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Spiritual Enrichment

Please carefully note the time and place for each program. There’s no pre-registration or fee for programs unless indicated.

The purpose of the Spiritual Enrichment committee of the Board of Deacons is to provide programming for personal renewal and inspiration through retreats, in-depth spirituality groups and weekly programs on a variety of spiritual themes and practices. The committee welcomes members and non-members alike to explore the many dimensions of the spirit.
     –Dick Haines , Chair,
     Spiritual Enrichment Committee, 2007-08

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Spiritual Yoga

Mondays or Wednesdays except holidays
6:45-8:00 p.m.

Ben Lee, Yoga instructor

Relax, stretch, breathe into the moment and refresh your spirit. The goal of gentle yoga movements is to integrate our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being. No previous experience is necessary. Just wear comfortable clothing and enjoy.

Ben has been studying and practicing Hatha yoga since 1994 and teaching yoga since 2001. He brings his knowledge of anatomy and a thoughtful approach to individual differences to each class. Combining fundamentals of Hatha yoga with energizing flow sequences, Ben’s class emphasizes strength, energy, balance and deep relaxation.

Cost: $5.00 per session

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Gentle Tai Chi

Julie Mueller

Tuesday mornings
11 a.m.-Noon, Fireside Room
(through May 13; resuming Sept. 16)

Come learn a series of slow movements designed to relax and refresh your body, mind and spirit. All ages are welcome; seniors are especially encouraged to attend.

Julie Mueller is a teacher at the University of Minnesota’s Center for Spirituality and Healing. She also teaches Qigong, Pilates and is a health and fitness writer for Good Age.

Wear comfortable clothes. Cost: $5 per class.

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Past programs this year

Hagar, Sarah and their Children:
Jewish, Christian and
Muslim Perspectives

Internationally known biblical scholar
Phyllis Trible

The biblical stories of Hagar, Sarah and Abraham depict a flawed family designated to become a channel of blessing for all the families of the earth. Pivotal in the religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, these stories wrestle with domestic violence, generational conflict, national identities and land struggles – all in the search for blessing. The lecture will explore the ancient stories as they relate to contemporary concerns throughout the world.

Phyllis Trible, Professor of Biblical Studies at Wake Forest University Divinity School and Balwin Professor of Sacred Literature Emerita at Union Theological Seminary in New York, has lectured widely throughout the world. Considered a leader in the text-based exploration of women and gender in scripture, her research interests focus on literary criticism, feminist hermeneutics and biblical theology. In addition to numerous articles and reviews, her books include God and the Rhetoric of Sexuality; Texts of Terror: Literary Feminist Readings of Biblical Narratives; and Rhetorical Criticism: God and the Book of Jonah. Her most recent book (edited with Letty M. Russell) is Hagar, Sarah, and Their Children: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Perspectives.

Thursday, Oct. 18, 7:30 p.m.
St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, 519 Oak Grove St., Minneapolis. Lecture and book signing by Phyllis Trible.

Friday, Oct. 19, 9 a.m. to noon
Mt. Zion Temple, 1300 Summit Ave., St. Paul.
A panel discussion featuring Phyllis Trible and three scholars from the Jewish, Christian and Muslim traditions.

Tickets will be available through www.ticketworks.com, 651/209-6689.

Sponsored by Plymouth Congregational Church, WomenSpirit, Jay Phillips Center for Jewish Christian Learning of Saint John’s University and the University of St. Thomas, Luther Seminary and United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, in cooperation with the Center for Religious Inquiry, the Minneapolis Interfaith Forum, members and organizations of the Muslim community and the Saint Paul Interreligious Network.

WomenSpirit is an ecumenical group of representatives from Twin Cities churches whose mission is to foster interfaith conversations and understanding by hosting a variety of events. Plymouth’s representation is under the umbrella of the Spiritual Enrichment Committee of the Board of Deacons.

Please watch the Spiritual Enrichment bulletin board and the Flame for other upcoming 07/08 WomenSpirit programs.

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Hope

Julie Neraas

Oct. 26-27, Friday evening, 7-9 p.m. and
Saturday morning, 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Fireside Room

Hope is one of life’s greatest treasures. With it, so much is possible. Without it, so little is. Many people live without (explicitly religious) faith. Others without much, if any, love. But people don’t survive long without hope. Hope is a powerful conduit between our small, local lives and the Mystery infusing and upholding us. It’s an orientation that trusts in a way forward, even if that way isn’t immediately clear.

There are many threats to hope in our world – horrific violence, savage inequalities, persistent racism, environmental disaster, frightening diseases and weather. Just one days’ news is enough to call the question: what are legitimate grounds for hope?

In this retreat, we’ll reflect on the nature and sources of hope and spiritual resources we can draw on to buoy hope in a difficult time, combining short presentations, conversation, poetry and brief opportunities for writing.

Julie Neraas is an ordained clergywoman, spiritual director and graduate program professor at Hamline University. She’s finishing a book of essays on hope.

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Open Labyrinth Walk

M.J. McGregor

Wednesday, November 7,
6:00-8:30 p.m., Chapel

“Solvitur ambulando. ... It is solved by walking.
                                       – Saint Augustine

The labyrinth is an ancient walking meditation tool with a single path leading to the center and back out. While each walk is different, the Chartres labyrinth pattern is designed to calm and refresh. Stop by to walk; stay as long as you like.

