The Center for Story, Spirit and Justice

ST-1 Story Telling—Introduction:

           This is an introduction to the power of story-telling, which will focus on personal and familial stories that evoke experience, deep awareness, love and the dynamics of personality in small intimate settings. Participants will be encouraged to experiment with their own story writing and telling.

ST-2 Story Telling—Connecting with Context:

           Here we will investigate and experiment with story telling that connects us with the land, climate, social groups, ethnicity, immigration, religious organizations, schools, gender expectations, work, and other societal constructs. Participants will be encouraged to explore the societal issues which have arisen in their life experiences through story.

ST-3 Story Telling & Advocacy:

           In this program, participants will be encouraged to bring story telling to issues of advocacy which are important to them, so that telling a story remains authentic, non-polemical and yet highly persuasive in an advocacy settings. Using story in these contexts to hold on to integrity, dignity and humanity, while challenging unjust systems empowers persons and groups, and may lead to non-violent social change. 

ST-4+ Traditional Society Story Telling: 

           We plan to bring noted story tellers from societies that have long valued story, including indigenous peoples of the world, to share their stories and the power of story that they and their communities experience.

P&S-1 Personality & Spirituality—Introduction: 

           This program introduces participants to the ways in which our personalities affect our spiritual life and ways in which spiritual practices can enable us to work with personality to find deeper inner perspectives, peace and balance, as well as new approaches to interpersonal life. Participants will be introduced to Myers-Briggs and Enneagram approaches to personality and have opportunities to explore how these can be used as guides in spiritual and social practice.

P&S-2 Personality & Spirituality—Enneagram I: 

           In this program, participants are given detailed introductions to Enneagram personalities and the wisdom which this provides for spiritual and personality development. Prior knowledge of the Enneagram is not required, but may be helpful. Participants should finish the program with a list of reflections and practices which they can pursue toward greater wholeness.

P&S-3 Personality & Spirituality—Enneagram II:

           Here participants who have basic knowledge of the Enneagram are invited to work gaining deeper understanding, addressing roadblocks to growth, and finding spiritual practices that foster growth.

P&S-4 Personality & Spirituality—Myers-Briggs:

           This program will take participants through MB self-assessment and then introduce them to ancient spiritual practices that are strongly associated with MB personalities, drawing predominantly from Christian traditions: Benedictine, Franciscan, Augustinian, Thomist, Carmelite, and Ignatian.

P&S-5+ Personality & Spirituality—Specific Traditions:

           From time to time, we will offer programs focused on individual spiritual traditions, drawing from Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and Indigenous practice and wisdom. We plan to invite experienced practitioners to lead these programs.

MYS-1 Introduction to Christian Mysticism: 

           This program will provide an overview of the range of mysticism in Christian tradition and provide participants with vocabulary to discuss mystical experiences, as well as introductions to key teachers of mystical traditions in Christian history.

MYS-2 Jewish Mysticism:

           We hope to bring in practitioners of Jewish mystical traditions to introduce these to participants with the integrity that a practitioner offer.

MYS-3 Carmelite Mysticism:

           This program will focus on the mystical experiences of Teresa d’Avila, John of the Cross and other Carmelites.

MYS-4 Ignatian Spiritual Practice:

           Here we will introduce participants to the practices of Ignatius of Loyola and the Jesuits, including use of retreats, examen, and spiritual reading.

MYS-5+ Other Mystical Traditions:

           We hope to bring in practitioners to share such topics as Sufism and Zen Buddhism.

But justice also means that persons have access to resources for meaningful, healthy and productive life, such as food, housing, clothing, medical and mental health care, transportation, education and training, and personal/familial security, free from the damages of violence, poverty, racism, classism, colonialism and other biases and disempowering discrimination.

Our work includes fighting with love and non-violence to promote justice for all and life in civil society that honors diverse peoples with the blessings of a good life—adequate material resources and a society of compassionate justice.

GEN-1 Gendered Spirituality—Men I:

           This will focus on Male Spirituality drawing on the Men’s movement of the past 50 years and traditional male spiritual practices, including indigenous initiation practices.

GEN-2 Gendered Spirituality—Men II:

           Here we will explore Male Spirituality using Medieval Stories such as “Parzifal” and the “Song of Roland.” The participants will be invited into the Quest.

GEN-3 Gendered Spirituality—Men III: 

           This program will draw on Biblical stories of Men to develop spiritual understandings that connect with the male experience. Participants will be invited to explore their own lives in the context of some of these stories.

