Dear Friends,
It is a great season of gratitude! We are fortunate at the Spiritual Life Center to have so much to be thankful for during this 40th year of celebration. Thank you to all of you for the countless hours you volunteer your time and all the talents you bring selflessly to other seekers.
Here are the highlights for what you will find in this month’s Inspirations and Updates:
- It is with gratitude for the amazing way the spirit moves that we welcome Jane Virgilio to an expanded role at SLC.
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Please join the Hickory Lane Book Group in considering a daily offering (individually or with groups you are in) on meditating with the Thanksgiving Address: A Prayer for Everyday.
- The Spiritual Life Center is offering an Advent Prayer series, starting Nov. 28 and continuing through to Dec.23. These sessions will take place online Monday through Friday, 8-8:30 AM.
- Belonging is a topic we frequently talk about at the center. In a recent interview, Oscar Brockmeyer shared his experience with belonging.
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Thank you to all of you who contribute to the on-line Source. In this edition, we have a new submission from Rev. Mark Chaffin. As always we welcome you to contribute to this newsletter. Please consider contributing with your poems, artwork, blogs or reach out with an openness to be recorded live.
- Hartford International University recently announced the joining of Dr. Lisa Dahill as the Miriam Therese Winter Chair for Transformative Leadership and Spirituality .
- If you are not meeting with a Spiritual Companion or if you paused your practice when we shifted to mostly on-line sessions, consider if this is a good time to engage. There are options for in-person, virtual and/or group sessions.
“When eating fruit, remember the one who planted the tree.”
– Vietnamese Proverb
As a reminder, if you have an original poem, reflection or artwork you'd like to share as part of the The Source, please submit a word document to Jane Virgilio at jvirgilio@spiritlifectr.org. More details below. Thanks to those who have already submitted.
If you would like to participate in a segment for VOICES: Hearing from You, please reach out to Courtney Canfijn direct at ccanfijn@spiritlifectr.org.
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For more on programming, please click on the underlined titles for details and registration information.
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Jane Virgilio is Expanding Her Role at SLC!
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I’m delighted to announce that Jane Virgilio has accepted the role of Office Manager. As many of you know, Jane has been our superb Program Coordinator for nearly two years, ensuring our programs are expertly executed, and Jane will continue in that role as she takes on this new job. The Office Manager role is a critical hub of our organization and Jane will be primarily responsible for Spiritual Life Center’s financial books and records, as well as offering general support to the Executive Leader, and assisting in fundraising activities. Jane will officially begin November 15, but she is already lending a hand to Nancy Janiszewski, who is transitioning to her new capacity as Spiritual Companionship Coordinator.
Jane is very well prepared for this role. She has an M.S. in Accounting from Western New England College and spent 25 years of her corporate career at AT&T leading teams in complex local and international IT projects for global clients. Jane is also deeply involved in her local community of Springfield, MA. In addition to serving as a Spiritual Companion here at SLC, Jane is a Facilitator for the JustFaith program (social justice formation program), Co-Director for the Sandwiches for the Homeless Ministry, Member of the Residents Encounter Christ Prison Ministry, engaged with spiritual direction support for jail inmates, and Co-Chair for a volunteer team supporting an Afghan family of 12 as part of the Refugee Resettlement Initiative.
Please join me in welcoming Jane Virgilio. We are so glad you are here!
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As the daylight declines, we are approaching the season of the liturgical year during which many Christians observe Advent. This is a time when they prepare themselves for the coming of Christ. In addition, this is a good time for anyone to cultivate virtues such as patience, hope, and letting go of whatever no longer serves our needs.
We invite you to participate in a Advent Prayer Series, starting Nov. 28 and continuing through Dec. 23. These meetings will take place online Monday through Friday, from 8-8:30 AM. The sessions will include selections from scripture as well as poetry and religious art. Though the context will be Christian, persons of any religious tradition as well as no tradition are invited to participate. Each week we will use a different method of prayer, and instructions on the method will be provided.
Don’t miss this opportunity to deepen your spiritual life and enjoy the benefits of being in community with others. Start the day off on a great note! The program is free. Registration is required.
