Greetings beloved,
Blessings to you this June! I am sitting in one of my very favorite places as I wrap up this edition of Whale Spouts and get ready to send it your way.
My little vegetable garden is planted and ready to grow. Right now it looks quite unimpressive - seemingly empty boxes of dirt. But beneath the surface something beautiful is being prepared. So often that feels like an apt metaphor for life - nothing much to see on the surface, but something beautiful is being prepared deep within.
I pray that whatever seeds are planted beneath the surface of your life will gently grow to sustain your soul and bring nourishment to our broken world. Perhaps this edition of Whale Spouts might offer you some words of encouragement and a few seeds of soul care along the way...
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Spouting Off Blog Post - beloved mess
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Sept. 2022 Silent Retreat - Early Bird Deadline June 10
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Opportunity for Generosity - Retreat Scholarship Fund
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Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, Fall 2022 - May 2023
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Pentecost Prayer for Annual Conference
May today bring you a spirit of hope amidst despair, light in the darkness, and a voice of thanksgiving even in the belly of the whale.
With strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Sharon
Sharon Seyfarth Garner, Director
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SPOUTING OFF BLOG
beloved mess
Have you ever noticed how auto-correct can sometimes feel prophetic? Often auto-correct suggestions are humorous, like the suggestion that you pick up some bears (rather than bread!) for dinner on the way home! However, sometimes auto-correct opens my eyes to a much needed moment of sacred clarity.
Last week, I was trying to send a text of encouragement to a friend reminding her of her belovedness as a child of God. Thanks to auto-correct, however, I sent her an encouraging text reminding her of her beloved mess as a child of God.
At first I laughed out loud and immediately sent a correction! Yet, the more I think of it, the more I realize that there is tremendous truth in the autocorrect version. We are indeed beloved by God right in the midst of the messiness of our lives - all of the frustrations, exhaustion, misunderstandings and uncertainties we face every day.
In fact, it seems as though the world is full of an agonizingly high level of mess at the moment; lingering pandemic, brutal war in Ukraine, stomach-churning levels of gun violence, political polarization, deeply-entrenched racism, fracturing faith communities, and a heartbreaking aversion to relating to one another as fellow children of God.
We are all in this beloved mess of a world together. I don't pretend to presume that there are easy ways out of any of these messes. But shouldn't the first step be at least a willingness to acknowledge our mutual belovedness as children of God?
"Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." 1 John 4:11
My deepest prayer amidst this heartachingly messy world in which we live is that we stretch ourselves beyond our rigid assumptions and opinions and dare to begin a compassionate conversation with someone we perceive to be "different" than ourself. What a difference it would make if our conversations included heart-softening words such as...
I love you. I am sorry.
I may be wrong.
I am listening.
From a place of softened hearts and humble words, amidst the beloved mess of God's beloved community, may we feel the assurance of our belovedness amidst it all.
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3 days & 3 nights of sacred silence
September 11-14, 2022
Early Bird Deadline: June 10
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Plans for our upcoming Belly of the Whale Spiritual Renewal Retreats have changed a bit. Unfortunately, we will not be gathering in July as planned.
However, the exciting news is that the September 11-14, 2022 retreat at Bellwether Farm & Retreat Center filled quickly, had a growing waiting list, and we are now able to expand the number of rooms available!
If you are feeling a sacred nudge to join us for 3 days & 3 nights of sacred silence, guided by the book of Jonah, I encourage you to sign up sooner rather than later in order to ensure your space. The early bird deadline is coming up fast on June 10. Click on the button below to learn more and register.
Bellwether Farm is an absolutely beautiful, new retreat facility in Northeastern Ohio where each retreatant will have a private room (with bath) and be treated to restaurant quality, farm-to-table fresh meals. It is located on 137 acres of wooded land that borders the Vermilion River and includes a 5-acre pond (fishing allowed!) along with many hiking trails.
In addition to abundant sacred silence, each morning and afternoon we will gather for a short reflection on one of the 4 chapters of the book of Jonah. You will receive creative prayer resources that you can explore during your silent prayer. Plans for our evening vespers include Taize-style worship around a campfire and a candle-lit labyrinth walk. Both worship experiences will be sacred moments that you will not want to miss.
You will also have the opportunity to sign up for spiritual direction (a 30 minute session) with our on-site spiritual director, Laurie Tucker. She served as our spiritual director last summer and was a blessing to us all!
This retreat will be a beautiful blend of sacred silence, prayerful reflections from Jonah and the gathering of God's beloved community for spiritual rest and renewal.
If you aren't able to join us this fall, SAVE THE DATE for our retreat next summer on the sacred ground of the Jesuit Retreat Center in Cleveland, Ohio, July 9-12, 2023.
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OPPORTUNITY for GENEROSITY
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There are those who long to be able to participate in a spiritual renewal retreat, but are not financially able to do so. That is why I have started a RETREAT SCHOLARSHIP FUND so that all who feel called are able to participate.
If you are in.a position to help another to find the spiritual renewal they seek, would you consider making a contribution to the fund? Any amount would be tremendously helpful!
Simply click on the link below to donate using Paypal. Or you can mail a check to Belly of the Whale Ministries, 31304 Aldrich Drive, Bay Village, Ohio. 44140.
Thank you so much for your grace and generosity.
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INVITATION to the IGNATIAN SPIRITUAL EXERCISES
September 2022 - May 2023
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Ten years ago, I began a spiritual journey that I knew next to nothing about but was feeling an incredibly powerful nudge to begin - the 32-week Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Retreat in Daily Life. As a Protestant, I confess that I was a bit hesitant, but trusted that God had a reason for my introduction to this 16th century Catholic saint. So I leapt in with both feet and I have never looked back.
I don’t think it is an over-exaggeration to say that the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises radically renewed my personal relationship with Jesus and clarified my call to embody God’s love in every layer of my life.
The daily focus on scripture, prayer and journaling along with the weekly meetings with my spiritual director became an anchor for me during an especially challenging time of my life. It is often said that Ignatian Spirituality is a call to “Seek God in All Things,” and that accurately describes what the Spiritual Exercises helped me to do. Accompanying others on this journey through the Spiritual Exercises has become one of the most meaningful parts of my spiritual direction practice.
This fall I am able to accompany 5 individuals on this 32-week journey through the Spiritual Exercises. I have found that beginning the Spiritual Exercises in September works well because the flow of the scripture readings lines up beautifully with the liturgical seasons of Christmas and Easter.
If you feel the Spirit is nudging you toward this deep dive into spiritual renewal through the lens of the life of Christ, I would be delighted to talk with you more about it. Spaces typically fill quickly, so let me know sooner rather than later if you are interested. Pastors can receive 4 CEUs for their participation in this intensive spiritual formation experience. You can get more details on the Belly of the Whale website.
Click here or on the picture below to hear me share a bit more about my experience with the Spiritual Exercises.
It would be a joy and an honor to share this journey together with you.
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A PENTECOST PRAYER for ANNUAL CONFERENCE
June 8-11, 2022
Every year in early June, the East Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church gathers to worship, fellowship, and share in ministry together. At our best, we celebrate our unity through communion and community. At our worst, we focus on divisions that quite literally can tear the church apart. This year, as we gather during the week following Pentecost Sunday, my prayer is that we will be able to each speak in our own authentic voice and still be understood by one another. Therefore, I offer this Pentecost prayer for our gathering. May God's healing Spirit dwell among us...
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Connect with Belly of the Whale Spiritual Direction & Retreat Ministries on Social Media |
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