GEN-4 Gendered Spirituality—Women I:

           Here we will explore Wisdom Spirituality with a Feminist approach. Participants will be invited to imagine their spirituality and experiences in this frame of reference.

GEN-5 Gendered Spirituality—Women II:

           Here participants will enter deeply into theological interpretations that are based in Feminism, Womanist and other Woman-centered experience.

GEN-6 Gendered Spirituality—LGBTQ+:

           This program will encourage participants to explore their own and other’s spiritual foundations in the context of non-heterosexual, non-binary and trans-sexual life experiences. We will read religious texts from new perspectives that are inclusive and have integrity, as well as note how such text have been interpreted for exclusion.

PP-1 Prayer Practice –Introduction:

           In this program, participants will be introduced to a variety of prayer practices, such as Lectio Divina, Lectio Moderna, Contemplation, Meditation, Prayer with Images, Imageless Prayer, Dream Work, Use of Prayer Journals, Ignatian Examens, Praying the Psalms, Movement & Prayer, Jesus Prayer, Praying with Beads, Use of Icons in Prayer, Sensory Aids to Prayer.

PP-2 Prayer Practice—Dream Work

           This program provides more detailed information about dream work, Jungian approaches to symbolism and the transformative effect of good dream interpretation.

PP-3 Prayer Practice—Praying with Scripture

           Here participants will practice prayer and reflection with Biblical passages, focusing on Lectio Divina process that includes slow reading, meditation and contemplative practice.

PP-4 Prayer Practice—Guided Meditation

           This program will take participants through several sessions of guided meditation and reflection, with journaling time.

PP-5 Prayer Practice—Praying with Icons

           Participants will explore the ancient practices of prayer with icons, the ways in which icons are written and using icons to enhance prayer experience.

PP-6 Prayer Practice—Imageless Prayer

           For those who find themselves drawn to contemplation and imageless prayer, eastern meditation or use of mantras such as the Jesus Prayer, this session will provide support, guidance and practice, along with ancient resources.

PP-7 Prayer Practice—Movement Prayer

           Here participants can explore movement and prayer, such as use of a labyrinth, use of beads, walking prayer, yogic practice, and dance

DAN-1 Liturgical Dance—I

           This is a practical and experiential program to introduce one to various forms of dance that may be used to express faith, worship, love and compassion, human emotions and divine grace. This is available to anyone, including those living with mobility issues.

DAN-2 Liturgical Dance—2

           This picks up with specific dance styles

DAN-3 Liturgical Dance---3

           This program explores advanced dance styles and practices.

SD-1 Spiritual Direction—Introduction:

           This program introduces participants to traditions of spiritual direction, guidance and friendship—what it is and is not. Participants will be able to experience different types of assistance in paying attention to the transcendent, so that they will be able to chose that which is most amenable to their styles of interaction and learning. 

SD-2 Spiritual Direction—Basics of Direction

           Here participants are given more detailed information and practical experience with giving and receiving spiritual direction in support of their prayer life and practice.

SD-3 Spiritual Direction—Group Practice

           This program focuses on methods for conducting group spiritual support and direction, using ancient traditions and more contemporary practices. 

CEL-1 Celtic Spirituality & Environment

           In this program, we explore Celtic Spirituality’s contributions to contemporary environmental awareness, conservation and advocacy.

CEL-2 Celtic Spirituality & Time

           Here we focus on the nature of time in Celtic Spirituality and our views of science and daily spiritual practice.

“Bridges Out of Poverty” © is a program developed by Dr Ruby Payne to train social workers, educator, mental health providers and religious leaders in understanding the ways in which class and economic conditions translate into different values, practices and relational skills for those living in under-resourced conditions vs. middle class or wealth. There are also classes for those who are under-resourced to assist them in understanding their own strengths and the barriers which economically determined factors create in trying to bridge class settings and language

BOP-1 Bridges for those serving the Under-resourced

           This is a program for those who are involved in serving the under-resourced in various capacities or in setting policies and procedures that affect the under-resourced population, which explores cultural differences between classes in America, and the consequences of failing to read behavior and statements in the appropriate cultural context.

BOP-2 Bridges for those who are under-resourced

           In this program, those who have lived chronically under- lives are given tools to negotiate life based on the Bridges program, and groups work to support one another in carrying out the personal development goals of participants.