Cathedral / Minster Spirituality Days 2014

Transcription

1 Cathedral / Minster Spirituality Days 2014 Saturdays St Thomas Cathedral, Old Portsmouth and Newport Minster, Isle of Wight Days of exploration...

2 Diocesan Cathedral/Minster Spirituality Days 2014 Welcome to our 2014 programme of Diocesan Spirituality Days Days in which to explore new perspectives on God, to take a deep breath and allow God s peace to flow into your life. Please note that the day s format is up to the speaker, and they won t all be the same. Some will be silent, some will involve group interaction. In particular, the day on masculine spirituality will be held in Petersfield, not at the cathedral, in order to make use of Will Hughes workshop space, and will be more hands on. If you are coming from the mainland to either of the days on the Isle of Wight, please let us know if you would be willing to car-share. Equally, if you would like to attend the Petersfield event and are coming from the Isle of Wight, please let us know if you would be willing to car-share. I hope that you will be encouraged by the spaciousness of a day with God, engaging with new ideas and finding time to pray and listen, in a way that will spill over into your daily life for a long time afterwards. Revd Dr Ruth Tuschling Diocesan Spirituality Adviser N.B. Please use the forms at the back of the brochure to book for the days. The venues will be open for registration and coffee 30 minutes before the start, and hot drinks will be provided during the morning and at lunchtime. Do please bring your own lunch. Alternatively, there are eating places in Old Portsmouth and in Newport. Please also note that, as you are sitting for quite a bit of time in what are old stone buildings, it might be advisable to wear light but warm layers so that if you do feel cooler you can add an extra layer of warmth. Do bring a cushion if you find church seating less than comfortable.

3 Saturday 22nd March St Thomas Cathedral, Old Portsmouth am to 3.30 pm Prodigal Son? Prodigal Father? Alex Hughes Lent is the ideal season to take time out from normal life to reflect and pray. This spirituality day will explore how one of the most famous of all Jesus' parables can help us on our journey through Lent, as we seek to renew our image of ourselves and of God. As well as input from Alex there will be time for personal reflection, meditation and prayer as we journey together into the open arms of God. Alex Hughes was ordained in 2000 and did his curacy in Oxford before moving to Portsmouth Diocese as chaplain to Bishop Kenneth. Since 2008 he has been the parish priest for St Luke and St Peter Southsea. He is married with two young sons. In his spare time he enjoys reading, music, cooking, red wine and running (he is training for the London Marathon in April 2014). Donations are invited to the Bishop s Lent Appeal on the day please (cheques payable to Portsmouth DBF).

4 Saturday 3rd May Newport Minster Parish Hall, IoW am to 3.30 pm Labyrinths and other prayer stations Mary Strange You have shown me the path to life, and you make me glad by being near to me. Ps16.11CEV Labyrinths have been in use in churches since at least 400AD, although the most famous today, that within Chartres Cathedral, only dates from Walking a labyrinth slows us down and can help us to reflect, to pray, to listen to what God is saying to us. The labyrinth and other prayer stations we make use of on this day will provide a variety of ways to close the gap between thought and action. Right and left brain can be united in a common purpose. Here will be an opportunity to open ourselves, minds and bodies, to experience God's presence. Mary Strange was Vicar of St Helens with Seaview for more than ten years before taking early retirement in April She trained as a Spiritual Director whilst in Leicester Diocese and continues to accompany others on their spiritual journey. Her personal preference is Ignatian spirituality and she finds labyrinths and other prayer stations fit well with this. A growing fascination with labyrinths led to her creating one at the far end of St Helens Churchyard in 2011 (picture above). Cost 8.50

5 Saturday 24th May St Thomas Cathedral, Old Portsmouth am to 3.30 pm Stations of the Resurrection Chris Prior-Jones and Max Millett Giovanni Dragoni, 1st station of the Resurrection. Picture St Mary s Press. Through Lent and Passiontide there has been a long tradition in the Church of meditating on the events of the suffering and death of Jesus, called the Stations of the Cross. In the latter part of the twentieth century a complementary devotion emerged, possibly from the Iberian peninsula, called the Stations of the Resurrection or the Stations of Joy. As with the Stations of the Cross, we move from station to station, reading an appropriate Bible passage and meditating on it in different ways. By using the resurrection appearances as a focus for reflection and meditation we have an opportunity to appreciate and celebrate the Easter mysteries of the resurrection of Jesus. The resurrection appearances are more than stories or history; they are a record of personal encounters with the Jesus. Today is a day to ponder encounter with the risen Jesus, to journey alongside those who encountered him and to allow the joy of his risen life to well up within us. Chris Prior-Jones is SSM assistant Curate in the Benefice of Steep and Froxfield with Privett. She is a member of the Inspire Spirituality Team Max Millett is SSM assistant curate at St Georges, Portsea. He is a member of the Inspire Spirituality Team. Cost 8.50

