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Ecumenical ministries will be workshop focus

Article from United Church News, page 3, December 2001

The Ecumenical Concerns Committee of the Central Southeast Association (CSE), chaired by the Rev. Doug Bailey, is planning the event. Call the CSE office (800-282-0740) to register or for more information.

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Spiritual Directors available to guide sacred journeys
 

Spiritual direction or companionship is available in your part of the Ohio Conference! As you consider this opportunity and your own sacred journey, here are a few of the most frequently asked questions about the art of spiritual direction:

What exactly is spiritual direction? 

v Spiritual direction is a time to focus on or tend to the presence of God in one’s life. It may be a one-on-one relationship between a director and an individual, or it may be a small group experience (2-4 people) and a director.

What is the role of a spiritual director? 

v The director is both guide and midwife, who listens and tends to an individual’s life journey, who helps discern where God is moving in the life of the other and assists in giving birth to that person’s God-given wisdom and calling. Unlike a counselor or therapist, spiritual directors are called and trained to focus on intentionally discerning God’s presence and movement in another’s life.

What is the content of spiritual direction? 

v The "stuff" of spiritual direction is the stuff of life, including the ups and downs of everyday living and relationships, the sacred stories of one’s faith journey, the musing of one’s heart and the longing of one’s soul, the prayers, meditations, and experiences of God (or lack thereof) in one’s life.

What is a session of spiritual direction like? 

v Often spiritual direction begins with a time of prayer and/or centering silence. The prayers and silence invite an awareness of God’s presence and request God’s guidance in the process, for the true "director" in the relationship is God. Following the prayer time, the directee begins by sharing whatever has been happening in his or her life that seems most on their heart that day. Concerns, dreams, questions of faith, emotions, yearnings, expectations, prayers, joys, pains…all are appropriate, listened to, and held sacred by the director. At all times, the director is "listening for God," remaining open to where God seems to be leading the individual, and noticing the wisdoms from within the other that seem to be emerging. During each session, the director strives to create an atmosphere of contemplative listening. Problem solving is not a goal of spiritual direction.

Why might I seek a spiritual director or companion? 

v If you yearn to be more deeply connected to God, to yourself, to others…If you seek to discover your own inner wisdom…If you would like to deepen your life of prayer or discover new ways of being present to God…If you are facing questions of faith or challenging life situations and want to look at those from a faith perspective…If you feel disconnected from God…If your prayer life seems dry or empty of meaning…If you seek to experience a sense of community with another or with a group…Any one of the above motivations might draw you to seek spiritual direction.

How do I find a spiritual director? 

v The Conference office (800-282-0740) maintains a list of UCC folks who are trained spiritual directors. Click here to see the list.  Also, most spiritual directors belong to an organization called Spiritual Directors International. SDI publishes a directory which lists spiritual directors by city and state. Susan Towner-Larsen, in the Conference office, is a member of SDI and can point you towards directors in your area.  Email Susan Towner-Larsen

What is the cost of spiritual direction? 

v Some directors accept free-will offerings or contributions to a favorite mission project. Many directors will suggest an honorarium in the range of $30-$65 per session or some amount adjusted to one’s income and ability to pay. Individuals need to check with each spiritual director about his or her rates.

An Opportunity 

v As an Ohio Conference staff member, whose ministry is supported by OCWM dollars, Susan Towner-Larsen offers members of UCC congregations spiritual direction free of charge in the Columbus area. She also travels to each Association on a regular basis and offers "mini sessions" for anyone who would like to experience or talk about spiritual direction before being referred to a director in their area. Call Susan in the Conference office to arrange for a conversation about spiritual direction or a mini-session.

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Grace and peace . . . a farewell message

Article from United Church News, Page 3, December 2001
by Alan McLarty, Ohio Conference Minister for Mission Development

There is no way I can express in words alone my gratitude and affection to the people and churches in the Ohio Conference. You have deeply enriched my ministries and my life. The gifts I have received from you will shape and empower my ministries in a new place with a new community of faith. Together, we started new congregations in growing communities, and, in failures and successes, we were faithful to God’s call.

Together, we gathered in your churches’ basements and fellowship halls, at our camps and in nearby colleges, with sometimes as few as five or six persons and sometimes more than seventy. We prayed, read the Bible, told our personal stories and the story of our faith. We spoke new words, listened to each other more deeply, and sang hymns so that we could discern God’s vision for each church. Each time and every time I participated with a church, I found a firm hope and a passion to be fully alive in the ministries of Christ. Together, we believed that God has a greater and faithful ministry yet to be born. Many, many wondrous experiences came from these renewal times.