M.J. McGregor is a Plymouth member and certified labyrinth facilitator currently studying pilgrimage and the Chartres Cathedral labyrinth.

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Shabbat: The Art
of Intentional Cessation

Gretchen Thompson

Morning Retreat, Saturday, January 19,
9 a.m.-noon, Fireside Room

Why is it, with so many of us, that we crave a break but can’t really take it? Yearn for a time of cessation, but can’t cease? Shabbat is an art that can be learned. Though it requires practice and a deep internal shifting of intentionality, its fruits are great. This retreat is especially designed for those who sense that their present hectic pace is not really taking them to where they want to go.

Gretchen Thompson is Hospice Chaplain of HealthPartners Hospice of the Lakes.

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Living On Purpose:
Explore, Dream, Envision

Patricia McAuliffe

Sunday, February 3, 9-10 a.m., Fireside Room

Security is mostly a superstition.
It does not exist in nature,
nor do the children of men
as a whole experience it.
Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run
than outright exposure.
Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.
To keep our faces toward change and
behave like free spirits
in the presence of fate
is strength undefeatable.
      –Helen Keller, Let Us Have Faith, 1940

Finding our true purpose and meaning in life is a life-long process. In this one-hour time, we’ll look reflectively at our past, using it as a beacon to stand whole as we move into the future. We’ll reflect on such questions as where do I belong? How do I stand fully whole in my own dignity and worth? Who am I? What do I care about? What’s next?

This is a playful and meaningful hour for those who are eager to reflect, share with others and reclaim a dream or two as they look to creating a meaningful future.

Patricia McAuliffe, MA, CPCC, blends intuition and compassion with training and experience to work with people who seek meaning and aliveness in their lives. A former family mediator and educator, Patricia is a mother, mentor, advocate, life coach and spiritual director who works with people in transition. She creates a fruitful and safe alliance that allows her clients to open doors and move positively forward in their lives. She is presently a member of the Guild of the Purpose Project at the Center for Spirituality and Healing at the University of Minnesota.

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Women’s Retreat:
At the Crossroads

Sam King

Friday-Sunday, February 8-10
ARC Retreat Center, Stanchfield, MN

Are you at a point in your life where you feel a momentous decision is required and aren’t sure how to proceed? Or, when different choices present themselves in your daily life, do you often wonder which direction to take even in small matters?

Do you wonder how we, as individuals in a world community, can contribute to the way decisions are made about our collective life?

On this retreat, we’ll delve into ancient and contemporary sources of feminine wisdom for guidance and encouragement. We’ll work in the arts – visual, physical, dramatic, literary – to tap our inner sources of wisdom, to discover what truth wants to emerge to influence our conscious deliberations. We’ll share stories of our own significant decision-making as company and provisioning for each other as we set our courses for the journey ahead.

Sam King is a poet and teacher of writing and creativity.

Cost: $210. Pre-registration required.

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Couple’s Getaway Retreat

Jeffrey Sartain and Paula Northwood

Saturday-Sunday, March 1-2
Saint James Hotel, Red Wing

Spend a relaxing and spiritually renewing weekend at the historic Saint James Hotel in Red Wing. This two-day retreat is for couples who want to nourish and enrich their relationships and is designed to make healthy relationships healthier and good relationships better. Participants will explore some key dynamics of long-term committed relationships and the ways spirituality deepens understanding.

Same-gender and opposite-gender couples are welcome. Enjoy the company of other Plymouth couples, delicious meals, the charm of Red Wing’s historic downtown and the river views.

Jeff Sartain is Plymouth Minister for Parish Life and Paula Northwood is Plymouth Minister for Religious Education and Family Life.

Cost: $400/couple. Cost includes a private hotel room, lunch, dinner and Sunday morning brunch. Pre-registration required.

A limited number of rooms are being held for Plymouth for the Friday night prior. Interested couples can call the St. James directly and book that night separately (first-come/first serve).

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The Enneagram and Spirituality:
A tool for self-development
and spiritual transformation

Ann Muree

Wednesdays, 7-9 p.m.,
March 5 and 12 (PWO Room)
and March 19 (Baltins Room)

The Enneagram is a tool to increase our awareness, present moment living, and discover our fundamental unity as spiritual beings. A new level of community and compassion emerges as we begin to see ourselves and others through the lens of the Enneagram.

No prior knowledge of the Enneagram needed.

Ann Muree is a personal and spiritual coach and Enneagram educator. She’s a master teacher and has been facilitating adult groups for 30 years. She’s studied and used the Enneagram in her work for 20 years. Ann is certified to teach the Enneagram by Helen Palmer, Dr. David Daniels, Don Riso and Russ Hudson. She’s also studied with Claudio Naranjo. She’s active in the International Enneagram Association Minnesota Chapter and has served on the board of the IAE.

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At a glance...

Spiritual Yoga
Gentle Tai Chi

Past programs this year
           Hagar, Sarah and their Children:
              Jewish, Christian and Muslim Perspectives
           Hope
           Open Labyrinth Walk
           Shabbat: The Art of Intentional Cessation
           Living on Purpose: Explore, Dream, Envision
           Women’s Retreat: At the Crossroads
           Couple’s Getaway Retreat
           The Enneagram and Spirituality