With "Focusing and Spirituality," Mercer Institute of Spirituality to Open

Dear Friends,
Looking ahead just a bit, Mercer School of Theology late last year announced the establishment of the Mercer Institute of Spirituality.  The Institute's first work will be the planning and execution of a series of lectures on the theme of Being Human.  This foundational topic will be approached from a variety of angles with the help of the best presenters we can find.

The Institute's first event is scheduled for Saturday, March 8 from 2:00 to 7:00 pm.  We look forward to welcoming Dr. John McDargh of the theology department of Boston College.  Dr McDargh will be inviting our participation in an afternoon of learning about Focusing and Spirituality: exploring a foundational practice for both pastoral conversation and spiritual growth.

The work of philosopher and therapist Eugene Gendlin has taken hold in both the therapeutic and ecumenical spiritual direction communities here and abroad. Gendlin and his colleagues have developed practical and accessible ways of teaching the skill of paying close attention to the “knowing that is deeper than saying”, the body’s “felt sense” of the individual’s personal reality at any given moment. This workshop will introduce participants to this way of attending to their own embodied experience as a way of living close to the wisdom that is part of the Spirit’s endowment to human beings.

Consider joining us on March 8 for this first event in the series.  You can register online at
http://tinyurl.com/MercerSpirituality1

Blessings,John P. McGinty+
Canon for Formation