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JOIN WITH OTHER COMPANIONS ON THE SPIRITUAL JOURNEY |
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Would you like to:
>Identify and trust your experiences of God
>Integrate spirituality into your daily life
>Find meaning in hopes, struggles, or losses
>Discern and make difficult choices
>Increase sensitivity to justice & nature
>Live more authentically in spiritual community?
Then you may want to be part of a Spiritual Companions Group. These small groups meet once a month to share participant's spiritual journeys with one another. It is a very respectful process, without advice giving or attempts to "fix" the presenter.
Note: we are considering starting a new group that will meet in person on a weekday evening. Let us know if you might be interested.
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The Revered Oscar Brockmeyer shares with Courtney Canfijn his experience in the internship for spiritual companioning. Listen to his experiences of belonging and his insights into the program.
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A Reflection from the Hickory Lane Book Group |
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I am part of a book group that is reading “Braiding Sweetgrass,” by botanist, poet and a Citizen of the Potyawatomi Nation, Robin Wall Kimmerer. We were deeply moved by her chapter, “Allegiance to Gratitude,” which focuses on the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address: A Prayer for Everyday, and wanted to share this prayer of gratitude and unity. The following is an adapted version of a letter sent to our elected officials and others from the Hickory Lane Book Group of West Hartford, CT.
A Cao Join in Gratitude and Thankfulness
The need for civility and gratitude is growing daily in our country. We are a group of people suggesting a way to bring balance and harmony through our institutions and personal relationships. November is Native American Heritage month. This as a perfect time to celebrate, honor and share The Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address: A Prayer for Everyday, a gift to the world from the Haudenosaunee, also known as the Iroquois Confederacy or Six Nations: Mohawk, Oneida, Cayuga, Onondaga, Seneca, and Tuscarora.
In her book Braiding Sweetgrass, author Robin Wall Kimmerer describes this address as an expression of “social contract”, and “form of scientific gratitude” for the natural world. In its simplicity it is a “statement of sovereignty”, “political structure”, “Bill of Responsibilities” and a “scientific inventory of ecosystems”.
This address is known as The Words That Come Before All Else. There are 18 short paragraphs. Each ending with “Now our minds are one” said in unison, taking a total of eight to ten minutes. It is a way to open any meeting or service. It helps to establish and maintain mutual respect and diplomacy. Diversity and conservation are coupled with the responsibility to recognize and preserve all forms of life. Through it we learn to appreciate our interconnectedness and know that what is done to one part of the Web of Life, we do to ourselves.
Some of us begin our days with a modified version of this prayer in our own time of prayer and meditation which remind us to live from gratitude. We call upon all who gather together to begin meetings with the Thanksgiving Address: A Prayer for Everyday.
With sincere gratitude for your attention on this request,
The Hickory Lane Book Group
(Margaret Breen, Peg Carr, Paula Fischer, Candace Abbott and Rev. Thomas Carr)
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In individual spiritual companioning, seekers enter the process of deepening their spirituality while working with a trained Spiritual Companion. There are many ways to participate including FaceTime, Zoom, Skype, and phone.
Read more about companioning at this link, complete an initial interview form, and we’ll give you a call. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us for more information about this transformative experience.
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Welcome to The Source - Online. This new feature will now showcase your works in the electronic newsletter and on our website. For submissions, please send your poem, art, pictures or other reflections to Jane Virgilio @ jvirgilio@spiritlifectr.org and we will review for inclusion in an upcoming publication. Preferred format is word and/or .jpg for pictures.
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"The wonderful thing about spiritual directors is that spiritual directors are a wonderful blessing!"
Read more of Rev. Mark Chaffin reflection HERE.
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Collaboration Updates
See program offering below from Hartford International University.
They recently announced the joining of Dr. Lisa Dahill as the Miriam Therese Winter Chair for Transformative Leadership and Spirituality . Read more here.
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Spiritual Directors Corner
Justin Ferko was a guest presenter at a recent Internship class. He shared this beautiful and moving video. We thought you'd enjoy it as well.
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Get Social With Us!
As a community we have long been connected through the "center". The central place we gather, share our stories, learn and grow. Watch for new messages and inspirations as we further explore the use of meaningful content on the various social media platforms.
We are always looking for your input and feedback. Like us, follow-us, add a comment or share a post with your friends and contacts!
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Be part of the Community! |
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