Receive Lisa Irish's gentle support for recent loss and her helpful wisdom for the losses yet to be. Losses weave their way throughout our lives, influencing the next path we take. Grief is our built-in response to loss, our ally on the confusing, painful and transformative journey. When we choose to grieve consciously, our intention creates a space for courage and hope to flourish.  Call 914-330-1474 to register.

"I go down to the edge of the sea. How everything shines in the morning light!" -Mary Oliver                                                                                    We are delighted to invite you, your staff and key volunteers to Mercy by the Sea in Madison, CT, on Wednesday, October 2, 2019 for a day of refreshment and renewal for Christian ministry teams of all denominations. We are aware of the challenges in ministry, the demands that impact our lives. At the same time, we seek to treasure the gifts and graces that we experience along the way. Our hope for this day of presence is to reaffirm your personal and shared call to ministry. We’ll have a gentle mixture of ideas, prayer, poetry, relationship, and quiet time along with a delicious lunch prepared by Mercy by the Sea’s wonderful kitchen staff. We are asking $15.00 a person to cover lunch expenses; the rest of the day is a gift to you. Who Is Invited? Come down to the…

  The ministry of Spiritual Direction creates a space for our vulnerable journey with the Divine. When grief enters the room, both the Director and Directee are invited into an ever-deepening experience of vulnerability as they navigate the mystery of loss. How do we, as Spiritual Directors, offer a place of healing for those carrying broken hearts? How does grief guide us all into our own experience of surrender and new life? This morning of prayer, content and sharing offers suggestions for those ministering as Spiritual Directors.

  Losses weave their way throughout our lives, influencing the next path we take. Grief is our built-in response to loss, our ally in traveling the confusing, painful and transformative Land of Loss. This program gently supports those with recent loss and provides us all with a template for the losses yet to be. Hope and tangible ideas will be offered to help navigate the Land of Loss, with key reminders about our path toward healing.

Loss enters our life from many different directions. Our experience of the painful life-changes that come with loss are based on circumstances usually beyond our control. Our response to loss, however, is an opportunity to participate in the healing nature of grief. This day of conversation and reflection will offer input and practice to support the sacred art of grieving. We will explore nature, compassion, braids of love and the present moment as resources for the varied forms of loss that come our way.

We are, in Jan Richardson’s words, “falling into a new layer of grief” as we experience these months of a global pandemic and our country’s systemic racism. Each of us experience the losses differently, at the same time we are journeying together in a liminal space that includes our collective grief. How do we find our way through the needed surrender and transformation that these times call for? How do we support ourselves and one another on a path toward healing? This three hour Zoom session will include breakout rooms, personal writing time, ritual, music and input – while offering a contemplative connection within the Zoom format. Participants are encouraged to set aside a quiet morning to explore the wisdom of grief. Come prepared with candle and matches, journal or writing paper and an open heart.

  Our grief arrives after loss, naturally, with a wisdom all its own. Instead of resisting or tolerating grief’s lessons, we are invited to embrace grief as our ally in healing. This day of input, prayer, and sharing will include conversations with creation - our teacher and resource. Losses of all kinds may be brought to the circle (death, estrangement, health, etc), though a space of 2 months after a death is suggested. Together, participants will rest in the safe space of God’s loving heart.