call to
peace work between Jews and Palestinians.
S7. Coming Home to Our Bodies: Embodied Practices for Spiritual
Directors. This workshop introduces embodied spiritual principles and practices for use in direction. We will explore the belly, or
movement, center of Aikido, our physical center of gravity, and also a potent emotional and spiritual center. We will practice how to center
ourselves, how to recognize when we are off-center, and how to maintain center under pressure. We will explore Aikido’s “geometry
of relationship” using the forms of triangle (directed attention), circle (blending and harmony), and square (solidity and clear
boundaries). In addition, we will experience Sufi approaches to heart-centering, using Sufi music, visualization, poetry, and chanting
“into” the heart; and we will practice how to maintain heart connection in direction. 25%, 25%, 50. Robert Frager, PhD,
JO, holds a 7th degree black belt in Aikido and is a Sufi sheikh (spiritual guide). He is founding president, Professor of
Psychology, and Director of the Spiritual Guidance program at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, California, USA.
S8. Poems in Spiritual Direction: Reflections of Our Inner Homes. Poetry can enhance the spiritual direction session.
Through demonstration, we will explore ways to add a variety of poetic styles to our ministry, and also encourage directees to express
themselves in verse. Among the many poets whose work will inspire us are Rumi, Emily Dickinson, Mary Oliver, Thomas Merton and,
especiallyâ?"since we are in southern California--Hispanic and Native American poets such as Octavio Paz, Juana Ines de la Cruz, Pablo
Neruda, and Joy Harjo. Theoretical rationale for inclusion of poetry in direction will be included, as well as opportunity for creative
writing. 25%, 25%, 50%. Thomas M. Hedberg, PhD, MFT, RPT , is director of the Center for Sacred Psychology in California,
USA. He is past education chair of the National Association for Poetry Therapy, and a supervisor for poetry therapists in training.
S9. Inner Landscaping through an Art-Journaling Assessment Model. Using art-journaling and themes of Life-Elements
(identifying what is), and Life-Dynamics (identifying movements), participants will engage in a two part holistic spirituality assessment
designed to bring the aspects of their spiritual journey into greater awareness. Using simple art materials in conjunction with
writing, the practice combines a prayer of non-verbal expression, the language of design as parable, contemplative gazing and written
journaling. We will move through the steps of the assessment, consider its implications in our own lives, probe ways of individually creating
the next best question, and then make application for its use as an ongoing tool for the director and a prayer-help for the directee. 25%,
20%, 55%. Marianne Hieb, RSM, MFA, DMin, directs Lourdes Wellness Center’s Spirituality Program in New Jersey, USA. An
artist, art therapist and spiritual director, she designs retreats using art-journaling and creative practice. She is the author of
Inner Journeying through Art-Journaling.
S10. Tending the Sacred Fire. Sexuality and spirituality are
powerful inter-related energies given for life. Either one in exile from the other creates distortion and imbalance. The embodied,
desiring self, is drawn toward intimacy, mutuality, generative life, and the urge towards wholeness points to the sacred fire – Eros -
at the core of the human person. Reverent, wakeful tending of these energies is a necessary antidote to naiveté about the power
and nature of erotic and creative energy as well as to a reflexive fear that seeks to repress the pulse of life itself. In our time
together we will explore ways of regarding and holding these vital energies within ourselves as directors as well as within the spiritual
direction relationship. $0%, 30%, 30%. Sandra Lommasson teaches and writes on the topic of sexuality and spirituality for
the formation of spiritual directors. She is founder/director of Bread of Life in California, USA.
S11. Faith Styles: A
Spiritual Typology for Spiritual Direction and Ministry. Faith Styles describes six ways people understand and live out their faith.
It is a model of spiritual typology that honors every orientation and faith tradition, and eschews the hierarchical and developmental nature
of Fowler and Peck’s systems. Participants will be introduced to the universe of each of the six “styles” through drama,
lecture, discussion, guided imagery, and group discussion, and will examine how the divine is imaged, the directee’s relationship with
the divine, how meaning is understood, each style’s accepted sources of spiritual wisdom, and how spiritual growth is assessed. Focus
is on practical application of this knowledge in the context of spiritual direction, and how understanding the spiritual orientation of
directees can help us to companion them with increased integrity, respect, and efficacy. 40%, 40%, 20%. John R. Mabry, PhD,
is director of the Interfaith Spiritual Guidance Program at the Chaplaincy Institute for Arts and Interfaith Ministry, California, USA, and
the former editor of Presence.
