[Dialogue] Spirit Journey Retreat (RS-1) - Grace huddle?

Thu Feb 22 10:23:56 EST 2007

 From Adam Thomson, Dover UK

It certainly warmed my heart and lifted me out of my acute depression 
(Bush, unbridled capitalism, Blair, global warming, the Anglican 
Church - you name it...) to see John Cock's posting re RS1 - still 
the life-changing event that it was for me when I first took it in 
Caracas in 1971.

Whilst I myself wouldn't dare ever organising this evolving "RS1" 
event without full and informed support (and paying for the privilege 
for using the construct), I - and many others, I am sure - would love 
to hear more details of this current construct as it develops. For 
instance, did you use all the original stuff (short courses etc) on 
worship and rituals, including introducing the full Daily Office?

It's my turn to gush a bit. Maybe I shouldn't be asking such 
questions at this stage. But you can sense by this response and those 
from others that there is a deep deep thirst, still, out there. The 
Anglican church is in crisis - everyone knows that. Maybe some people 
in the UK will suggest that it's past saving. But at the local level 
- MY local level, as I am finding - I cannot help thinking there are 
possibilities for an event along the lines that John has sketched 
out, for those who still "go to church" - relative rarety in the UK. 
After all they are human beings too.

John's last line certainly resonated with me: "God, it's good to 
watch people come alive before your eyes, especially when cynicism 
("the living dead") is trying to eat us alive these days."

Yup - I know I am still looking for the Messiah...

Thank you, John, for your posting on this.

