Many folks these days find themselves “spiritually homeless” and desperately yearning for more. Some have left church altogether, others remain in church or some form of Christian community yet can no longer ignore the gnawing question “Is this all there is?” And then there’s another group of faithful pilgrims who have found themselves in the beautiful, high calling of Christian service in one form or another, but compassion fatigue is real. Sometimes, living FOR God takes away from the ultimate posture of doing life WITH God.
At one point or another, I have found myself in all of these places. Maybe that’s why one of my favorite passages of scripture is this:
“A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.”
Matthew 12:20, originally spoken prophetically of Jesus in Isaiah 42:1–4
These days I find myself passionate about the ministry of soul care for all people and especially for women. Why? Because receiving (and giving) the gift of presence in the form of Spiritual Direction has been a game changer in my own life. I’ve spent the past two years in a formation / certificate program with Sustainable Faith. This experience has forever changed the trajectory of my spiritual journey.
Mary Reynolds of Injoy Wellness and I started Journeying Together: Soul Care for Women as a collaborative effort. Our vision of offering contemplative resources and opportunities for women to s-l-o-w down and engage with God and one another has grown and evolved a bit since our first retreat in May of 2021. However, as we expand our circle and invite others to join this network, we remain committed to developing small, contemplative, sustainable communities of women motivated simply by a common desire to live into our identity as Beloved.
Intrigued? Following are some ways you can partner.
1. Consider giving the gift of Soul Care to a woman you know and love. Check out our Patreon page for some ideas on what that might look like.
2. Spread the word! Sign up for the monthly newsletter here. If a blog post or audio-visual piece speaks to you, we would love for you to share it on Social Media.
3. Consider joining one of our community groups yourself! The only tier that is restricted to women is our spiritual retreat community. But don’t let that stop you, men; you can still support this work by sharing the love with a special woman in your life!
Just as the Wise Men so long ago oriented themselves around a compelling star shining in the East, may you find yourself oriented toward the deep, deep love of Jesus this holiday season.
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