S12. The Enneagram and Spiritual Direction: The Map and the Inner
Territory. Spiritual directors are called to be skilled guiding directees through interior landscapes, frequently applying spiritual
and psychological perspectives in their work. If what keeps us from God, Ultimate Reality or True Nature, is the personality called
“me,” then we as directors must understand personality structure before we can enter the territory of spiritual development where
the personality is often deconstructed. The Enneagram provides spiritual directors with guidance and skill for understanding both the nature
of personality and the road map to spiritual development. In this workshop, participants will understand the potential for psychological and
spiritual integration using the Enneagram in spiritual direction. 70%, 20%, 10%. Dale Rhodes, MS, MA, provides
training and consultation in several professional arenas including spiritual direction, inpatient addictions-recovery, supervision, and
organizational training and development. Dale is a Taoist mentor finding his Way quite happily in beautiful Oregon, USA.
S13. Embracing Forbidden Imagery: Issues of Creativity in Spiritual Guidance. The Way of Creativity challenges us to hold
light and dark together in new union. As we walk this path we will encounter forbidden imagery - both erotic and aggressive. Developing
a capacity to hold - and even embrace - this imagery allows for a profound deepening of Spirit. In an atmosphere of mutual respect and
wisdom-seeking, we will consider provocative questions: When is the presence of erotic/aggressive imagery healing? When is it
dis-integration? How may we - as directors - develop deeper capacities to embrace it within ourselves? How may we offer our directees
and companions a way to hold such imagery long enough for an appropriate discernment? And how do we respond when graphic imagery
disturbs/angers our faith communities and assemblies. How do we incorporate such imagery in our prayer and ritual life? 60%, 40%, 0%.
Dr Alexander Shaia is a nationally recognized speaker, author, spiritual director, liturgist and Jungian psychotherapist. He
is passionate about the arts and creativity as a deep spiritual practice. He directs the Blue Door Retreat in New Mexico, USA.
S14. Introduction to SoulCollage® Prayer Cards: A Visual Journey of the Soul. SoulCollage® is an intuitive
collage process that powerfully summons up the depth and dimension of one's interior. Although deceptively simple, the method is engaging
and the wisdom profound. Photo images from magazines are selected then cut and arranged and rearranged, eventually to be glued onto 5-1/4 x
8-inch matte boards. The created pieces become a visual witness to your spiritual journey. Through contemplative meditation and prayer,
SoulCollage(R) images become Prayer Cards, each representing something of the mystery of who you are and who you are becoming. In profound
ways each card tells a part of the story of your life, satisfying the soul's longing to reveal itself, and invites persons to explore the
depths of their life and spirit in relation to the Mystery of God, others, and the world. 20%, 35%, 45%. Marjorie Hoyer
Smith is a Presbyterian Minister, spiritual director and retreat leader on staff at Bread of Life Center in California, USA.
Marjorie often engages SoulCollage(R) in her personal and professional practice.
Saturday Evening Activities and Workshops (This
session is optional. If you’d like to attend choose one activity/workshop and one alternative.)
SE1. Original Child Bomb (A film screening followed by discussion with the film’s producer, Mary Becker). Original Child Bomb is a visual poem that seeks to engage the hearts and minds of viewers. Using declassified color video footage, photographs, drawings, animation and contemporary footage, the film shows what happens to people when atomic/nuclear bombs are detonated on city centers. The film is faithful to historical events while showing their relevance to the present by depicting the current reality of nuclear weaponry around the world. Artistically innovative and powerful images allow viewers to gaze upon global nuclear arsenals and to consider the consequences should those weapons be deployed. The film won top prize at Silverdocs Film Festival in 2004, and at Bologna Human Rights Nights Film Festival in 2005. It was also chosen to be opening night film at the 2005 Geneva Human Rights Film Festival. Mary Becker is a spiritual director who serves on the Board of the Centre for Contemplative Dialogue and JustFaith Ministries. She lives in California, USA, and has a life-long interest in peacemaking.
