Reflections and Resources by Joanna Quintrell

Posted on May 16, 2012 by publicity@journeycenter.org
photo of plant

Greetings from the Journey Center staff!

The longer I’m alive and on this spiritual journey, the more I find myself grateful and celebrating! What am I celebrating?  It’s the marvelous reality that the Creat or is so very creative when it comes to inviting us into practices that enable us to live in the present moment and encounter the Holy there!

It’s like walking into a garden and seeing all the bounty and beauty, rather than just one thing growing that everyone is supposed to eat and like. Not only are there all kinds of vegetables, fruit and berries for us human beings to eat and enjoy…but there is food for every kind of living creature native to that habitat. A reminder that spiritual nourishment is all around us and we are invited to partake of the things that are best suited to who we are and what we hunger and thirst for!

Over the past four years, we have been developing and offering a great variety resources for your journey. We recognize that what brings one person into contact with the Holy One is often different from what is helpful to someone else. Our newsletter and website describe each different Series we offer- each with its own special focus and classes, groups, workshops, events and retreats.

We are excited to announce the development of yet another Journey Center Series, which some of you will find to be just what you need at this season of your life. It is called the “Encountering the Holy in Creation Series”. For many, Creation is a pathway to encountering the Holy. Standing on a distant mountaintop or watching a butterfly in your own backyard…something about the beauty we see touches us deeply, inspiring and opening us to the Love and Grace that surrounds us in those sacred moments.

In addition to the “In Creation” outdoor adventures and retreats that we’ve offered from time to time, we are now beginning to add some wonderful offerings with our new “Homesteading/Caring for Creation” emphasis. Creation is a precious gift and we are asked to be gentle and wise stewards of what has been entrusted to us. Learning to love and care for the Earth is a spiritual practice that we teach and encourage here at the Journey Center. We offer workshops and support for those who are interested in various aspects of homesteading (urban or rural). Whether we choose to grow our own food, keep chickens or a beehive, recycle our water, or make our own household products…we are creatively participating in Creation. As we care for our own health and the well-being of our communities in this way, we experience the presence and blessing of the Creator, who has given us so many natural gifts to enjoy.

I’d like to tell you about three upcoming gatherings that help us launch this new series and encourage you to consider joining us as we explore this powerful pathway of encountering the Holy in Creation:

·This Saturday, May 19 (1-4 p.m.), local beekeeper Emery Dann is offering a wonderful workshop entitled “Discover Honey Bees and the Life Lessons they Teach Us!”  Discovering the secrets of the honey bee’s success helps us be more successful in our lives. This is for anyone interested in helping bees, keeping bees or learning from honey bees. There will be an opportunity to view honey bees inside an observation hive or bee tent safely from the outside. Free honey tasting and bee products will be available to try and sample. Don’t miss this opportunity to experience the gifts of life and pollination bees give us and what we can do to help honey bees thrive in Sonoma County. More Information:  View the Discover Honey Bees poster . Please register if you plan to attend…(and, if you missed it, you may want to read this recent and very informative article in the Press Democrat about honey bees: http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20120511/LIFESTYLE/120519950/0/topics01?Title=Busy-beekeepers ).

·And then on Sunday, July 8 (2-5 p.m.), Emery is offering the workshop “Introduction to Backyard Beekeeping” for those who are interested in learning about what it takes to set up and tend your own beehive… All over America, city beekeepers are keeping a few honey bee hives in their city backyards. Learn what is involved: how, when and where to establish a hive and what you will need to do so. Urban beekeeping is the best hope for the survival of the honey bee.  View the “Introduction to Backyard Beekeeping” poster. Thanks for registering if you plan to attend.

·Spiritual director and local farmer, Dick Meyer, is offering a unique learning/retreat experience called “Love, the Compost of the Soul: An Interactive Introduction to the Contemplative Path”. In this workshop we’ll be combining the natural love for gardening and the soil (learning about the principles and stages of composting) with the transformative teaching of Christ’s parable of the sower. Examining the elements of The Path, Stony Ground and Weeds, we’ll look at what composting-and the transformative journey-ultimately produces. The Introductory Workshop will be held at the Journey Center on Saturday, June 30 (9:45 – 11:30 a.m.), followed by four sessions on the beautiful Meyer family farm in Santa Rosa on every Saturday morning in July  (July 7, 14, 21, 28, 10:00 a.m. – Noon). Each session will include hands-on building and maintaining a compost pile, time for solitude and reflection, and group reflection and prayer/meditation. Beginning gardeners welcome! Registration is required; attend as many sessions as your summer schedule allows. View the “Love, the Compost of the Soul” poster.

