“Pay attention. / Be astonished. / Tell about it.” These words by the poet Mary Oliver are one way to think about the art of spiritual listening. This fall at St. John’s, we invite you to consider three options for spiritual listening within our community.
The groups will be a place to hear each other with open hearts. If you join the group, you will be given the opportunity to share your own observations and reflections about where you’ve experienced God in your life, or how the Spirit is moving for you, or any other personal reflection on your spiritual life. And you will be asked to listen deeply as others share, and then offer observations and wonderings — not judgments or advice — about what you have heard.
All the groups will be facilitated by members of St. John’s who have been trained as spiritual directors. These leaders will gently guide each group’s practices and move the time forward. But the group will also shape their agendas and time together based on the needs, desire, and preferences of the people who attend.
Overview of Groups
We will have three offerings, depending on interest. They are:
- Spiritual Listening Group — will meet twice a month at St. John’s (or over Zoom as needed) on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month, beginning on September 21st. This group is open to anyone at St. John’s. We will ask people in this group to try to be faithful attendees because we believe the experience is enhanced if we can have consistency of attendance. Facilitated by Susan Swann. To sign up, email Susan Swann.
- Men’s Spiritual Listening Group — will meet in people’s homes (or over Zoom as needed) at a time to be determined by the group. This group will meet either once or twice a month, depending on the preference of the group and is open to any men of St. John’s. We will ask people in this group to try to be faithful attendees because we believe the experience is enhanced with group consistency. Facilitated by Jay Hornbacher. To sign up, email Jay Hornbacher.
- Sunday morning Lectio Divina — This is a drop-in group exploring the practice of Lectio Divina, a contemplative way of reading the Bible. It dates back to the early centuries of the Christian Church and was established as a monastic practice by Benedict in the 6th century. It is a way of praying the scriptures that leads us deeper into God’s word. Join us for this practice once a month at St. John’s (or over Zoom as needed) at 10am. Come when you like, no registration required! Facilitated by different ministers of St. John’s.
