Growing Towards God is changing its format this year (2014-2015). There will not be any Tuesday evening sessions this Fall. A longer retreat day is planned for later in the Fall. Stay tuned for details.
Category Archives: Education
Growing Towards God Upcoming Series
Water, Wind, Earth and Fire
Second Tuesday of the month September 2013 – May 2014
with Nancy Phillips
Join us in an exploration of the Christian practice of praying with the elements and learn how this practice can enliven our spiritual lives. Creation itself is a sacred text through which the presence of God is revealed to us. Using study materials from Christine Valters Paintner’s book: Water, Wind, Earth and Fire: The Christian Practice of Praying with the Elements we will cultivate a more contemplative relationship to God through the natural world.
Sessions run from 6:30 to 8:30 pm
For those who wish to come earlier, join us for a brown bag supper at 6 pm.
Coffee and tea provided.
Find out more!
In the Storm
Our Our city-dwelling culture often leaves us with a sense of disconnectedness from nature as a way of understanding God.
When I was a young girl, my parents used to take us to visit my father’s step-sister’s cottage on the shores of Lake Erie at Point Pelee. Although my mother recalls spending a lot of time cooking and cleaning while at the cottage, I harbour many happy memories of those visits. A trip to Point Pelee was always a feast for the senses: the scent of forest, the sound of the waves gently lapping on the shore, the sting of sand on my face during a windy walk to the end of the sand spit, the beautiful surroundings of nature – water and sand, forest and open beach and the view of miles of marsh from many trips down the boardwalk. And, of course, to get there one had to travel through Leamington where the scent of tomatoes often emanated from the Heinz factory. We knew our destination was close when we could smell the tomatoes!
Our days were filled with happy summertime activity. But at night I often felt quite frightened. At night the darkness would settle in like a thick blanket. It was so much darker than in the city. When I awoke at night I would be frightened by darkness so thick that I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face. To comfort myself, I often imagined that angels were standing beside my bed. I carried on lovely conversations with those angels and I always felt at peace after my encounters with the angels.
Point Pelee was a place where thunderstorms seemed to have a particular fury. We would feel the heaviness of the air and see the looming dark clouds as we anticipated the coming storm. The winds would buffet the trees around the cottage and the waves would crash noisily on the shore. The cottage had a screened front porch. This provided a perfect vantage point – front row seats — from which you could sit and watch the spectacular unfolding of God’s fury. The thunder and lightning would be intense and I would feel the rain sift in through the screen in a fine mist that landed on my face. The porch always seemed like a safe haven from the raging storm outside. After the storm the air would smell fresh and fragrant and a sense of peace would settle over the forest surrounding us.
Our Our city-dwelling culture often leaves us with a sense of disconnectedness from nature as a way of understanding God. This loss can prevent us from experiencing a revelation of God rooted in the natural order. Scripture contains many examples of an experience of God through nature. Mark 4:35-41 describes a stormy experience the disciples had on the lake in a boat. They called out to Jesus in their fear and Jesus calmed the storm for them. There are times in our lives when we feel as though we have been caught in the midst of a great storm, buffeted by life’s unexpected turns. In her book Water, Wind, Earth and Fire: The Christian Practice of Praying with the Elements, Christine Valters Paintner reminds us that although the elements offer us much beauty to contemplate, they also offer us an opportunity to meditate on the challenges of our lives and times of suffering when the firm foundation we have come to rely upon is shaking and crumbling.
Storms are an inevitable and unavoidable part of life. Storms can cause us to question our understanding of who God is and how God works in the world. The winds that come to blow us in a new direction , Paintner says, are not always welcome. Paintner stresses that the scripture teaches us that it is important to continue to wrestle with God and to bring our pain before our Creator.
God is present in the midst of the storms of our life.
God is present in the midst of the storms of our life. We must continue to listen for the sacred presence in the midst of the whirlwind of life. Remaining attentive to our discomfort in the storms of life allows us to experience God breathing through creation and touching our pain as a gentle mist falling in the midst of storm. Be patient in the storms of your life. God will be present in the fury and in the fragrant quietness that follows.
Join us in an exploration of the Christian practice of praying with the elements and learn how this practice can enliven our spiritual lives as we cultivate a more contemplative relationship to God through the natural world, in the upcoming Growing Towards God Fall Series: Water, Wind, Earth and Fire.
From the Dean’s Desk
Twelve Days of Christmas
Christmas, the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord, lasts for twelve days, from December 25 (beginning with the communion services of Christmas Eve – the Mass of Christ) through Twelfth Night, January 5 (January 6 is the Feast of the Epiphany).
