Source: Spirituality & Practice
For this Online Retreat, a group of practicing Sufis, who have been on Rumi’s path for many years under the direction of Shaikh Kabir Helminski and Shaikha Camille Helminski, have collaborated to offer some selections from Rumi’s vast work that capture the essence of his teaching. Depending upon the frequency you chose when you schedule the course, you will receive seven weeks’ worth of emails with a selection from Rumi to be contemplated according to a recommended method of conscious reflection.
We are calling this retreat “The Journey of the Soul” because it focuses on the practical steps of the spiritual journey. It covers seven themes:
• The Call
• Seeking
• Mercy
• Purity of Heart
• Trust
• Surrender in Love
• Oneness of Being
Each week one theme will be introduced and mentored by one of the Sufi elders; later in the week he or she will relate a personal experience of living that theme.
We believe you will find these selections from the teachings of Rumi not only beautiful and inspiring, but informative and practical.
This Online Retreat has been developed by the Threshold Society, which is affiliated with The Mevlevi Order of Sufis. The Mevlevis, who trace their inspiration back seven centuries to Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi, are known for their hospitality to religious seekers of all traditions. Spirituality & Practice is pleased to partner with the Threshold Society to bring these teachings to our online community. We hope that you will enjoy the retreat and that it will also be deeply transformative to your spiritual understanding.
(7 CEHs for Chaplains available.)
Learn more about this religious online course and register on Spirituality & Practice
Disclaimer: Sacred Space Online Learning (SSOL) seeks to provide individuals with information about religious, spiritual, or faith-based online resources from a variety of sources. Sacred Space Online Learning does NOT claim ownership over this online course or online offering. Sacred Space Online Learning is also NOT responsible for the accuracy of the materials, the content, the way they are advertised or taught, or the costs associated with this online course or offering. The views and opinions expressed in this online course or offering are those of the creators and/or the persons appearing in the online class or offering. They do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of SSOL, the OFLD, or MCC. If you have any questions or concerns please contact the creator(s) of the given online course or online offering.
The Wisdom of the Rebbes (Spirituality & Practice)
Source: Spirituality & Practice
This online spiritual course will focus on four ways to embrace God:
• The Way of Wisdom rooted in an understanding of human and divine nature;
• The Way of Study rooted in the teachings of Torah, the Five Books of Moses;
• The Way of Faith rooted in the cultivation of a fearless trust; and
• The Way of Humility rooted in the fact that in the end it isn’t what we know that saves us, but the realization that we know nothing at all.
The course was designed to be delivered daily over four weeks, although other frequencies are also possible. Subscribers receive emails with a short teaching from the writings of one of the Hasidic rebbes on the theme of the week. The Baal Shem Tov (1234-1234), Dov Ber of Mezritch (1704-1772), Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev (1740-1810), Menachem Mendel of Kotsk (1787-1859) are a few of the rebbes whose wisdom is shared. Each teaching is paired with a brief commentary from Rabbi Rami whose translations of and commentary on Hasidic stories and texts are legendary. In addition, Rami will offer a practice for the day designed to help you live the teaching and deepen your understanding of it.
During the original presentation of this course, Rabbi Rami did three teleconferences in which he discussed issues raised by the study with callers. The recordings of those one-hour teleconferences are also available to those taking the course on-demand.
This Online Retreat has been developed by Rabbi Rami Shapiro, profiled in Spirituality & Practice’s Living Spiritual Teachers Project and author of Hasidic Tales Annotated and Explained, and Tanya, a Hasidic Masterpiece. While rooted in Judaism, the teachings of these Hasidic rebbes are applicable to everyone, and Rami’s commentary and practices are designed to engage people of any religious/spiritual tradition and no tradition.
