First Steps
I'm in the first steps of pursuing further education and met with an advisor last week about enrolling in the "Certification in Spiritual Formation" program of the United Methodist Church through Garrett Thological Seminary. I'm pretty excited about it.
The required core courses are (1) United Methodist Studies, (2) Teaching for Biblical Faith, (3) Spiritual Disciplines for Personal and Parish Renewal, (4) Spiritual Direction and (5) Practicum in Spiritual Direction.
I particularly like the description for the Spiritual Direction course: "Focusing on attentiveness to God, listening skills, psychological awareness, personal spiritual disciplines, historical background, and ethical issues for fostering this supportive relationship of spiritual guidance. Includes readings in Christian classics, experiencing the practice of spiritual companionship, and training in ways of offering spiritual guidance in congregations."
Sweet.
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6 comments:
lyrics that remind me of you - not saying it's about you, but reminiscent. reminiscent of quite a few i know, actually, each in a unique way....
know a man, his face seems pulled and tense
like he's riding on a motorbike in the strongest winds
so i approach with tact
suggest that he should relax
but he's always moving much too fast
said he'll see me on the flipside
on this trip he's taken for a ride
he's been taking too much on
there he goes with his perfectly unkept clothes
there he goes...
he's yet to come back
but i've seen his picture
it doesn't look the same up on the rack
we go way back
i wonder about his insides
its like his thoughts are too big for his size
he's been taken... where, i don't know?
off he goes with his perfectly unkept hope
and there he goes...
and now i rub my eyes, for he has returned
seems my preconceptions are what should have been burned
for he still smiles...
and he's still strong
nothing's changed, but the surrounding bullshit that has grown
and now he's home
and we're laughing like we always did
my same old, same old friend
until a quarter-to-ten
i saw the strain creep in
he seems distracted and i know just what is gonna happen next
before his first step
he's off again
[pearl jam, off he goes]
due to the incapacity of mind and computer to mesh on how we want things done, this part of my comments was left off the first:
"i think it's sweet, too, dude. i like the steps your trip's taking you on."
Ah! Great news! The description for the Spiritual Direction course sounds inspiring.
I'm happy to hear you are growing, taking steps to further inspire yourself and others. First steps are the most difficult it seems- you've made them and are on your way!
I like the lines of the Pearl Jam song. Seems you have a wonderful friend in Kev.
yeah, isaiah - i think he found a diamond in the dirt with you, too, dude. i dig the looks of the "one man's wilderness" book, not to mention the notion of following through on the swing and disappearing into the environment. a merton-esque hermitage sounds pretty grand.
Sounds cool. Can you tell us more about what's the goal... Are you thinking about becoming a spiritual director? Something else?
Jon - I hope to post about that this weekend or early next week!
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