Thank you to Ralph Quellhorst and to all the staff over the years who helped to make this a wonderful and special place for ministry. Thank you for the privilege of serving with you.

Many, many blessings in the coming months and years.

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Article from United Church News, Page 4, December 2001

More than 30 Ohio Conference women gathered at Pilgrim Hills Camp on September 10-12 for the 73rd gathering of Lantern Fellowship. Although the gathering almost ended prematurely on September 11, the group decided to stay on and share the time together.

Sue Quellhorst led the gathering, which focused on mission. On Tuesday morning Sue told the story of SARA, Sharing America’s Resources Abroad, the Ohio Conference mission project that provides medical equipment, supplies and expertise to countries around the world. The program was interrupted by news of the terrible events in New York and Washington DC.

The first instincts of the women were to go home. Sue urged them to stay for lunch and hear Ana Gobledale’s special words. Ms. Gobledale, Team Leader of the UCC’s Local Church Relations Ministry, is a missionary who three times fled with her family from terrorists. The group felt that Ana was truly God’s messenger on that day. She helped the group understand their emotions of anger, fear, grief and helplessness. Guided by the Holy Spirit, the 31 present elected to stay and pray. Later that evening, Ohio Conference Minister Ralph Quellhorst arrived to lead the group in a candlelight prayer vigil on the lodge deck.

Special participants at this Lantern Fellowship were newlyweds, the Rev. Doris Henning and husband, Henry Klussman, in the U.S. on a visit from Germany. Doris’s church in Germany and Pilgrim UCC in Cleveland have been sister churches for almost ten years. On Wednesday morning Doris told the wonderful story of the ministries of these two churches—very similar but an ocean apart.

The couple stopped at Pilgrim Hills on their way to Cleveland and were welcomed into the fellowship. Henry has the distinction of being Lantern Fellowship’s first male member! He returned to Germany after a two-week visit in the U.S.; Doris will remain for several months.

Lantern participants presented a baby quilt to Pilgrim Hills Camp Manager Jeff Thompson and his wife Carolyn, Pilgrim’s Food Service Director. The quilt, made with colorful animal print fabric and signed by many Lantern members, was created by Lantern Fellowship to celebrate the birth of the Thompson’s son Greg. The women at Spring Lantern pieced the quilt, and Susan Towner-Larson (Ohio Conference Minister for Church and Education) quilted and finished it.

At noon on Wednesday, Mary Hart and Betty Schumaker led the closing Agape meal, using material given by Ana Gobledale. An offering of $385 was received. The women voted to give $200 to SARA. An additional $2,000 from Lantern’s general fund was donated to Pilgrim Hills to purchase chairs.

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Article from United Church News, Page 4, December 2001

The Gulf Coast of Florida will be the setting for the Sacred Threads by the Sea seminar and retreat on May 5-9, 2002. The retreat is being organized by Susan Towner-Larsen, Ohio Conference Minister for Church and Education, co-author of With Sacred Threads—Quilting and the Spiritual Life, and co-founder of Sacred Threads Retreats.

The retreat, which will be held at the Radisson Hotel on Marco Island, Florida, will feature nationally-known speakers, teachers and quilt artists for a five-day event that includes classes and seminars to improve participants’ quilting skills and invigorate their hearts.

A sampling of titles from the selection of more than 30 full and half day classes includes Log Cabin Landscapes, Finding Focus: The Creative Spirit, Fabric Collage, Crazy about Curves, Making a Medicine Wheel, The Spiritual Springboard, and Moonstones—Across Cultures and Beliefs.

A series of seminars will be given during the retreat. Topics range from "Women on the Inner Journey: Building Emotional and Spiritual Bridges through Quilting," presented by Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi, fiber artist, author, historian and lecturer, to "Pink Ribbon Quilts" by Mimi Dietrich, well-known quilter, teacher and author.

A Spiritual Quilt Exhibit of approximately 100 quilts will be held May 4-8 at the Radisson in conjunction with the retreat. The quilts will feature themes such as the Teen Suicide quilt created by students from Hendersonville, Tennessee; Breast Cancer Survivor Quilts; Child Abuse Awareness Quilts and quilts by nationally-known spiritual and inspirational groups. Admission to the exhibit is $5.

A registration fee of $685 for Sacred Threads by the Sea includes four nights’ accommodations (two quilters per room), breakfast daily, two lunches, two dinners, taxes and gratuities, and unlimited quilt exhibit admissions. The classes are additional; $35 for a half day and $70 for a full day.

To request a brochure, contact Susan Towner-Larsen at 800-282-0740 or email susantl@ocucc.org.

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