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Summer & Fall 2010
Upcoming Retreats and Programs
at Franciscan Living Urban Center for Spirituality |
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Gathering for the Gratitude Ceremony
| "For all that has been, THANKS! For all that will be, YES!"
Greetings!
Franciscan Living is two years old!"In the Name of All That Is we come together.... In the Name of the Spirit breathing in all things... In the Name of All That Is, we come." Our small meeting room inside Sunlight of the Spirit Books and Gifts echoed with the heartfelt chorus of over 30 joyous voices as we sang the gathering song of our Ceremony of Gratitude marking the Second Anniversary of the founding of Franciscan Living and prayed with thanksgiving for all that has been:
Praise be to
You, O God,
for the generous hearts, hands, and lives
that seek you in this sacred place.
For the treasures of time, talent,
and self-giving that daily create
miracles of presence and
possibility.
Praise
be to You,
For volunteers
For generous hearts
For deep thinkers
For playful spirits
For soulful seekers
For devil's advocates
Gratitude Dance in the Labyrinth
| Praise for the hum of the city
For the individuals, families, and communities who hold us in prayer
For holy chaos For the challenges that teach
us to open our hearts and minds
For the kindness of strangers
For sudden laughter
For tears of sorrow, pain, and joy
For the gift of unexpected beauty.
Beauty in the Alley
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Praise
For Sabbath Prayer
Welcoming the Light
Embracing the New
Circles of Gratitude
Songs in the Silence
Sister Mother Earth
Mother of Us All
Sacred Play.
Praise for SoulCollage
Coming to know the one and the
many parts
of our inner selves...
The Source
The Witness
The Soul Essence
The Community
The Companions The Council
The Committee.
Praise
for BodyPrayer
Stillness
Enlightenment
Joy
Prayer of the Heart
SpiritDances.
Praise
for retreats of every shape and kind
that inspire the imagination and move the heart.
Open the Door.
Back to the Shack
Exploring the Secret Garden
Falling Into the Heart of
God
Sand, Stone, & Spirit
Franciscan Presence
Care for Creation Sun, Sand, & Sea.
Praise
for the Franciscan Presence and Prayer Circle--
Seekers who come together in
community to share the experience
and challenge of naming sacred Presence in a fragile world.
Praise
for Spiritual Direction
For holy listening
For sacred silence
For loss and grief
For the crucible of suffering that leads us to our Self.
For companions on the journey as we yearn for deeper union with You.
Praise for the Grace Margin
For challenges to our complacency
For new insights and experiences
For
ever deepening compassion and humility
as we seek and find Presence
in surprising places.
Praise for all those who
are searching for deeper meaning in life
and for those who seek a spiritual home.
For volunteers who contribute what they have
and
receive what they need
For all those who will find
companionship
and support with us in the
future
For the countless gifts of grace
which continue to daily bless Franciscan
Living.
When the ceremony ended, guests stayed to visit with each other and to enjoy the simple fare prepared for our celebration. The outstanding favorites of the evening were the amazing Italian sodas as well as the mini- cupcakes prepared by first-time baker, Albert Weaver, the vice chair of our Board of Directors.
Grateful and blessed, we move forward with an abundance of upcoming programs, retreats, and events that are designed to appeal to a variety of interests and needs.
August BodyPrayer will celebrate "Abundance" with
gentle movement and breath work accompanied by meditative music.
The Themes in Contemporary
Spirituality Series continues in September with a two week
exploration of the spiritual images and metaphors found in the academy
award nominated film, "Avatar".
"Inner Work", a spirituality group for men, is forming in September. This new group, facilitated by Lew Robinson, and meeting on Thursday evenings at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, is co-sponsored by Franciscan Living and Trinity Cathedral. For details please contact Lew by clicking the email link above or by calling 916.278.6726.
We are also pleased to offer a number of workshops to explore the SoulCollage�process from the introductory, Creating Your Own Meditation Cards, and the informal SoulCollage� Studio, to advanced sessions on Working With Your Cards.
Upcoming opportunities to explore Franciscan Spirituality will include: sessions on Franciscan Prayer, a virtual Pilgrimage of Assisi for the Feast of St. Francis, conversations exploring a Spirituality of Presence as well as monthly gatherings of the Franciscan Presence and Prayer Circle. Monthly Sabbath Prayers, mini- retreats that make use of active imagination and art as meditation, will continue with "Balancing Act" in September, "A Sacred Path" in October, and "Grace Upon Grace" in November.
Look for information that will be available soon about our new Mindfulness Series which will be launched in November with "Celebrating Gratitude" and "Simply Prayer" .
And please be sure to check out our complete calendar or visit our website for more information & registration forms.
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August Workshops and Retreats
Mondays, August 16, 23, 30 - 6:00 - 7:00 PM
Drop in - Donations for the support of the Center
gratefully accepted
Saturday,
August 21 from 10 AM - 1 PM
Introductory Workshop - All materials provided Pre-Registration - $25.00
Tuesdays, August 24, 31, 5:30 - 8:00 PM
No Previous SoulCollage �
Experience Required All materials provided Drop in - $10.00 per session
Saturday,
August 28, 12:30 - 2:00 PM
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September Workshops and Retreats |
October Workshops and Retreats
SoulCollage�Studio
Mondays,Oct. 11, 18, 25, 5 :30 - 8:00 PM
No Previous SoulCollage�
Experience Required All materials provided
Drop in - $10.00 per session
Presence, Practice, Possibility Tuesday Evenings, Oct. 12, 19, 26, 6:30 - 8:00 PM or Thursday Mornings, Oct. 14, 21, 28 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM $10.00 per session or $25.00 for series Pre-registration is advised
Creating Personal Meditation Cards with SoulCollage� Saturday, Oct. 16, 2010 from 10:00 AM - 1:00
PM Introductory
Workshop - All materials provided
Pre-Registration only - $25.00
Franciscan Prayer and Presence Circle Saturday, October 23 - 12:30 - 2:00 PM ALL ARE WELCOME
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Individual Spiritual
Direction with Lew Robinson, Ph.D. and Margie Will, M.T.S. is available by appointment. Call 916.718.4797 or e-mail our office for more information Sliding scale is available
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Who are You, God, and Who am I?
Franciscan Living Urban Center for Spirituality is rooted in this fundamental question that transcends the boundaries of space, time, race, gender, and religious practice. Like St. Francis & St. Clare of Assisi and their early followers, we recognize our origins in the Holy One and our kinship with all creation. Together we strive for authenticity of spiritual practice that manifests in the ordinary course of our daily lives and relationships. Through the spirituality of Presence we touch the Sacred and come to know the blessing of who we are as an integral part of the web of life.
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These past two years have
been filled with an abundance of blessings as our Urban Center for
Spirituality has taken root and blossomed. We give thanks for all who
have supported our Center and look to the future as we continue to
explore the spirituality of Presence and to expand our offerings.
As we move forward, our focus is on introducing the Center to an ever widening circle of friends and seekers. You can help us to do this by using the Forward email link at the bottom of this newsletter to send it to a friend, colleague or family member who might be interested in our programs. Please note that using the link does not put the recipient on our mailing list, but does provide a one-time opportunity for her/him to become acquainted with us and the work we do at the Urban Center for Spirituallity.
May abundance and gratitude surround you without and within.
Blessings,
Margie Will, osf |
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