Other things to know about the Journey Center’s offerings in May:

JOURNEY CENTER IN THE COMMUNITY:

Wednesdays, May 30th – Aug. 29th- Downtown Market Booth: This will be the seventh year that we take the Journey Center booth to the Santa Rosa Downtown Market, beginning May 30! The market is on Wednesday evenings through August 29th  on 4th Street in Santa Rosa. Market hours are from 5:00 to 8:30 p.m. Stop by and say hello to us! We will be there offering free drinks of water and healing prayer. For more information, visit http://www.wednesdaynightmarket.org/

THE CONTEMPLATIVE LIFE SERIES:

·Monday, May 14th (7 – 8:00 p.m.) Come Away …to a Quiet Time Do you long to: just stop …get quiet …calm yourself … breathe in God’s love and comfort and strength and peace? This is a drop- in group where there is a mixture of meditative quiet sitting… sometimes with music, with words, with the imagination, with poetry or scripture. There are three movements each night, with 5 mins of silence inbetween. Please come experience the value of quiet to your mind, body and spirit. Come as your schedule allows; enter in silence if the Quiet Time has begun. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Group led by Spiritual Director, Alexandra Montoya. More information:  View the A Quiet Time Spring Poster

·We offer a number of contemplative prayer/meditation groups that are weekly, ongoing, on a drop-in schedule and are FREE:  View the Contemplative Gatherings Spring poster

May you be blessed on your journey!

Joanna Quintrell and the Journey Center staff

The Journey Center
1601 Fourth Street,
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
707-578-2121
www.journeycenter.org

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Reflections and Resources by Joanna Quintrell

Posted on April 18, 2012 by publicity@journeycenter.org

photo of plantGreetings from the Journey Center staff!

I recently spent some time at the coast and the place we stayed was close enough to the water that you could hear the roar of the ocean waves day and night. Well, you could hear it if you were paying attention! That amazing sound was present all the time…there wasn’t a moment when it stopped, and I found myself in awe as I realized that those waves have pounded that shore ceaselessly for centuries…

The interesting thing was how my awareness of that sound drifted in and out. When I was in the present moment, gazing at the water… I heard it loud and clear. But just as often, my mind would be elsewhere and it was as if the ocean went silent. I didn’t hear the waves when I wasn’t “tuned in” and paying attention.

What a great picture of how it is for us on our spiritual journey! The Holy One is always present, reaching out to us through so many different pathways, “whispering” to us in ways that we can receive if we are present, aware, open and listening. If you are like me, there are moments here and there when I’m able to receive the Spirit’s gifts of grace, love, peace, strength, wisdom, etc….even though much of the rest of the time, I can be distracted and unaware.

Here are some beautiful words from the ancient Hebrew Scriptures, capturing this idea of sacred, graced moments of listening:

The Holy One…wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen… (Isaiah 50:4)

The Journey Center exists to offer a “spiritual oasis” where everyone is welcome and a variety of resources are available to help us all to “tune in”… to hear and receive what is all around us all the time. We invite you to consider joining us for one or more of these gatherings during what’s left of the month of April- they are listed by series so you can quickly find what is of interest to you. Please register for classes and workshops by calling the Journey Center 707/578-2121 or registering online at www.journeycenter.org.  By doing this, you insure that the class or offering will not be cancelled:

THE ARTS, CREATIVITY AND SPIRITUALITY SERIES:

·Saturday, April 28 (7-8:30 p.m.)- Robert Digitale Book Signing  Reception. The Journey Center invites you to join us for this free event, celebrating local author Robert Digitale and the release of his fantasy novel, “Horse Stalker.”  Robert is a staff writer for the Press Democrat and hosts DigitaleStories, a young adults’ blog for sharing great stories.  View the Spring Book Signing poster

THE CONTEMPLATIVE LIFE SERIES:

The first two of these offerings are coming up this weekend.  Please call or register online so we know how many people to expect and if the workshop is “a go!”