Learn more about this religious online course and register on Spirituality & Practice
Disclaimer: Sacred Space Online Learning (SSOL) seeks to provide individuals with information about religious, spiritual, or faith-based online resources from a variety of sources. Sacred Space Online Learning does NOT claim ownership over this online course or online offering. Sacred Space Online Learning is also NOT responsible for the accuracy of the materials, the content, the way they are advertised or taught, or the costs associated with this online course or offering. The views and opinions expressed in this online course or offering are those of the creators and/or the persons appearing in the online class or offering. They do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of SSOL, the OFLD, or MCC. If you have any questions or concerns please contact the creator(s) of the given online course or online offering.
Practicing Spirituality with Money (Spirituality & Practice)
Source: Spirituality & Practice
All sorts of questions come to mind when we start to seriously assess the place and importance of money in our lives. As Lynne Twist of The Soul of Money Institute has said, “Money is the most universally motivating, mischievous, miraculous, maligned, and misunderstood part of contemporary life.”
Practicing Spirituality with Money looks at the attitudes toward money that we have picked up from our birth families, culture, and religious traditions. Some of us carry large burdens over having wasted, lost, or overvalued money, and we suggest ways to deal with that. Our beliefs, habits, and ideals about this medium of exchange say a lot about our deepest longings, fears, and expectations. When we consider our money, we come smack up against consumerism, shopping, and our craving for possessions and status. All that is grist for our reflections and practices.
Spiritual teachers from all the religions have plenty to say about alternatives to market values — simplicity, thrift, generosity, charity, sustainable living, gratitude, and more. They also suggest ways that money can be a carrier of our best intentions and a spur to love, commitment, and service. And best of all, they challenge us to do more spiritual practices organized around our use of money.
Practicing Spirituality with Money consists of 40 emails, each with a short excerpt from a spiritual book, along with a link to our review. We suggest a way for you to practice that thought as you go about your daily activities.
(6 CEHs for Chaplains available.)
Learn more about this course and register on Spirituality & Practice
Disclaimer: Sacred Space Online Learning (SSOL) seeks to provide individuals with information about religious, spiritual, or faith-based online resources from a variety of sources. Sacred Space Online Learning does NOT claim ownership over this online course or online offering. Sacred Space Online Learning is also NOT responsible for the accuracy of the materials, the content, the way they are advertised or taught, or the costs associated with this online course or offering. The views and opinions expressed in this online course or offering are those of the creators and/or the persons appearing in the online class or offering. They do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of SSOL, the OFLD, or MCC. If you have any questions or concerns please contact the creator(s) of the given online course or online offering.
Practicing Spirituality with Children (Spirituality & Practice)
Source: Spirituality & Practice
We all have been given a mission to be spiritual companions to our children, grandchildren, and young friends. There are many blessings to be shared across the generations. We also can do more to respect and cherish children’s spirituality. How do they express it? Through creativity, mystical experiences, questions, goodness, free spirit, and much more.
“Practicing Spirituality with Children” is a 40-part course delivered by email. Each email includes a short passage we’ve found in a book about children’s spirituality, or spiritual parenting, or a children’s book with a spiritual message. We’ve mixed it up and included a few passages just for your inner child. Following the quote is a practice suggestion, something you can do with children or in honor of those you’ve known, including yourself.
During this unique e-course, we explore the seeds of the sacred in a child’s everyday life; the rewards of play, humor, and joy; the pleasures of finding meaning; and the surprising rewards of attention and wonder. Being a supportive spiritual companion to a child entails setting aside our agendas; being empathetic listeners; modeling love, compassion, forgiveness, and kindness; trying not to be too controlling or protective; and being open to the mysterious movements of the Divine. And, too, we must be willing to let children be our spiritual teachers. As the late Gerald May put it, “We must trust that God’s activity in these small lives is not dependent on our interventions. God indeed has been present with these little ones all along, and with just a little encouragement, the children will gladly share that presence with us.”
(6 CEHs for Chaplains available.)
