Whale Spouts
Belly of the Whale Ministries
monthly newsletter

June 2021
Greetings friends,

I recently visited the Jesuit Retreat Center in Cleveland and am thrilled we will be gathering in person next month for the spiritual renewal retreat! It is such a beautiful, sacred space!

As more and more people are vaccinated and it becomes safer to step out of my cocoon, I find it tempting to leap right back into "the way things were." But the truth is, my pre-pandemic routines were not exactly the most life-giving!

This is an interesting liminal time between social distancing and social re-connecting - filled with both jubilation and caution. Since I don't really want to return to "the way things were," I have been asking myself a few key questions to discern how I might move forward in a spiritually healthy way...

What pre-pandemic activities do I want to reclaim and what are best left behind?
What new pandemic habits are worth holding onto and what are no longer needed?
What sacred rhythms do I want to nurture moving forward?

Maybe you are pondering similar questions. I encourage you to talk with your family, friends or a spiritual director about how you can nurture life-giving, sacred rhythms as you move forward. If we are not careful, it will be all too easy to fall back into unhealthy rhythms of "business as usual."

Embrace this pivotal moment. Celebrate this opportunity to re-center the rhythm of your life around God's presence. Make space for whatever makes your soul sing - whether that is silent time for reflection (like the upcoming Belly of the Whale retreat) or gathering with friends to laugh and play.

Here are a few resources that might help you develop some meaningful sacred rhythms...

  • Belly of the Whale Retreat - July 11-14, 2021 (in person at the Jesuit Retreat Center of Cleveland) Are you hungry for a little spiritual renewal? This 3 day/3 night (mostly) silent retreat based on the book of Jonah will be overflowing with opportunities for rest, renewal and creative contemplative practices. My soul is soaring as I prepare for this retreat! THERE ARE ONLY A FEW SPACES LEFT SO REGISTER NOW!

  • "Spouting Off Blog" - The Three Sisters

  • Stretching Forward: A Retreat for Women is being offered this fall by my dear friend Diane McGregor. I attending this retreat 2 years ago and it nurtured my soul in tremendous, life-giving ways.Check out the details below.

  • Spiritual Direction Resources - Learn more below

Blessings and peace to you as you move through this betwixt and between time and into new sacred rhythms for your daily life.

With strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Sharon

Sharon Seyfarth Garner
Director, Belly of the Whale Ministries
- a special video invite to the retreat -
Spouting Off Blog
The Three Sisters

I love reading and I love gardening. These two passions intersected in a delightful and meaningful way while reading Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer. at the same time I was planning my garden this spring. I was inspired to adjust my fledgling garden layout and give the Three Sisters Indigenous agricultural planting method a try.

Kimmerer does a masterful job of weaving stories from her Indigenous background together with her training as a botanist. One of the stories she shared was about the Three Sisters - a method for growing corn, beans and squash together in one mound. Sister Corn grows tall and offers the gift of support to the beans. Sister Bean offers the gift of nutrient rich nitrogen to fertilize the soil. And Sister Squash's broad leaves provide shaded ground that offers the gift of a natural mulch to keep moisture in and weeds out. What is remarkable is that grown together, the Three Sisters are actually more productive (yielding more harvest acre per acre) than if they were grown separately. They are stronger united than divided!

The success of the Three Sisters is a gentle nudge from mother earth that we, too, are stronger united than divided. Cooperation, reciprocity and interdependence are essential to our survival. God our creator, - through the gift of creation - calls us to "respect one another, support one another, bring our gift to the world and receive the gifts of others, and there will be enough for all." (Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer, page 132)

As we move into this post-pandemic season, I encourage you to reflect on the lessons of the Three Sisters. All too often, we get caught up in the trap of overvaluing competition, comparison, negativity and polarization. By God's grace, may we shift our perspective and remember just how important it is to treat one another with respect, support one another and share our gifts generously..

God is good. God's love is abundant. Thanks be to God!

To read previous "Spouting Off" blog entries, click here.
Fall Retreat Opportunity for Women
September 21-23, 2021
Retreat Leader: Diane McGregor

Stretching Forward is offering "Embracing Your Life," a two night retreat at Lakeside, Ohio on September 21-23, 2021. Diane McGregor will lead the group by blending nature, fellowship, contemplation, activities, and journaling for self-reflection. In our busy lives, we often miss the opportunity to find time to evaluate our lives. As Anne Morrow Lindbergh said, “For if it is a woman’s nature to nurture, then she must nourish herself.” Join us as we find the courage to embrace the life we have. For more information, go to www.stretchingforwardspirit.com/next-retreat.
Spiritual Direction Resources

Spiritual Direction is a sacred opportunity to direct your attention to God's presence in your daily life. I often think of spiritual direction as spiritual wellness training. Just as you might meet with a fitness trainer in order to keep your body healthy, you meet with a spiritual director to help keep your spiritual life healthy and thriving.

I would be honored to talk more with you about spiritual direction if you are interested. Click here to contact me if you'd like to learn more.

I always encourage folks to meet with 2-3 spiritual directors (there is often no fee for an informal conversation) to determine who is the best fit for you. Check out any of the links below to learn more about spiritual direction in general or to find the names of directors in your area.





What people are saying about spiritual direction.

"Spiritual direction carves out a safe, sacred space in which I am free to share whatever is on my heart and mind... no guilt for talking too much and no artificial rules about what I "should" or "shouldn't" say. It is amazing how speaking my joys and struggles aloud brings them into better focus and opens the door to seeing situations in a clearer and more Spirit-filled light!"

"The safe space of spiritual direction encourages me to practice listening deeply to the hopes, longings and movements of my imperfect yet beloved being, so I may walk more faithfully in loving service."

"This has been an especially difficult year for all of us in dealing with change and grief. My time in spiritual direction helps me to stay focused on growing in my own faith journey and becoming healthier in my ability to lead my congregation. I believe it can strengthen anyone’s walk with God and be transformational."
Connect with Belly of the Whale Spiritual Direction & Retreat Ministries on Social Media