·Saturday, April 21 (10 a.m.-noon)- A Holy Longing: Exploring the Contemplative Call- a workshop facilitated by  More people are finding themselves being invited by The Holy into contemplative prayer practices.  In this experiential workshop, Spiritual Director’s Ruah Bull and Dick Meyer will share the ancient wisdom of the Christian contemplative tradition.  People on all spiritual paths are welcome!  FREE.  View the “A Holy Longing” & “Introduction to the Christ-centered Contemplative Journey” poster

·Sunday, April 22 (7-8:30 p.m.)- Meeting the Mystics: Earth Day- A Tale of St. Francis and his connection to all things wild. Francis’  life is an interesting tale of a pampered and licentious youth who aspired to be a knight but had some profound experiences that led him to marry “Lady Poverty” and go on to found the Order of the Little Brothers, the Franciscans.  Julie will use images, music, story and interaction to encourage your connection to this Medieval Mystic. This will be Julie’s last workshop offering before heading off to Yosemite for the summer!  View the “Lord’s Prayer” & “Meeting the Mystics” poster

·Monday, April 30 (6:30-8:30 p.m.)- Centering Prayer, an Introductory Workshop with Spiritual Directors Ruah Bull and Alexandra Montoya. Centering Prayer, also called “abiding prayer”, is a prayer of consent, a consent to the presence and action of God within.  Practiced by the Desert Mothers and Fathers in the early centuries of the Church, it is a response to the invitation to “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).   View the “Centering Prayer Introductory Workshop” & Retreat poster

THE HEALTH AND HEALING SERIES:

·Saturday, April 28 (10 a.m.-noon)- Creating a Car Kitchen for Healthy Commuting.  As a sales consultant and nutrition professional, Chiara Maria Kae has mastered the art of creating customized car kitchens. Her kits are organic, vegetarian, and focus on wheat-free, gluten-free, soy-free and living/raw selections.    View the Creating a Car Kitchen poster

May you experience graced listening as you continue on your journey!

Joanna Quintrell and the Journey Center staff
The Journey Center
1601 Fourth Street,
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
707-578-2121
www.journeycenter.org

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Reflections and Resources -April by Joanna Quintrell

Posted on April 2, 2012 by publicity@journeycenter.org

photo of plantGreetings from the Journey Center staff!

It rained a lot yesterday and I am thinking about how much the thirsty earth needs that rain to flourish and thrive. This reminds me again of two images that have been very powerful for me on my spiritual journey.

The first image is that of a very dry desert. When I get too busy, there is no time for silence and solitude. I become disconnected from my own heart and lose my awareness of the presence and love of the Holy One. In this state, my spirit is like a dry desert, thirsty for the rain. Not much grows there…

The second image is that of a well-watered garden, a place of beauty and vibrant life. When I remember how important it is to take time to just “be” with myself and with the One who knows me and loves me, the Living Water nourishes my spirit. I flourish and thrive as I live in the present moment, aware of and open to the movement of the Spirit.

Listen to these beautiful words from the Old Testament Scriptures:

The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.  (Isaiah 58:11)

At the Journey Center, we offer a variety of resources that are designed to be a blessing to you, ways for you to experience and receive the Living Water that can transform any “sun-scorched land” into a “well-watered garden”. We invite you to consider which of these upcoming gatherings might be just what you need. (We do ask you to register ahead of time online ( www.journeycenter.org ) or by calling us at 707-578-2121. This helps us so much when it comes to preparing enough materials and making decisions about cancelling gatherings when there are no registrations. Thank you so much!)

Coming up soon:

·April 15 (6:30-8:30 p.m.) An Evening of Natural Reflection, a light gathering facilitated by Spiritual Director, Julie Miller, that includes a reading from a writer of nature with discussion for the first thirty to forty minutes.  The rest of the time ’til we close , the Journey Center is yours for conversation, doing homework, drinking tea, reading, computer time or prayer. FREE. View the Community Groups poster

·April 9 & 23 (6:30-8 p.m.) Come Away to a Quiet Time, This is a drop- in group where there is a mixture of meditative quiet sitting… sometimes with music, with words, with the imagination, with poetry or scripture. Facilitated by Spiritual Director Alexandra Montoya. View the A Quiet Time Poster