6 Saturday 21st June St Peter s Church, The Square, Petersfield GU32 3HS Note different venue! am to 3.30 pm Masculine Spirituality Will Hughes Caution Men at prayer Spirituality is sometimes thought of as the feminine, touchy feely side of Christianity. This day makes the assumption that spirituality is essential to everyone with any awareness of themselves and of God, and aims to explore the more masculine side of this. This event is not exclusive to men, because some women are more masculine and some men are more feminine, and anyone who thinks that they are all masculine or all feminine has not looked very far into themselves. The day will involve some discussion of what the title means, both in itself, and in contrast with feminine spirituality, but will mostly consist of an opportunity to explore a range of activities which may be both spiritual and masculine. These will be based around that historic powerhouse of masculine spirituality, the Benedictine monastic day. Though the day ends at 3, there will be an optional extension exercise that evening in the Black Sheep pub. Revd Will Hughes is partially qualified to lead this day, being a man, and aspiring to a spiritual life. He is, on the other hand, almost entirely uninterested in football. He is the Vicar of Petersfield and Rector of Buriton. He spent a brief period as a Naval Officer, and has a tool shed. Parking in Waitrose car park, then walk up Ram s Walk to the church. Cost 8.50

7 Saturday 19th July St Thomas Cathedral, Old Portsmouth am to 3.30 pm The art of navigation We navigate neither by the stars nor by compass but by love St Augustine Ann Trew and James Grenfell Join us at the cathedral for a quiet, reflective day in which we will seek to hear God s voice and to explore our individual and corporate vocations. Drawing on the rich metaphors of maps and map-making, we will seek to chart the territory of our journey of faith and to identify signposts pointing to our future. Our map making will be enriched and shaped by engagement with the Scriptures and our shared Christian tradition. As part of our day, there will be an opportunity to meditate on art and an invitation to create maps which chart our own journeys of faith. We will use various materials including maps, paint and simple printing techniques (artistic ability is not a prerequisite but do wear suitable clothing). James Grenfell moved to Portsmouth in April 2013 and offers coaching and work consultancy to clergy and other organisations. He is married with three children and his interests include contemporary art, walking and cookery. Ann Trew moved to Portsmouth Diocese two years ago and now works as a Spiritual Director, Work Consultant and is training in Psychodynamic Counselling. Ann is married with three children and two grandchildren, she enjoys travelling and painting in watercolours, acrylics and oils. Cost 8.50

8 Saturday 2nd August Newport Minster church hall, IoW am to 3.30pm Work, play and prayer Norman Chatfield Did the disciples play football? Should Martha have a Saint s Day of her own as Martha the Worker? How did Ruth survive a day gleaning in the baking sun with only a mouthful of grain to eat? The idea for this day started with some lines from C.S.Lewis Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer : In this world everything is upside-down. That which if it could be prolonged here would be a truancy, is likest that which in a better country is the End of ends. Joy is the serious business of heaven. (Letter 17 on Adoration). The language feels quaint now but the thought is worth pursuing. We will aim to explore and share thought about prayer and work and prayer and play drawing on this book by C.S.Lewis (but not on the Narnia books) and on the experience of those taking part. There will be discussion, times of silent reflection and, if those taking think it would be helpful, a little gentle work and play together. Norman Chatfield was an incumbent of St John s Sandown, St John s Lock s Heath and St Mary Alverstoke between 1969 and 1992, before joining the Chapter of Gloucester Cathedral. After retirement he returned to Hampshire to be closer to family. Cost: 8.50

9 Saturday 20th September St Thomas Cathedral, Old Portsmouth am to 3.30 pm From silence through noise to stillness Distraction in prayer Ruth Tuschling We live in a busy, noisy world. Few of us have the luxury of a purely silent place in which to pray. Even if we do, we find we struggle with distraction. This is especially true when we begin the practice of silent attentiveness to God that is contemplative prayer. Learning to let go of distractions takes time, as we expand our ability to concentrate. It s easy to become frustrated and discouraged; but getting hot under the collar just destroys our recollection. Sounds coming in to our awareness from outside, whether birdsong or voices or pneumatic drills, can become our friends. We can learn to treat each distraction as a bell calling us to prayer again, encouraging us to return to our prayer word. Today we will spend several periods in silent prayer together, with some input and the opportunity to ask questions and share our experiences. Please bring your own prayer stool, cushion or whatever else you like to use in prayer: upright chairs are provided. Because we will be sitting still for long periods, be aware that you will feel colder than usual, and bring extra layers. The Cathedral remains open to the public through the day, and the noises around us will offer us the opportunity to practise letting go of distractions and entering the place of inner stillness where God dwells. Ruth Tuschling is the diocesan adviser for spirituality. She enjoys running all kinds of retreats and quiet days and her personal interest is in silent contemplative prayer. She is also learning to paint ikons. Cost: 8.50

