Saturday, October 21, 2006
Refresh: a beginners guide to journaling
This is DRAFT advertising for a project I’m currently working on: I want to offer concrete ways for spiritual seekers to explore their spirituality. A starting point is wanting to run a course on spiritual journalling in a local cafe. It is based on my belief that the Spirit of God is active outside church walls and in the lives of all people. My role is to “bless” what God is doing.
What is it all about? A journal is a record of your inner journey. Many people find journaling a helpful way to keep up with their spiritual pilgrimage.
What will I learn?
Starting to use a journal to capture your history
Using a journal to understand your present
Using a journal to recover your past
Using a journal to interact with your history
Each week will include time to journal, explore different methods and exercises to enhance journaling, and to grow with those who have journaled before us.
Who is it for? Anyone who wants to explore their spiritual journey. The facilitators are Christians and church-goers who assume that everyone has a spiritual journey worth nourishing, whether they attend church or not.
Is it only for church goers or Christians? No. All that is required is an interest in journaling and a spiritual openness.
Why a group? Most of us learn new skills best with the encouragement of others. Small groups allow us to draw upon the combined wisdom of others. Journaling in groups can be a powerful experience.
What are the details? Thursdays, November 9, 16, 23, 30, 7:30-8:45 pm, Fava cafe, 235B Centaurus Road. (Venue To Be Confirmed.) Cost of $15 for course materials. To book, or for more information, phone Steve Taylor (one of the facilitators) on 027 252 8227 before Monday 6th November.
)
This sounds really interesting…we have done something similar but not based on journaling… but on talking of our spiritual experiences and give some language for that. But i would be really interested to hear more about of the contents of the nights…
Comment by Thomas Willer — October 21, 2006 @ 9:53 pm
Greetings
I notice you put “bless” in quotes.
I regularly highlight that the Jewish-Christian tradition of blessing is to bless/give thanks to God.
In worship we bless bread & wine by giving thanks to God.
We bless baptismal water by giving thanks to God.
We bless a couple in marriage – by giving thanks to God. etc.
cf. the psalms.
I think this strongly fits in with your venture. Acknowledging God at work everywhere, by giving thanks to God. And thereby “blessing” this.
In Christ
Bosco
Comment by Bosco Peters — October 22, 2006 @ 6:53 pm
bosco,
a thoughtful comment, as per usual. i think i put in quotes because
a) it is a word that has a specific religious meaning, which you allude to
b) that i don’t think people’s particular spiritual experiences need my “blessing” to validate them. we will share and talk, but the quotes were about me not wanting to colonise someone else’s experiences.
peace
steve
Comment by steve — October 22, 2006 @ 8:26 pm
this sounds great steve… we are thinking of doing something like this next year as a follow up to doing a stall at the london ‘body, mind & spirit’. I would be really interested in how you bring together (or whether you even do) christian ideas about journeying and faith and people’s general journeying and spiritual searching? Is this part of this ‘course’, the next step or something else??
cheers
gareth
Comment by gareth — October 24, 2006 @ 1:23 am