Pilgrimage: The Way of the Heart
by Carole Crumley
This past month, it seems that everything in my life has been in motion. Trips to stores, shops, the post office have multiplied exponentially. Precious visits to family and friends have kept us on the road.
Christmas scripture readings have magnified this sense of movement. A young couple progresses slowly towards Bethlehem; a child is born; angelic visitors bring messages; shepherds leave their flocks to” go and see”; travelers come from afar following a star; a young family escapes sure death fleeing for their lives to take refuge in Egypt.
Add to this, our collective end of the year hoopla and inauguration fever. Hopes and fears converge daily in new configurations. It may seem strange that, in this vortex of endless, ceaseless movement, my thoughts have turned to pilgrimage, more movement, as the spiritual practice that makes the most sense for me in the year ahead. Pilgrimage most often involves leaving home. Yet it is not an escape from the realities of daily living. Pilgrimage offers grounding and the possibility of anchoring our lives even more steadily in God’s grace.
Many years ago, author and retreat leader Fr. Basil Pennington and I were discussing contemplative prayer. He described contemplative prayer as “an inner pilgrimage.” His use of the word “pilgrimage” caught my attention. It is a journey of intention, he said, leading towards the true self in God. We went on to discuss how an intentional pilgrimage, the outward journey, is the perfect corollary to the inner journey.
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Paris is one of the most magnificent cities in the world. Its architecture and landmarks, artistic treasures and centuries of history are a gift. Our schedule will include daily meditations and reflections related to Lent and this pilgrimage journey, visits to sites of historic beauty and artistic treasure, contemplative worship with communities in Paris, the joy of sharing with fellow pilgrims and ample time to explore on your own. Throughout this Lenten experience, our intent is to be a prayerful presence in the city, embracing the life of Paris with a pilgrim heart.
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Come with us to the awe-inspiring town of Assisi where pilgrims have sought wisdom for centuries. Experience the culturally-rich birthplace of the thirteenth-century saints Francis and Clare, and walk in their footsteps through the beautiful landscapes of Umbria and Tuscany. As you journey to the sacred sites where the saints sought clarity and spiritual sustenance, you may find your connection to the divine grow stronger and see your own life with renewed vision. Open yourself to the possibilities of transformation as you draw on the natural beauty of this land and the spiritual imprint left by the saints.
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Pilgrimage Taste and See Events
Free events to learn about the Assisi Pilgrimage.
If you are wondering whether one of our pilgrimages might be right for you, please join us for one of our free Taste and See events where you will have an opportunity to meet with the pilgrimage leaders, learn more about each journey; and ask questions about the trip and anything else that might help in your discernment process about joining the pilgrimage.
Assisi: Sat, January 7, 2017, 10 AM to Noon (click here for the Facebook event)
Assisi: Thurs, January 12, 2017, 10 AM to Noon
Location for both events:
Cascade Cafe, National Gallery of Art
Washington, DC
Although there is no charge for these events, please contact margaret@shalem.org to let us know you’ll be joining us and for which day.
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 Wondering if a Shalem program is right for you?
We have several upcoming chances for you to discern on a free conference call.
Click here to find out more about a chance to join one of these free and accessible calls.
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Transforming Community: Leading Contemplative Prayer Groups and Retreats Program - This program is designed to equip, encourage and support those called to lead spiritual groups and retreats. Although registrations have closed for the 2017-2018 class, we would be happy to talk with you if you are sensing a call to this program. Please contact Trish Stefanik as soon as possible (301-897-7334 or trish@shalem.org) to see if it still might be possible to include you in this class. Click here to read more.
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Nurturing the Call: Spiritual Guidance Program - This program offers both academic resources and experiential support for the ministry of spiritual direction or holy listening. At the heart of this program is the radical conviction that spiritual companionship is a form of prayer and that contemplative listening comes from being grounded in ones relationship with God. The application deadline is January 15. Click here to read more.
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Soul of Leadership Program - The Soul of Leadership recognizes that leaders today face particularly difficult challenges. The commitment to inspire others while also increasing productivity and balancing the needs of the organization can leave leaders feeling depleted. Long hours and countless demands often result in a deep need for renewal. There are programs in Boston, England and Tennessee.
Click here to read more.
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Going Deeper: Clergy Spiritual Life and Leadership Program - Although our other Shalem programs connect with certain dimensions of congregational spiritual leadership and many clergy participate in them, none give the context of the local church as the explicit and shared focus as this program does. Going Deeper is for clergy of all denominations and geographic locations who serve on the staffs of local churches or whose ministry involves the local church. Click here to read more.