·This Wednesday and every Wednesday are our regular prayer/meditation groups in Sebastopol offering lectio divina, centering prayer and imagination prayer with Spiritual Directors Linda Albert and Laurie Goldstein. View the Contemplative Gatherings poster

Here are the other offerings that we have for you in April, listed by series so you can quickly find what is of interest to you:

THE ARTS, CREATIVITY AND SPIRITUALITY SERIES:

·Saturday, April 28 (7-8:30 p.m.)- Robert Digitale Book Signing Reception . View the Spring Book Signing poster

 

 

THE CONTEMPLATIVE LIFE SERIES:

·Thursday, April 5 (7-8:30 p.m.)- Walking the Path Together- a group spiritual direction experience with Dick Meyer, spiritual director.  FREE.  View the Community Groups poster

·Friday, April 13 (7-9 p.m.)- Meeting the Mystics- Evelyn Underhill, Mystic and Contemplative Scholar with Reverend Amber Strugiss.    View the “Lord’s Prayer” & “Meeting the Mystics” poster

·Saturday, April 21 (10 a.m.-noon)- A Holy Longing: Exploring the Contemplative Call- a workshop facilitated by Spiritual Directors Ruah Bull and Dick Meyer. FREE.  View the “A Holy Longing” & “Introduction to the Christ-centered Contemplative Journey” poster

·Sunday, April 22 (7-8:30 p.m.)- Meeting the Mystics: Earth Day- A Tale of St. Francis and his connection to all things wild with Spiritual Director Julie Miller.   View the “Lord’s Prayer” & “Meeting the Mystics” poster

·Monday, April 30 (6:30-8:30 p.m.)- Centering Prayer, an Introductory Workshop with Spiritual Directors Ruah Bull and Alexandra Montoya.  View the “Centering Prayer Introductory Workshop” & Retreat poster

THE HEALTH AND HEALING SERIES:

·Saturday, April 28 (10 a.m.-noon)- Creating a Car Kitchen for Healthy Commuting  with nutrition professional Chiara Maria Kae. View the Creating a Car Kitchen poster

THE SHARING THE SACRED/JOURNEYING WITH OTHERS SERIES:

·Thursday, April 12 (7-9:00 p.m.)- The Seder Experience workshop with Sylvan Eidelman and Julie Miller. FREE. View the Seder Experience Workshop poster

·Saturday, April 14 (6-9:00 p.m.)- Traditional Seder Dinner with Sylvan Eidelman and Julie Miller. View the Seder Experience Workshop poster

THE ENNEAGRAM SERIES:

·Monday, April 2 (6:30-9 p.m.)- Going Deeper with the Enneagram.     View the Enneagram for those Familiar Series poster

·Wednesday, April 4 (6:30-9 p.m.)- Enneagram: A Tool for Transformation. Free introductory workshop with Spiritual Director Joanna Quintrell.   View the Enneagram for Beginners Series poster

·Wednesdays, April 11 through May 9 (7-9 p.m.)- Enneagram Exploration Group facilitated by Spiritual Director Joanna Quintrell.    View the Enneagram for Beginners Series poster

I’ll close with a quick reminder that our annual Yard Sale/Bake Sale fundraiser is coming up soon on Saturday, April 7. If you have items or baked goods to donate, they can be dropped off on April 5 or 6 OR we can come and pick them up from your home (contact Julie Miller at 707-578-2121 to make these arrangements). Thanks for supporting us in this way, and by coming to the Yard Sale to find bargains and treasures. Your support helps us to be here, being a blessing to our community. View our Yard Sale poster

 

Many blessings to you on your journey!

Joanna Quintrell
The Journey Center
1601 Fourth Street,
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
707-578-2121
www.journeycenter.org

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Awaken to the Stirrings of the Spirit in Your Life by Joanna Quintrell Executive Director

Posted on March 26, 2012 by publicity@journeycenter.org

tall grassAs the seasons change yet again and spring brings us light and warmth, all around us we begin to see the stirrings of new life:

-fruit trees bud forth and blossom and set their fruit -bulbs send up their green points, soon followed by amazingly beautiful and perfect flowers -animals and birds give birth to their young, the cutest things you have ever seen!