Did you know?
The Real Meaning of The Twelve Days of Christmas,
the Carol?
from The Lutheran Digest
From 1558 until 1829 Roman Catholic Christians in England were not allowed to practice their faith openly. Someone during that long era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young members of the church. Each verse in the song is code for a truth of the faith which the children could then remember.
The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus Christ.
The two turtle doves are the Old and New Testaments.
Three French hens stand for faith, hope, and love.
The four calling birds are the four Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
The five golden rings recall the Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament.
The six geese-a-laying stand for the six days of creation.
Seven swans a swimming represent the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit.
The eight maids-a-milking are the eight Beatitudes.
Nine ladies dancing are the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit.
The ten lords-a-leaping are the Ten Commandments.
Eleven pipers piping stand for the eleven faithful disciples.
The twelve drummers drumming symbolize the twelve items of faith in the Apostles’ Creed.
So, dear friends, Merry Christmas! The world may have moved on, but the church is still in party mode, celebrating the joyful mystery of the Incarnation, God’s living Word, Jesus Christ. Rejoice! Christ is born!
Trinity Institute Conference 2012
“Our task is now to be radical Christian communities in the here and now, not fossils of a bygone reality, not leftovers from an earlier golden age. Now we need new wisdom and a new kind of struggle to determine what we must be and do in the midst of these changing times.” Sr. Joan Chittister OSB.
Due to the Superstorm Sandy, the Trinity Conference has been rescheduled the Conference for December 7 to 9. Let us pray that no further storms hit the eastern seaboard of the US! The theme of this year’s conference is ‘Radical Christian Life: Equipping Ourselves for Social Change’ and it runs from Friday evening December 7 (at 5:30 p.m.) to Sunday afternoon, December 9. Sr. Joan Chittister OSB, ably assisted by a group of theologians, spiritual directors and Christian activists as workshop leaders, will be the keynote speaker. Father Richard Rohr OFM, of the Center for Action and Contemplation, will be the preacher at the closing Eucharist on December 9 (we will be able to view this portion of the Conference at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday rather than in real time, because it will be during our worship time).
Registration is $65.00 per person ($110.00 per couple) and $55.00 for students. You can register by calling Rene or Roger in the Cathedral office, 204-586-8385, Ext.11 Cheques should be made payable to St. John’s Cathedral.
Upcoming Growing Towards God Series: January 8th – May 14th, 2013
Upcoming Series, “The Cup” to ring in 2013
The spiritual journey is like a cup–a constant process of emptying and filling, giving and receiving, of accepting and letting go.” –Joyce Rupp
Join us for the upcoming Growing towards God Series: The Cup beginning in January.
The cup, as a symbol for our spiritual journey, offers us direction as we search for God’s presence and action in our lives.
The book, The Cup of Our Life by Joyce Rupp provides a framework for contemplative focus alongside the practice and refinement of spiritual disciplines such as contemplative prayer, lectio divina, and journaling; all to aid us on the important journey inward. Facilitated by Spiritual Director, Nancy Phillips.
The Cup of life; The Open Cup January 8
The Chipped Cup February 12
The Broken Cup March 12
The Cup of Compassion April 9
The Cup of Blessing May 14
January 8th – May 14th, 2013
Second Tuesday of the month
from 6:30pm-8:30pm
Brown Bag Supper at 6:00 pm (optional)
more on The Cup…
Trinity Institute Conference 2012
Radical Christian Life:
Equipping Ourselves for Social Change
Friday evening December 7
to Sunday afternoon, December 9
Trinity Institute’s 42nd National Theological Conference, Radical Christian Life: Equipping Ourselves for Social Change, will be held December 7-9, 2012 via webcast conference at St. John’sAnglican Cathedral.
Joan Chittister, OSB will offer tools for making the vital connection between contemplation and social action. She will be supported by workshop leaders including theologians, spiritual directors, and activists. Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, author, teacher, and founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation, will preach at the conference Eucharist.
Our task is now to be radical Christian communities in the here and now, not fossils of a bygone reality, not leftovers from an earlier golden age. Now we need new wisdom and a new kind of struggle to determine what we must be and do in the midst of these changing times.
Through plenary addresses, creative work sessions, and worship, this three-day conference we will explore questions such as:
- How can our Christian traditions of social justice and contemplation energize our communities as forces for positive change in the world around us?
- What practices help us to discern where we are called to engage?