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Martin Luther King Day offering: Howard Thurman Quiet Day – online
Through audio teaching, guided meditation, reflection questions and invitations into silence, Lerita Coleman Brown invites you into intentional quiet space to reflect on the life and work of Howard Thurman, spiritual guide to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Would you benefit from taking a day this New Year to rejuvenate, recharge, and refocus? Join Shalem for a retreat day —ONLINE.
DATES: You may participate any day between Martin Luther King Day and the end of March 2017.
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Do you yearn to see, listen & act more deeply from your spiritual heart?
Do you wish to develop or deepen a consistent daily spiritual practice?
Give yourself the gift of spaciousness in the New Year. Join Tilden Edwards, Shalem's founder and senior fellow, for six weekly sessions. With material designed specifically for this eCourse, Tilden offers video teachings, guided meditations, reflection questions, and midweek check-in emails.
Dates: January 22 to February 26, 2017.
Cost: $75. (Group discounts available!)
Shalem graduates, go to the course page on our website and click on the leadership packages tab to lead a group in your area at a discounted rate!
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Embodying God’s Love in the World
Give yourself the gift of spaciousness during Lent with this six-session series. Listen to stories of discernment and engage in enriching experiential exercises.
Recognizing and living into one’s call is a lifelong process of discernment. In this six-week class, Patience Robbins and Margaret Pfeil will invite you to look at your life, no matter what age, and notice your unique contribution to God’s vision.
Dates: Sunday, March 5 to Sunday, April 9, 2017
Cost: $75 (group discounts available)
Shalem graduates, go to the course page on our website and click on the leadership packages tab to lead a group in your area at a discounted rate!
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Gerald May Seminar with Mirabai Starr
The Passion of the Mystics: A Contemplative Journey
 Mirabai Starr, MA, is an author, translator of the mystics, and a leading voice in the emerging inter-spiritual movement. She speaks and teaches nationally and internationally on the teachings of the mystics, contemplative practice and the transformational power of grief and loss.
She is known for building bridges not only between religious traditions but also between contemplative life and compassionate service, between cultivating an inner relationship with the Beloved and expressing that intimacy in community, between the transformational power of loss and longing for the sacred. Join us for this engaging weekend conference!
Friday, April 28, 2017, 7-9 PM
The Friday night lecture will draw on the works of the great Christian mystics and more.
Saturday, April 29, 2017, 10 AM-4 PM
In the Saturday workshop, we will read short passages from the works of the great Christian mystics and respond to writing prompts to access our unique voice and deepen our personal journey. Inter-spiritual chanting and simple body practices will support and balance our contemplative readings and writing exercises.
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 Margaret's Travels
Follow our Executive Director, Margaret Benefiel, as she hits various spots around the world!
Margaret's upcoming schedule:
Jan 19-22 - Soul of Leadership workshops, Dublin, Ireland
Jan 23-26 - Soul of Leadership opening residency, Birmingham, UK (all are welcome)
Jan 30 - Shalem regional gathering, Charlottesville, VA (all are welcome)
Jan 31 - Soul of Leadership workshop, Nashville (all are welcome)
Feb 19 - Shalem regional gathering, Seattle (all are welcome)
Mar 27-30 - Soul of Leadership opening residency, St. Mary's Retreat Center, Sewanee, TN (all are welcome)
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Change your email address? Let us know!
We don’t want to lose you! Please let us know when you change your mailing address or your email. Send a note to info@shalem.org.
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Friends of Shalem
Friends of St. Benedict
Leadership in Community and the Rule of St. Benedict
March 14-17, 2017
Click here for more information.
Center for Spiritual Deepening, Alexandria VA
Iconography: Prayer in Images
January 25, 7:30-9:00 pm and February 7, 7:30-9:00 pm
Denise Levertov: Poet, Prophet, Pilgrim (presenter: Dana Greene)
February 22, 7:30-9:00 pm
Click here for more information.
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Giving a gift to Shalem has never been easier! Simply select Shalem as the charitable organization of your choice before you begin shopping.
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The Annual Report
View and read our latest Annual Report (2015-2016), featuring all new articles by Shalem staff and more!
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Holy Interruptions - online retreat day
Would you benefit from taking a day in this New Year to rejuvenate, recharge, and refocus?
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UPCOMING CALENDAR