Learn more about this course and register on Spirituality & Practice
Disclaimer: Sacred Space Online Learning (SSOL) seeks to provide individuals with information about religious, spiritual, or faith-based online resources from a variety of sources. Sacred Space Online Learning does NOT claim ownership over this online course or online offering. Sacred Space Online Learning is also NOT responsible for the accuracy of the materials, the content, the way they are advertised or taught, or the costs associated with this online course or offering. The views and opinions expressed in this online course or offering are those of the creators and/or the persons appearing in the online class or offering. They do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of SSOL, the OFLD, or MCC. If you have any questions or concerns please contact the creator(s) of the given online course or online offering.
Practicing Spirituality at Work (Spirituality & Practice)
This e-course is specifically designed to help you practice your spirituality at work. Insights from the marvelous spiritual writers whose books we review have certainly helped us find meaning, purpose, and joy in our workdays.
In his fine book The Reinvention of Work (see below), Matthew Fox recalled the words of mystic Meister Eckhart: “The outward work can never be small if the inward one is great, and the outward work can never be great or good if the inward is small or of little worth.” This 40-part e-course is about doing the inner work necessary to make your outer work more meaningful.
Our teachers will be Matthew Fox, Lewis Richmond, Jeffrey Salkin, Frederick Buechner, Thomas Moore, Jose Hobday, Thomas Merton, David Whyte, Marsha Sinetar, Joan Chittister, and others. Each quote will be matched to a practice that you can do at work during the day. We’ll cover such common challenges as envy, comparisons, expectations, boredom, repetition, time, speed, and ambition, and we’ll suggest ways to practice presence, kindness, gratitude, silence, play, and joy in the workplace.
(6 CEHs for Chaplains available.)
Learn more about this course and register on Spirituality & Practice
Disclaimer: Sacred Space Online Learning (SSOL) seeks to provide individuals with information about religious, spiritual, or faith-based online resources from a variety of sources. Sacred Space Online Learning does NOT claim ownership over this online course or online offering. Sacred Space Online Learning is also NOT responsible for the accuracy of the materials, the content, the way they are advertised or taught, or the costs associated with this online course or offering. The views and opinions expressed in this online course or offering are those of the creators and/or the persons appearing in the online class or offering. They do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of SSOL, the OFLD, or MCC. If you have any questions or concerns please contact the creator(s) of the given online course or online offering.
Practicing Spirituality with Native Americans (Spirituality & Practice)
Source: Spirituality & Practice
We can learn much from Native Americans about silence, vision, gratitude, generosity, circles, stories, respect for elders, moistening the heart, Earth etiquette, the art of listening, and the path of beauty.
This 40-part e-course consists of a daily email with a brief example of a Native American spiritual perspective coupled with a suggestion of how to practice that thought during the day. We will rely on the writings and teachings of many wise people, Native people and some who have been profoundly influenced by this tradition, living and dead, including Vine Deloria, Jr., Ed McGaa, Kent Nerburn, Jamie Sams, Jamake Highwater, Linda Hogan, Evan Pritchard, Paula Gunn Allen, Joseph Bruchac, Gabriel Horn, Joyce Sequichie Hifler, Joseph Rael, Jose Hobday, and others.
(6 CEHs for Chaplains available.)
Learn more about this course and register on Spirituality & Practice
Disclaimer: Sacred Space Online Learning (SSOL) seeks to provide individuals with information about religious, spiritual, or faith-based online resources from a variety of sources. Sacred Space Online Learning does NOT claim ownership over this online course or online offering. Sacred Space Online Learning is also NOT responsible for the accuracy of the materials, the content, the way they are advertised or taught, or the costs associated with this online course or offering. The views and opinions expressed in this online course or offering are those of the creators and/or the persons appearing in the online class or offering. They do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of SSOL, the OFLD, or MCC. If you have any questions or concerns please contact the creator(s) of the given online course or online offering.
