Friday, October 31, 2008

Spiritual Direction Opportunity

Come experience spiritual community, discernment and spiritual care through small group spiritual direction. Groups of 3-6 of our clergy peers will meet for five monthly, two hour sessions starting in February 2009. These groups will be facilitated by a trained Presbyterian Spiritual Director. You can form your own group and we will provide a facilitator --- or just sign up and we’ll place you in a group!

What is Group Spiritual Direction?
Spiritual Direction is the common name given to an ancient spiritual discipline of discernment. It’s both a process of being attentive to the work of the Holy Spirit in one’s life and an art of Christian conversation and listening.


“Prayerful silence nurtures discernment in group spiritual direction...In group spiritual direction, people often become aware of God’s ways in their hearts as they hear how God seems to be present for others and as they become conscious of God’s presence with them as a group. In group spiritual direction, people learn to listen to God’s Spirit at work in them for others in the group.” Rose Mary Dougherty

“Spiritual direction differs from moral guidance, psychological counseling and the practice of confessional, preaching or healing ministries (though having affinities with them) in that it directly assists individuals in developing and cultivating their personal relationship with God.” William A. Barry and William J. Connolly

Interested?
There will be an information session at 4:00 pm January 20, 2009 at Mercer Island Pres., prior to the presbytery meeting.


Cost? Free! ...due to our volunteer facilitators. A suggested donation of $50.00 to the Spiritual Formation Ministry of the Presbytery, however, would be appreciated.

You can sign up by returning the tear-off section from the flyer in your presbytery packet when you attend the next Presbytery meeting, or by leaving a confidential comment for this blog post with the following information:

Name, Phone #, Email address.
Preference/constraints for geographical area within Presbytery to meet____________________________

_____ I am planning on attending the January 20, 2009 event.
_____ Please assign me to a spiritual direction group!
_____ I may have/have a small group that will need a facilitator.

Sponsored by Spiritual Formation & Clergy Care Ministry Teams

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Praying with Icons

The Spiritual Formation ministry team gathered today and prayed with Rublev's 15th century icon, the Old Testament trinity. This icon is based on Genesis 18:1-16, where Abraham and Sarah show hospitality to the three strangers. These men, whom tradition describe as angels, bless Abraham and Sarah with the promise of a son.


We learned that to pray is to gaze. As we gazed we noticed the trinity (left to right: Father, Son, Holy Spirit.) We noticed the inclination of the heads, the gestures of the hands, the position of the feet. We reflected on color blue - the color of divinity and mystery -- and how that color was most prominent on the Son, and most hidden from our sight on the Father. We noticed that as we gazed we were drawn into the conversation around the table -- the intimate circle included us.


A few quotes from Henri Nouwen's book on praying with icons, "Behold the Beauty of the Lord."


“Icons… are created for the sole purpose of offering access, through the gate of the visible, to the mystery of the invisible. Icons are painted to lead us into the inner room of prayer and bring us close to the heart of God.” P. 14


“…it is important to gaze at the icons with complete attention and to pray with them. Gazing is probably the best word to touch the core of Eastern spirituality. Whereas St. Benedict, who has set the tone of the spirituality of the West, calls us first of all to listen, the Byzantine fathers focus on gazing…” p. 13

And earlier on the same page…about Nouwen’s personal experience: “By giving the icons long and prayerful attention – talking about them ,reading about them, but mostly just gazing at them in silence – I have gradually come to know them by heart. I see them now whether they are physically present or not. I have memorized them as I have memorized the Our Father and the Hail Mary, and I pray with them wherever I go.” P. 13


May God bless you as you pray with this icon.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

A Time of Prayer Together

Come join the team on Tuesday, October 14th, from 1-2 for a prayer time focused on praying with Rublev's icon of the Old Testament Trinity. We will use the resource "Lord, teach us to pray" to guide our time together.


Also on Tuesday -- noon-1, Presbyterian spiritual directors brown-bag lunch

2 - 2:30 SFMT planning meeting


All of these events will happen at Wedgwood Presbyterian church, 8008 35th Ave NE, Seattle.