- Where may we find sources of creativity and resilience within our tradition?
- How can we work in partnership with those of other faiths and no faith as we follow God’s call?
Introduction to the Enneagram
by Janelle Clare Schneider
we can better understand who we think we are, who we really are, and how we experience God based on both perception and reality.
St. Teresa of Avila writes in her masterpiece, The Interior Castle, “Not a little misery and confusion arise from the fact that through our own guilt we do not understand ourselves and do not know who we are … what treasures this soul may harbor within it, who dwells in it, and what great value it has, these are things we seldom consider, and hence people are so little concerned with preserving their beauty with all care.”
The Enneagram is an ancient dynamic symbol of transformation which provides us with a road map to our soul. Through familiarizing ourselves with the energies described, we can better understand who we think we are, who we really are, and how we experience God based on both perception and reality. As we see our inner beauty (and compulsions) through this symbol we then see who we really are, and can “preserve our beauty with all care.”
Richard Rohr puts it this way–“The Enneagram has emerged as a tool that is forcing many of us to a brutal and converting honesty about good and evil and the ways that we hide from ourselves and therefore hide from God.” (Preface, The Enneagram A Christian Perspective)
We begin our study of this symbol by discerning our own place on it. This truly is a discernment process, and not one of labelling or “pigeon-holing”. No one else can tell you “what your number is”. In the early stages of discovery, even you will likely be uncertain as to where you fit. That is not only okay; it’s to be expected! However, as you continue to experience life in the illumination of the Enneagram, you’ll begin to experience a “fit” with particular energies or “spaces”, which will then provide insight into how you interact with life and with God.
Our first session, on September 10, 2012, will discuss the three “centres”–head, heart and gut. Each of us lives out of one of these centres, usually to the exclusion of the other two. Each of these relates to three numbers on the Enneagram, thus helping a person narrow down which energy is dominant in his/her life.
On Ocober 9, 2012, we’ll discuss each of the numbers (also referred to as “energies” or “spaces”) in more detail. Our November session will introduce you to the roadmap for spiritual transformation which is hidden in the symbol, and in December we’ll explore how the energies all interact to create the unique person that is you.
Join us…
Inner Transformation through the Enneagram
September 11, 2012 – December 11, 2012
Second Tuesday of the month
from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Brown Bag Supper at 6:00 pm (optional)
Growing Towards God: Upcoming Series
Don’t forget the upcoming series…
INNER TRANSFORMATION THROUGH THE ENNEAGRAM
Every Second Tuesday of the month
September 11th – December 11th
with Janelle Schneider
The Enneagram is an ancient symbol which illustrates our journey of spiritual growth. While many limit its interpretation to “personality types”, this study will introduce you to its wealth as a road map for personal transformation.
One Brain or Three? September 11th
You are Here October 9th
The Journey of Transformation November 13th
You’re More Than You Think You Are December 11th
On Prayer
“Prayer is often regarded, even by genuinely religious people, as chiefly a means to various ends; it is a way of getting things done. That is true, so far as it goes, but, like so many half-truths, it is in practice as misleading as a complete falsehood. Prayer which is mainly occupied with a result to be obtained is comparatively powerless to obtain results. The real significance of prayer lies in the fact that it is the effort and attitude of the soul which makes possible the unity of the human spirit with God; it is therefore itself the supreme aim of human existence.
The proper relation in thought between prayer and conduct is not that conduct is supremely important and prayer may help it, but that prayer is supremely important and conduct tests it.
If the prayer is real, the conduct inevitably follows.
The proper relation in thought between prayer and conduct is not that conduct is supremely important and prayer may help it, but that prayer is supremely important and conduct tests it. If the prayer is real, the conduct inevitably follows. Indeed, in many cases the very reality of prayer will shorten the time allotted to prayer, so strong will be the impulse of love to act for the well-being of others. But let any man who finds it thus with him take heed. The life with God is the supreme concern, and the source of all power to serve. It is only the man who loves God with all his being who will be able to love his neighbour as himself.”
William Temple (1881-1944) followed in his father’s footsteps, right into Lambeth Palace. His father, Frederick Temple( 1821-1902), was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1896-1902. William Temple served as the 98th Archbishop of Canterbury from 1942 to his death in 1944 at the age of 61. He is best remembered for his strong sense of social justice and his benevolent respect for the beliefs of others, which had its roots in his theological understanding that Christ is the author of all that is good in all beliefs. This piece on prayer is from his book ‘Christus Veritas’.
St. John's Anglican Cathedral 