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The New Christian Contemplatives

May 11, 2018 By Wide Spot Admin Leave a Comment

Silence, stillness, movement, sound . . .  Solitary and corporate contemplative Christian practices like meditation, labyrinth walking, chant, and lectio divinahave become increasingly popular among North Americans since Trappist monk, Thomas Merton, began publishing decades ago.  What is the allure?  Living in an information age of innumerable cultural, economic, and sociopolitical spheres, many people now find exclusive, doctrinally narrow systems of belief untenable. Even so, people continue to long for the divine.  In many guises, contemplative Christianity’s ritualized ways of life intentionally foster ambiguity alongside intellectual knowledge and social activism. Paradoxically merging knowing and unknowing, doing and not-doing, the contemplative stream leaves room for wonder and possibility – for “the subjunctive” –  in an ever-expanding world in which so much is unsure.  Based on years of ethnographic research among monastic and non-monastic practitioners of Centering Prayer meditation, cultural anthropologist Paula Pryce’s work shows how a growing number of North Americans have turned toward the intentional, transformative cultivation of ambiguity to discern and craft a hospitable, justice-oriented openness in a chaotic globalized world.

Join us on Friday, May 11, at St. Saviour’s Anglican Church in Nelson to hear Paula Pryce–former West Kootenay resident, cultural anthropologist and student of Cynthia Bourgeault– detail her research within the contemplative community.  Paula is currently a post-doc fellow and lecturer at UBC, and author of The Monk’s Cell: Ritual and Knowledge in American Contemplative Christianity as well as a study of the Sinixt community entitled Keeping the Lakes’ Way: Reburial and the Re-creation of a Moral World among an Invisible People. Before becoming a cultural anthropologist, Pryce worked as a playwright and theater designer.

 

Tagged With: activism, contemplative, Contemplative Christianity, interconnection, Interfaith, meditation, Paula Pryce, spirituality, The Monks' Cell, values

PRACTICES FOR LIVING DEEPLY: OPTIMISM in a Pessimistic Time

November 18, 2017 By Wide Spot Admin Leave a Comment

PRACTICES FOR LIVING DEEPLY is bi-yearly opportunity to explore spiritual practices from multiple traditions that will deepen your experience of inspired living.  Led by Kay Costley-White and Therese Des Camp, this weekend event is open to all.

The theme for this event will be Optimism in a Pessimistic Time.  What is optimism and how does it differ from denial?  Why is optimism important?  How can we grow optimism in ourselves and our community?

Saturday, November 18, 9:00 am to 4 pm

Sunday, November 19, 9:00 am to noon.

Knox Hall, New Denver; by donation.

Please bring your own lunch; tea provided.  Chairs available, or bring your own meditation gear.

For information and to register:

Kay at kaycostleywhite@yahoo.ca; (250) 358-7991

Therese at descamp@heartsrest.com; (250) 358-7904

Tagged With: activism, connection, interconnection, Interfaith, optimism, Practices, spiritual, values

Convergence Writers’ Weekend

June 16, 2017 By Site Admin

Friday, June 16 and Saturday, June 17, 2017
Knox Hall, 521 6th Avenue, New Denver, B.C.

Join authors Gary Geddes and Carolyn Pogue for a weekend of writing workshops and discussions.

“A house divided against itself will fall,” goes the old proverb. Our house—our world, our community, even our self—is threatened with many issues of ethical dislocation, injustice and dis-ease that can divide or paralyze our forward momentum. Some of these things are new, some have been with us throughout history. Whatever threats face us, one of our most powerful tools for motivating connection, social progress and justice is the written word.

Every day the world discovers more and more how everything is interconnected. Our Convergence 2017 theme, We Will Not Be Separated, will focus on exploring positive connections we can make with and through our own creativity, spirituality and activism. We will learn from and encourage one another. We’ll look at how the world is, and how the world could be. New and seasoned writers are welcome.

Convergence 2017 offers registrants a chance to work on their writing with either Carolyn Pogue or Gary Geddes in Saturday workshops. You can hear them speak Friday evening at a session open to the public. And Saturday night an optional session provides the opportunity for registrants to read from their work and to discuss what they’ll take away from Convergence.

Registration fee of $45 plus GST = $47.25 covers all events Friday and Saturday.
Friday’s session is open to non-registrants by donation.

For more information and to register, go here:  http://widespot.ca/convergence-writers-weekend/

Tagged With: activism, carolyn pogue, Convergence, gary geddes, interconnection, spirituality, writing

WIDE SPOT: What do I know (and how do I feel) about Medical Assistance in Dying?

May 14, 2017 By Therese DesCamp Leave a Comment

WIDE SPOT meets again on Sunday, May 14th, to explore the question of Medical Assistance in Dying.  YES, IT IS MOTHER’S DAY.  But your mother would want you to think about this!

PLEASE NOTE NEW TIME AND LOCATION: We’ll be meeting at KNOX HALL in NEW DENVER at 6 p.m. to begin this very important discussion.  Dessert will be provided. Music by Freya; childcare provided.

We strongly suggest that you attend the Last Wishes Society AGM on the 11th of May to obtain more background on this law.  You can read a summary of the legislation and its implementing documents by following the links below.

The Professional Standards and Guidelines, from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia: https://www.cpsbc.ca/files/pdf/PSG-Medical-Assistance-in-Dying.pdf.

Interior Health: Medical Assistance in Dying: Assessment of Eligibility:

https://www.interiorhealth.ca/AboutUs/Physicians/PhysMAiD/Documents/Assessment%20of%20Eligibility%20for%20Medical%20Assistance%20in%20Dying.pdf.

And Interior Health: Medical Assistance in Dying: The Patient and Caregiver Journey: https://www.interiorhealth.ca/AboutUs/Physicians/PhysMAiD/Documents/Overview%20of%20Patient%20and%20Caregiver%20Journey.pdf.

Tagged With: connection, group, interconnection, spirituality, values, wide spot

Quiet Spot

May 3, 2017 By Therese DesCamp Leave a Comment

WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2017, 12:05 to 12:55.  Quiet Spot is a bi-monthly, mid-day, mid-week opportunity to add a little space in your life.  Currently meeting at the Hidden Garden Gallery (we’ll be on the beach this summer!), Quiet Spot starts with a short time of thoughtful discussion followed by 30-40 minutes to meditate, stare out the window, journal, or nap.  All welcome; bring your own lunch.  If you can’t come for the entire time, join us for the time you can.

CHANGE THE SHAPE OF YOUR DAY WITH A LITTLE QUIET REFLECTION IN THE COMPANY OF OTHERS.

Tagged With: interconnection, journal, Practices, quiet, spiritual, writing

Wide Spot

c/o Zion United Church
Box 72, Silverton BC V0G 2B0  Canada

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Wide Spot is a project of the Turner Zion Pastoral Charge of The United Church of Canada. This program has been funded in part by the BC Conference ProVision Fund. Wide Spot has been developed in collaboration between Turner Zion and Heart’s Rest Retreats.

Calendar of Events

  1. Practices for Living Deeply: Finding Meaning in Life

    April 21 @ 9:00 am - April 22 @ 12:00 pm
  2. Conversations with the Dying

    April 25 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
  3. Contemplative in the Kootenays

    April 28 @ 10:00 am - 3:00 pm

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