Practicing Spirituality with the World’s Religions (Spirituality & Practice)
Source: Spirituality & Practice
In this 40-part e-course we will explore what Brother Wayne Teasdale named “interspirituality,” the sharing of ultimate experiences across traditions. Calling this the adventure of the 21st century, Teasdale observed that, just as a person isn’t truly educated until they know more than one language, “a person is not really fully educated, or indeed ‘religious,’ unless they are intimately aware of more than their own faith and ways of prayer.” We can deepen and enrich our own faith journey by gaining an knowledge of and appreciation for the many forms the spiritual life can take. We may even see ourselves as bees gathering honey from different flowers.
“Practicing Spirituality with the World’s Religions” includes teachings and practices from Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Sufism, Judaism, Taoism, and Native American spirituality. We draw upon the insights of interspirituality pioneers including Huston Smith, Bede Griffiths, Wayne Teasdale, Thomas Merton, and many others. Their vision of a universal commonality underlying all the religions is one we can affirm in our daily lives. The e-course illustrates it by presenting similar spiritual practices from different traditions.
The format of the e-course matches our other Practicing Spirituality programs — 40 lessons delivered via email. Each contains a short passage about the wisdom of the world’s religions as well as a way to practice that thought as you go about your daily activities. A second quote from a pioneer of interspirituality is included for you to reflect upon. Links take you to the reviews of the books where we found the passages.
Learn more about this course and register on Spirituality & Practice
Disclaimer: Sacred Space Online Learning (SSOL) seeks to provide individuals with information about religious, spiritual, or faith-based online resources from a variety of sources. Sacred Space Online Learning does NOT claim ownership over this online course or online offering. Sacred Space Online Learning is also NOT responsible for the accuracy of the materials, the content, the way they are advertised or taught, or the costs associated with this online course or offering. The views and opinions expressed in this online course or offering are those of the creators and/or the persons appearing in the online class or offering. They do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of SSOL, the OFLD, or MCC. If you have any questions or concerns please contact the creator(s) of the given online course or online offering.
The Blessings of Aging (Spirituality & Practice)
Source: Spirituality & Practice
There is a difference, Joan Chittister notes, between age, aging, aged, ag’ed, and ripened. Through this program, Chittister reframes aging and encourages us to discover through reflection and practice what new perceptions and attitudes about growing older can mean for our own lives.
Joan Chittister, now in her 70s, has been a Benedictine nun for 50 years and is the founder of Benetvision: A Resource and Research Center for Contemporary Spirituality. One of their projects was the basis of the S&P retreat Creating a Monastery of the Heart; this monastic movement now involves 7,500 seekers from around the world. Profiled as one of S&P’s Living Spiritual Teachers, Chittister is the author of 40 books, including The Gift of Years: Growing Older Gracefully (see below). For this online retreat, themes she introduced in that book become the launchpads for further reflections by Chittister.
Universal themes to be explored include:
• common challenges such as regret and fear;
• the quest for meaning as the passageway from doing to being;
• time as the crucible of maturity and the advantages of having a beginner’s mind;
• the joys of appreciation, understanding, and choices;
• the satisfaction and serenity of tasting the spiritual dimensions of life;
• spirituality, wisdom, and legacy.
Participants receive:
• 12 emails with links to other course content.
• Video messages from Joan Chittister.
• Additional wisdom, spiritual practices, journal prompts, and creative exercises to ground the teachings in an elder’s everyday life.
This is a glorious spiritual workshop for elders who are ready to complete in themselves all that has been neglected and postponed when they were younger — and it is for anyone of any age who is ready to embrace a vision of elderhood as a blessed time to be fully alive.
(4 CEHs for Chaplains available.)
Learn more about this course and register on Spirituality & Practice
Disclaimer: Sacred Space Online Learning (SSOL) seeks to provide individuals with information about religious, spiritual, or faith-based online resources from a variety of sources. Sacred Space Online Learning does NOT claim ownership over this online course or online offering. Sacred Space Online Learning is also NOT responsible for the accuracy of the materials, the content, the way they are advertised or taught, or the costs associated with this online course or offering. The views and opinions expressed in this online course or offering are those of the creators and/or the persons appearing in the online class or offering. They do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of SSOL, the OFLD, or MCC. If you have any questions or concerns please contact the creator(s) of the given online course or online offering.