Spiritually speaking, spring is often a time when we notice the stirrings of new life and a renewed desire for God within us as well. As the darkness of winter diminishes, our spirits are also reaching for the light and if we listen, we might discern the loving invitation of the Holy One:

My Beloved spoke and said to me,

“Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, come with Me. See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with Me.”
(Song of Songs 2:10-13)

I don’t know about you, but I am often so busy with the details of my life that I completely miss this invitation. It is only when I slow down and get quiet that it is even possible for me to hear these beautiful words and realize that they are for me! I do find that gathering with others who are responding to the stirrings of the Spirit helps me to “arise” and say “yes”.

We offer many kinds of resources and gatherings at the Journey Center, but at the core of it all is contemplative prayer and meditation. We have been invited by the Spirit to create and offer safe, sacred spaces where people from every spiritual path can respond to this invitation to “come with Me” and sit quietly, opening ourselves to that beautiful Presence.

We are all learning to quiet our minds, hearts and bodies so we can encounter and experience the grace of the Holy One.  In times of quiet prayer and reflection we listen together for the gentle whispers of the Spirit and are nourished by the unconditional Love that comes to us as a gift of grace.

And you are invited to join us! We have woven a rhythm of prayer and meditation gatherings throughout the week…at different times on different days…so that you can come before work, on your lunch break or at the end of the day. There is no charge for these gatherings (see details about each gathering)http://www.journeycenter.org/hapPrayerMedGatherings.php

·Monday: Morning Meditations (7:30-8:30 a.m.), Centering Prayer (12-12:45 p.m.) and Come Away…to a Quiet Time (2nd and 4th Mondays, 7:00-8:00 p.m.) ·Wednesday: A Quiet Place (12-1 p.m.) and in Sebastopol- Contemplative Prayer/Meditation Group (12-12:45 p.m.) ·Thursday: Centering Prayer (5:30-6:40 p.m.) ·Friday: Imaginative Prayer (1-2 p.m.)

We also offer day and weekend retreats so that you can enjoy extended times of “being”, listening and connecting with the One who knows you and loves you. This quarter we offer a Sunday afternoon Centering Prayer retreat and in the months ahead, a growing variety of day and weekend retreats will be offered http://www.journeycenter.org/hapRetreats.php

Some of our workshops and groups offer instruction in contemplative prayer practices. And our wonderful spiritual directors offer individual sessions in which you can deepen your awareness of God’s presence and movement in your life http://www.journeycenter.org/hapContemplativeLife.php

Whether you have experience with contemplative prayer and meditation or think of yourself as a beginner, we invite you to say “yes” to the Spirit’s invitation and consider joining us for the support and encouragement of contemplative prayer in a group setting. Thomas Merton said, “We do not want to be beginners [at prayer]. but let us be convinced of the fact that we will never be anything but beginners, all our life!”

My Beloved spoke and said to me,    “Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, come with Me.”

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Reflections and Resources March by Joanna Quintrell

Posted on March 21, 2012 by publicity@journeycenter.org

photo of plantGreetings from the Journey Center staff!

Winter is wavering and the signs of spring are all around us.  Perhaps, before the season is gone completely, you would like to linger in the tranquility and quiet reflection that the winter experience offers us.  There are a number of opportunities in the next two weeks for just this.

·The Lord’s Prayer (workshop); Sat, March 24, 9am –noon: This prayer, perhaps better called The Disciples’ Prayer, continues to be revered in Christian worship. We will examine its original language and historical background and engage with the ancient words as they meet us deeply in prayer, as they were intended. Facilitated by Mark Medin. View the “Lord’s Prayer” & “Meeting the Mystics” poster If you plan to attend this workshop, please take a minute and register online at www.journeycenter.org or by calling us at 707-578-2121.