G & P - Adam

At 14:43 22/02/2007, you wrote:
>I just did the same thing, Myra. I think I pd. $1 and 3.50 s/h.
>Glad you're on the list and that a few paragraphs did all that.
>
>John
>
>
>----------
>From: dialogue-bounces at wedgeblade.net 
>[mailto:dialogue-bounces at wedgeblade.net] On Behalf Of Myra Griffin
>Sent: Thursday, February 22, 2007 7:23 AM
>To: Colleague Dialogue
>Subject: Re: [Dialogue] Spirit Journey Retreat (RS-1) - Grace huddle?
>
>Your report had given me a chance to reflect on and relive my first 
>RSl. Thank you.
>I recently found a second hand copy of DHL at Amazon.com since my 
>copy is falling apart.
>Too bad that version is out of print.
>Myra Griffin
>
>John Cock wrote:
>>Thank you much, Janice. You're too kind.
>>
>>Here's a quick response to your questions, plus. Excuse me if I gush a bit.
>>
>>30 min. Grace Huddles/Pleno: after presentation/Tillich para. 12, 
>>we hand out "Life-changing Events" sheet for individ. reflection of 
>>10 events, and some marked with "G," for grace; then, in grps. of 
>>5-6, each shares a "grace" event (very powerful), and as group they 
>>write big sentence on dyn. of grace . . .  "We experience grace 
>>when . . ." to be read at Grace Pleno. They get it in spades. This 
>>huddle/planary is the breakthrough of the weekend, only to be 
>>matched by the church session, where we emphasized "When have you 
>>been on the point?" and "When next?"
>>
>>Something like that. We are working ind-reflect/sub-group-sharing 
>>dynamic into the four main sessions. This construct is less 
>>rational (more focus on sentinel paragraph[s]) and more about 
>>grounding and sharing experience . . . so they will never, never 
>>forget they all HAVE experienced the deeps . . . and will never 
>>forget that fact.
>>
>>Found fine new translation of Bonhoeffer's "Freedom." Old papers 
>>contexted (and less emphasis), still fine; more a "retreat" and 
>>less a "studies" weekend. Exciting to see the ToP participants 
>>respond so enthusiastically this weekend. Weekend at least as 
>>powerful as ever. Fine participants' manual with design, loads of 
>>songs, rituals, Geneva, reading list, the papers, etc., thanks to 
>>Beret and Ron (and our borrowing much from Shirley Heckman 
>>Snelling's resources), as well as their excellent prep, decor, and 
>>orchestration. Movie, "As Good As It Gets," got them clear that 
>>"transformation flows through TWLI"; Sun. morning most understand 
>>that Melvin, Carol, and Simon could well crash and burn without a 
>>community of faith, though a few were trying to dub Carol a saint 
>>(shades of Miss Miller) -- talk about the blind leading the blind 
>>(in the movie). We will pass out five pages of quotes from the web 
>>next time. Never has a movie had so many great and hilarious 
>>one-liners. My favoirte, by Melvin: "I can't get back into my old 
>>life. She has evicted me from my life."
>>
>>Beret/Ron/Lynda/I are doing some sig. reworking after this MN 
>>experiment. Maybe what we need to do is call a meeting to present 
>>reworked RS-I's folks have done (whatever we name it, if we do) and 
>>then corporately work on construct, pedagogy, and marketing. If we 
>>meet and can't get a consensus (blocked by tradition or 
>>untradition) we can go our ways and do our best with gusto and meet 
>>again sometime, maybe.
>>
>>God, it's good to watch people come alive before your eyes, 
>>especially when cynicism ("the living dead") is trying to eat us 
>>alive these days,
>>
>>G&P,
>>
>>John
>>
>>P.S. Best resonating poetry line: "If only, most lovely of all, I 
>>yield myself and am borrowed/ By a fine, fine wind that takes its 
>>course through the chaos of the world." Worth it all just to read 
>>the poetry again, out loud, in public. I told them I have placed 
>>these poems by DHL and the paragraphs by the four theologians in my 
>>3rd Testament (1st = OT, 2nd = NT), which drew a sharp admonition 
>>from a traditional Lutheran theology professor (who, in measured 
>>tones, said, "Paragraphs from Luther would have been richer" [maybe 
>>we could look there]) -- the group bowed to him as they affirmed my 
>>comment. Whole lot of bowing and laughing going on this weekend -- 
>>and some old-fashioned attacks -- "very good to know."
>>
>>
>>----------
>>From: 
>><mailto:dialogue-bounces at wedgeblade.net>dialogue-bounces at wedgeblade.net 
>>[mailto:dialogue-bounces at wedgeblade.net] On Behalf Of Janice Ulangca
>>Sent: Wednesday, February 21, 2007 11:28 PM
>>To: Colleague Dialogue
>>Subject: Re: [Dialogue] Spirit Journey Retreat (RS-1) - Grace huddle?
>>
>>Beret, congratulations to you, the Northfield UMC team, and to John 
>>Cock (and also Lynda)  for such a life-changing event.  John was 
>>always a powerful pedagogue.  It was a marathon, but I can see why 
>>he needed to do it himself.  He didn't have time to train a team to 
>>lead with anything like his ability.  (Remember the Pedagogy 
>>courses, and the years of mentoring?!)  The decor and "blackboard" 
>>sound fabulous.
>>
>>Please say some more about the Grace Huddle!  And anything else you 
