WAYFINDING

The Soul-tasks of Aging

toward a Theology of the Elder Years

Every third Wednesday from 9:30-11:15am,

beginning this Wednesday September 21st

followed by a virtual conversation the third Thursday

beginning September 22nd 4pm

Greetings Wayfinders!

Nearly 50 of us have RSVPed to attend the in-person monthly Wayfinding: Soul tasks of Aging retreats beginning this Wednesday September 21st at 9:30, and nearly 15 online participants will begin this Thursday afternoon at 4pm September 22nd. The ZOOM link is at the bottom of this email. What a wonderful turnout! I look forward to learning with you and from you as we journey together into exploring the spiritual tasks of aging.

For those curious by-standers and those who plan to attend, below outlines some of what we can expect for our first session this week. Our theme is, “Memory as temple of the soul: Creating our timelines and looking over our lives.”

To prepare for our time together, you are invited to read these excerpts from John O’Donahue’s Anam Cara in this PDF with corresponding page numbers: https://d-pdf.com/book/725/read

“Memory: Where Our Vanished Days Secretly Gather” on page 167. 

“The Soul as a Temple of Memory,” beginning on page 174.

“Self-Compassion and the Art of Inner Harvesting” beginning on page 177.

Reading ahead will help us frame our time and wrap our minds around these ideas. We will go over these concepts during our retreat time together, so this reading is not required.

Please bring with you a journal and pen.

Join us at 9:30 on Wednesday Sept. 21st in Friendship Hall for refreshments. Our programming will begin at 9:45 and plan to conclude at 11:15, including both large group and small group conversation. 

Think of this as time set aside to reflect and harvest. During our time together in retreat this month, we will look back on our past and create a timeline of our lives, through the lens of significant life moments. We will do this as a spiritual practice thinking about the soul as temple of memory, and also as a way to meet one another and get to know one another in a spirit of friendship and support. Next month we will dive deeper in the “why” of Elder Spirituality, and in November we will re-visit our timeline to wonder what things call out for healing and integration in our lives? And then we will seek to bring a touch of self-compassion, peace, and forgiveness to our past.

Here is the ZOOM link if you plan to attend Thursday September 22nd at 4pm: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83439944277?pwd=UER1S2JITndpM0FRQXQvNDRJRXYrQT09

Meeting ID: 834 3994 4277

Passcode: 223257

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Meeting ID: 834 3994 4277

Find your local number: us02web.zoom.us/u/kbH5cBALY3

Peace for the journey,

Pastor Julia

RSVP: It isn’t too late to sign up, please respond to Julie W. in the office indicating that you are interested in this program by writing to [email protected].