10 Saturday 11th October St Thomas Cathedral, Old Portsmouth am to 3.30 pm Autumn: a season for transformation Marion Syms God often speaks to us through the Book of Creation and this can be true for Autumn season of mists and mellow fruitfulness. Autumnal changes can remind us of: the good soil in which our lives are grounded; fruit ready to be harvested, valued and shared; leaves to be dropped and re-cycled; mist, mystery and wider vistas to be embraced; rest and renewal of wintering to be received; and new growth already taking shape to be nourished. As Autumn transforms the landscape of the natural world, it can speak to us of the transformation going on in our own lives. This will be a gentle day with space to allow God to speak to our hearts and minds through the beauty of the autumnal season. Cost: 8.50 Marion Syms delights to see God at work in all things. In her life as a pharmacologist at the University she sought to find a flexible rhythm of prayer that could help bring a unity between her Christian discipleship and her secular life. Now retired, the exploration continues as she accompanies others on their faith journeys and is involved in the Spirituality Network in Portsmouth and beyond; in sharing with others the responsibility for developing the Inspire and Engage programmes and in the Portsmouth Diocesan link with Ghana.

11 Days of exploration If you would like to take part in any (or all) of these days, please complete the appropriate form found in the back of this booklet and return it with payment (cheques payable to Portsmouth Diocesan Board of Finance) to Mrs Clare Jones at the address below. Mrs Clare Jones First Floor, Peninsular House Wharf Road, Portsmouth PO2 8HB For further details please contact Mrs Clare Jones or

12 Registration form Sat 22nd March 2014 Prodigal son/father? Name: Address: Post code: Tel: Data Protection Act this information will be retained on computer and paper solely for the purpose of this course and informing you of other courses. I agree to this information being held for the above purposes. If you do not wish to be informed about other courses run by the diocese please tick the box Please return this form by Friday 7th March Donations invited on the day to the Bishop s Lent Appeal Registration form Sat 3rd May 2014 Labyrinth Name: Address: Post code: Tel: I enclose a cheque made payable to PDBF for 8.50 Data Protection Act this information will be retained on computer and paper solely for the purpose of this course and informing you of other courses. I agree to this information being held for the above purposes. If you do not wish to be informed about other courses run by the diocese please tick the box Please return this form by Friday 4th April

13 Registration form Sat 24th May 2014 Stations of the Resurrection Name: Address: Post code: Tel: I enclose a cheque made payable to PDBF for 8.50 Data Protection Act this information will be retained on computer and paper solely for the purpose of this course and informing you of other courses. I agree to this information being held for the above purposes. If you do not wish to be informed about other courses run by the diocese please tick the box Please return this form by Friday 16th May Registration form Sat 21st June 2014 Masculine Spirituality Name: Address: Post code: Tel: I enclose a cheque made payable to PDBF for 8.50 Data Protection Act this information will be retained on computer and paper solely for the purpose of this course and informing you of other courses. I agree to this information being held for the above purposes. If you do not wish to be informed about other courses run by the diocese please tick the box Please return this form by Friday 13th June

14 Registration form Sat 19th July 2014 Art of Navigation Name: Address: Post code: Tel: I enclose a cheque made payable to PDBF for 8.50 Data Protection Act this information will be retained on computer and paper solely for the purpose of this course and informing you of other courses. I agree to this information being held for the above purposes. If you do not wish to be informed about other courses run by the diocese please tick the box Please return this form by Friday 11th July Registration form Sat 2nd August 2014 Work, play & prayer Name: Address: Post code: Tel: I enclose a cheque made payable to PDBF for 8.50 Protection Act this information will be retained on computer and paper solely for the purpose of this course and informing you of other courses. I agree to this information being held for the above purposes. If you do not wish to be informed about other courses run by the diocese please tick the box Please return this form by Friday 25th July

15 Registration form Sat 20th September 2014 From silence Name: Address: Post code: Tel: I enclose a cheque made payable to PDBF for 8.50 Protection Act this information will be retained on computer and paper solely for the purpose of this course and informing you of other courses. I agree to this information being held for the above purposes. If you do not wish to be informed about other courses run by the diocese please tick the box Please return this form by Friday 5th September Registration form Sat 11th October 2014 Transformation Name: Address: _ Post code: Tel: I enclose a cheque made payable to PDBF for 8.50 Protection Act this information will be retained on computer and paper solely for the purpose of this course and informing you of other courses. I agree to this information being held for the above purposes. If you do not wish to be informed about other courses run by the diocese please tick the box Please return this form by Friday 3rd October

16 (Portsmouth Diocesan Board of Finance A company limited by guarantee Registered in London No Charity No )