SE2. Spiritual Types and Music. Using Corinne Ware’s model for Spiritual Types we will look at music as it relates to our desired approach to spiritual life. We will begin to understand why we have different musical preferences to nurture our spiritual journey. We will share music that is reflective of the four spiritual types. John Blinn grew up in a family where his father was a pastor and his mother a music teacher. These two influences in his life become integrated in his spiritual direction and music. After 36 years in ministry as a pastor, administrator, and District Superintendent in the United Methodist Church, he was called to a life of spiritual direction, spiritual retreat leadership and music. He lives in Colorado, USA.
SE3. Laugh All The Way Home. Explore spirituality through laughter by discovering the archetypes of the comic spirit. Is there a jester, a clown or a trickster deep within you? Discover their different functions and uncover the mirthful spirit that nurtures your soul. Stand back from the incongruities of life and take a new perspective. Learn to think slanted and step out of the box. Cullene Bryant, from British Columbia, is a minister in the United Church of Canada and a stand-up comic. Through her newly formed business, Enlightenment by Laughter, she offers workshops and retreats and entertains at festive occasions. The Books Collective in Alberta, published her second book of short stories, In The Dry Woods, in 2005.
SE4.
Spiritual Direction in the Novels of Susan Howatch. A book lovers' fest with an introduction to Howatch and her novels!
We will look at the different portraits of spiritual direction in Howatch's novels, including Sister Clare in The Wonder
Worker. Dr. Douglas Gregg is an ordained Presbyterian pastor, professor, author, and stained glass artist, currently serving as
President of Christian Formation & Direction Ministries in California, USA, will co-facilitate with his wife, Rev. Dr. Catherine
Gregg, an Episcopal priest and professor.
SE5. Embracing the System of Energy Centers known as the
Chakras. In this workshop participants will learn to understand the internal energy system known as charkas. Each Chakra stores,
manages, and transmits a different kind of energy, related to different physical and psychological functions. By examining your relationship
to the different powers and sacred truths inherent in each charka, you can learn more about where you need to focus your attention and clear
out energy blockages. Spiritual Directors can use this as a tool with their directees to provide a continuum of spiritual growth. It will
also enable spiritual directors who do Reiki to incorporate their spiritual direction/Reiki practice as one. We will use writing, meditation
and group discussion to facilitate understanding of the energy centers. Gloria Owens, AIM, is a certified Associate In
Ministry in the area of Christian Education with the Lutheran Church in Arizona, USA. She is a spiritual director, retreat leader, a
Usui Reiki Master Teacher and Karuna Reiki Master Teacher®.
SE6. Gathered Silence in Memory of Gerald May.
An oasis for anyone thirsty for time with God in community to balance the often more content-oriented workshops about God. In a quiet
setting, we will appreciate the life and teachings of Gerald May, on the anniversary of his death. We will share stories and quotes, paying
particular attention to his clarity of thought, and his willingness to say he didn’t have a clue. We will remember his ‘little
interior glance’ and the oft-mentioned reminder of the ‘sheer gift’ of contemplation. We will spend much of our time in
gathered silence, available to God, and then reflect individually on the experience with journaling, and close with conversation appreciating
the variety of our experiences, and the value of Jerry’s contribution to our lives. Catherine Skinner Powell, MDiv,
founded The Anchorage, a Ministry of Spiritual Direction and Contemplative Retreats in South Carolina, USA. Her formation includes
Shalem and the Ignatian Exercises. Her joy is guiding solitude retreats.
SE7. Cosmogenesis. Through use of the
“Cosmic Walk,” a spiraled experience of the evolution of the universe, participants will come to a deeper awareness of the
beauty and grandeur of our earth-home and amazement at their place in creation. Marilyn Wussler is a minister of spiritual
direction and retreat work in Missouri, USA. She has done extensive study in and teaching of creation-centered spirituality.