The Sage’s Tao Te Ching (Spirituality and Practice)
Source: Spirituality and Practice
In his 2000 book The Sage’s Tao Te Ching, William Martin reformulated the heart of each of Lao Tzu’s poetic wisdom chapters into a reflection and insight for the older person in today’s swiftly changing society. For this e-course in Spirituality & Practice’s Elder Spirituality Project, you will receive selections from The Sage’s Tao Te Ching, along with brief comments and practice suggestions by William Martin that will help you discover the quality of “sage-ness” that already exists at the heart of your being. This is a warm and practical way to explore and experience this wisdom tradition.
William Martin is the perfect leader for this focused study of the Tao for elders. He has been exploring the wisdom of this tradition for 40 years and over the past 13 years has written popular books (see more below) that express the message of the Tao for specific audiences: The Parent’s Tao Te Ching, The Couple’s Tao Te Ching, The Sage’s Tao Te Ching, A Path and a Practice, The Tao of Forgiveness, and with his spouse Nancy, The Caregiver’s Tao Te Ching. He is profiled at S&P as a Living Spiritual Teacher.
Learn more about this course and register on Spirituality and Practice
Disclaimer: Sacred Space Online Learning (SSOL) seeks to provide individuals with information about religious, spiritual, or faith-based online resources from a variety of sources. Sacred Space Online Learning does NOT claim ownership over this online course or online offering. Sacred Space Online Learning is also NOT responsible for the accuracy of the materials, the content, the way they are advertised or taught, or the costs associated with this online course or offering. The views and opinions expressed in this online course or offering are those of the creators and/or the persons appearing in the online class or offering. They do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of SSOL, the OFLD, or MCC. If you have any questions or concerns please contact the creator(s) of the given online course or online offering.
InterSpiritual Meditation (Spirituality and Practice)
Source: Spirituality and Practice
InterSpiritual Meditation is a step towards InterSpiritual Wisdom and a foundation for profound peace among peoples of all religions. As an individual contemplative practice, it helps us to cultivate inner peace, wisdom, and compassion that is inclusive of all traditions. As a group process or liturgy, it helps us to create contemplative communities that can include practitioners of many traditions.
This Online Retreat, originally designed to be presented over six weeks, will consist of daily emails covering the seven steps of the InterSpiritual Meditation:
• Motivation
• Gratitude
• Transformation
• Compassion
• Mindfulness
• Meditation
• Dedication
Six recorded audio conference calls will give us opportunities to hear of the experiences of teachers from the Spiritual Paths Institute: Ed Bastian, Kabir and Camille Helminski, Swami Atmarupananda, and Cynthia Bourgeault. A recording of the full guided InterSpiritual Meditation as well as short separate meditations for each of the steps are also included.
Two new books, InterSpiritual Meditation: A Seven-Step Process from the Worlds Spiritual Traditions and Meditations for InterSpiritual Wisdom: Practices and Reading Drawn from the World’s Spiritual Traditions, are also available for an additional charge or are available on Amazon (see below)
(6 CEHs for Chaplains available.)
Learn more about this course and register on Spirituality and Practice
Disclaimer: Sacred Space Online Learning (SSOL) seeks to provide individuals with information about religious, spiritual, or faith-based online resources from a variety of sources. Sacred Space Online Learning does NOT claim ownership over this online course or online offering. Sacred Space Online Learning is also NOT responsible for the accuracy of the materials, the content, the way they are advertised or taught, or the costs associated with this online course or offering. The views and opinions expressed in this online course or offering are those of the creators and/or the persons appearing in the online class or offering. They do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of SSOL, the OFLD, or MCC. If you have any questions or concerns please contact the creator(s) of the given online course or online offering.