>>can share about the spirit exercises.
>>
>>Many of us can testify that this kind of event will reverberate 
>>through lifetimes.
>>
>>With gratitude for this contribution to history,
>>
>>Janice Ulangca
>>
>>----- Original Message -----
>>From: <mailto:beretgriffith at charter.net>Beret Griffith
>>To: <mailto:Dialogue at wedgeblade.net>Dialogue at wedgeblade.net ; 
>><mailto:OE at wedgeblade.net>OE at wedgeblade.net
>>Cc: <mailto:rgriffith at charter.net>rgriffith at charter.net
>>Sent: Wednesday, February 21, 2007 2:00 PM
>>Subject: [Dialogue] Spirit Journey Retreat (RS-1)
>>
>>Dear Colleagues on the Journey,
>>
>>Here in Minnesota where the snow is melting we just completed a
>>forty-four hour weekend with forty people. The pastor at the United
>>Methodist Church in Northfield is an Academy graduate and last
>>winter, about this time, he pushed hard to offer an Ecumenical
>>Institute course for the congregation. He asked me to talk to the
>>Adult Education Committee to see if there would be interest in
>>sponsoring a retreat. I'd heard that John Cock had taught an RS-1 in
>>Hilton Head and had done some rewriting for the course. John and I
>>talked. He was interested. I briefed the committee, and got the
>>go-ahead to form a team to move forward.
>>
>>A team of five worked for the next year to pull it off. We first
>>wanted it in the fall of 2006. The Mount Olivet Retreat and
>>Conference Center where we wanted to hold the retreat books at least
>>a year out and was not available. We then reserved space there for
>>the weekend of February 16-18, 2007. It is about thirty miles south
>>of Minneapolis.
>>
>>The Spirit Journey Retreat: Empowering Our Faith (RS-1) was
>>outstanding. There were forty people including John and Lynda Cock.
>>John led the WHOLE weekend. With his additions to the weekend of
>>small group work (we even had a Grace Huddle - a highlight for nearly
>>everyone), reflection time on Saturday afternoon, songs, rituals and
>>spirit exercises, it even had a slightly spacious feel. We did start
>>at 7:00 am on Saturday and Sunday and nearly everyone showed up first
>>thing in the morning. It reaffirmed our understanding of the
>>contentlessness of the story and its relevance to current time.
>>John's leadership was outstanding and must have been exhausting,
>>recalling the days when four people taught the weekend. Lynda worked
>>with me on practics and took care of selling John's books. Work on
>>the space created a fine container for spirit work.
>>
>>About a third of the folks were from outside the congregation and
>>included four people who are experienced ToP trainers and
>>consultants. One works for a consulting firm and another for a large
>>foundation that does leadership training throughout the area. The
>>profiles of participants were interesting and ranged from
>>conservative to liberal, evangelical to progressive, somewhat
>>educated to highly educated. Several people who teach and work in
>>business had theological backgrounds. Discussions were animated, deep
>>and grounded.
>>
>>The G.O.D. rock (petrified tree), owned by Sue and Stefan Laxdal and
>>present at all RS-1 courses ever done in Minneapolis, proudly took
>>its place at the center of the room during the last session. It was
>>preceded by a dinosaur bone, a very large crystal and a large fossil.
>>The earth flag hung at the front of the room. We used a portable wall
>>designed by ToP trainer Cheryl Kartes' husband Patrick. It was
>>designed for the ToP crew and creates twelve feet of free standing
>>wall. It was the best wall ever. We used six feet of the wall,
>>covered it with a sticky wall and put four flip chart pages up for
>>every session. John had never had such a blackboard.
>>
>>Sleeping in a motel type room at the conference center with an
>>abundance of food at meals was good. It did make me a little
>>nostalgic for spaghetti on Friday and the sound of mice roaming the
>>pantry while sleeping among the food stores in a church basement - on
>>an army cot.
>>
>>Spending time with John and Lynda, with whom we had never formally
>>worked, was a time not to be missed.  Ron and I had a dinner on
>>Thursday so they could both meet the team and get properly welcomed
>>before divining into the intensity of the weekend. Afterwards we
>>managed some celebratory eating, drinking and great conversation.
>>
>>Thank you to John and Lynda and to all who have gone before on this
>>journey. Those folks who had the original vision, the nerve and
>>persistence to create the RS-1 course and then to gather a body of
>>people who were insistent on getting it out to people are to be
>>remembered. Cyber hugs all around dear colleagues.
>>
>>Beret and Ron Griffith
>>on behalf of our local team: Faye Caskey, head of Adult Education at
>>the church (her husband Carl hired Vance Engleman in Oaklahoma); Clay
>>Oglesbee, Pastor (Academy grad); Ron Griffith (first took RS-1 in
>>1968), Bill Ostrem (environmental activist in Northfield).
>>
>>
>>
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>>
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