·NEW!! An Evening of “Natural Reflection”; Sun, March 25, 6:30– 8:30pm: Have you wanted to come to the Journey Center to enjoy the space but you are not available during the weekdays? From 6:30-7:00 p.m. we will enjoy a contemplative reading of a piece of literature that captures the way we encounter the Holy in nature. The rest of the evening is available for you to enjoy our WIFI access, prayer, a conversation, or a chance to read or meditate. Facilitated by Julie Miller, spiritual director. Cost: Free. View the Community Groups poster

·Come Away… to A Quiet Time;  Mon, March 26, 7– 8pm: Do you long to: just stop …get quiet …calm yourself … breathe in God’s love and comfort and strength and peace? This is a drop- in group where there is a mixture of meditative quiet sitting… sometimes with music, with words, with the imagination, with poetry or scripture. There are three movements each night, with 5 minutes of silence in-between. Please come and experience the value of quiet to your mind, body and spirit. Come as your schedule allows; enter in silence if the Quiet Time has begun. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Facilitated by Alexandra Montoya, spiritual director. Free.   View the A Quiet Time Poster

The Journey Center also has a number of groups that meet almost every day of the week and you are invited to drop in and experience community and contemplative practices or spiritual conversation.  All of these prayer/meditation gatherings are free. View more information on this poster:  View the Contemplative Gatherings poster

·Monday:
-Morning Meditation from 7:30 – 8:30a.m. (not offered March 19)
-Centering Prayer from 12 – 12:45p.m.

·Wednesday:
-A Quiet Place from noon – 1p.m.
-(In Sebastopol) Contemplative Prayer/Meditation Group from noon – 12:45p.m.

·Thursday:
-Centering Prayer from 5:30 – 6:40p.m.

·Friday:
-Imaginative Prayer from 1 -2p.m.(not offered March 16)

One last note, since spring cleaning is just around the corner! We are preparing for our annual Yard Sale and Bake Sale (Saturday, April 7), which helps to raise funds for the Journey Center’s mission and programs. As you are cleaning out your closets in the weeks ahead, please think of us if you find items that you would like to donate (or if you are willing to bake goodies). These can be dropped off at the Journey Center on Thursday, April 5 or Friday, April 6 (10 a.m.-4 p.m.) OR we’ll have a couple of small trucks available to pick up larger items. Please see the poster for this event, forward it to your friends and do visit the yard sale yourself as treasures and bargains will abound! Thank you so much for your support in these ways… View our Yard Sale poster

Many blessings to you on your journey!

Joanna Quintrell
The Journey Center
1601 Fourth Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95404
707-578-2121
www.journeycenter.org

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Announcing the Journey Center’s New Spring Quarter! By Joanna Quintrell

Posted on February 28, 2012 by publicity@journeycenter.org

photo of plantGreetings from the Journey Center staff!

We are pleased to announce that the spring quarter (March-May) newsletter is now available at the Journey Center and online at: http://journeycenter.org/jcnewsletter_Spring2012_web.pdf

We invite you to take some time to reflect on where you find yourself on your spiritual journey in this season, as the warmth and light returns and blossoms and flowers abound. Perhaps one or more of these groups, workshops, prayer/meditation gatherings, events and retreats would be a blessing and a help to you!

In the month of March, a wonderful variety of opportunities are available for you:

·This Thursday, March 1 (7-8:30 p.m.) Walking the Path Together, a group spiritual direction experience with Dick Meyer, spiritual director. Free. View the Community Groups poster

·This Friday, March 2 (5-7 p.m.): Art opening reception for Suzanne DeVeuve and her show “Myth and Mystery”. Free.  View the “Myth & Mystery” Art Opening poster

·This Monday, March 5 (6:30-9:00 p.m.): Going Deeper with the Enneagram. View the Enneagram for those Familiar Series poster

·Friday, March 9 (7-9 p.m.)- NEW WORKSHOP! Contemplative Healing: An Introduction to Christ-Centered Healing Through Contemplative Prayer with author Rev. Francis Geddes.  View the Contemplative Healing Workshop poster

·Saturday, March 10 (9-10 a.m.) Introduction to Detoxification and (10:30-12:00) Spring Season Detox Workshop with Chiara Maria Kae, integrative health consultant. View the “Introduction to Detoxification” & “Spring Season Detox” poster

·Sunday, March 11 (2-4 p.m.)- A NEW Sharing the Sacred gathering! Honoring All Traditions: A Healing Workshop  (music, song, prayer/meditation) with Hannah Caratti and Julie Chasen. View the “Introduction to Detoxification” & “Spring Season Detox” poster

·Sundays, March 11 and 25 (6:30-8:30 p.m.)- An Evening of Natural Reflection with Julie Miller, spiritual director. FREE.  View the Community Groups poster

·Mondays, March 12 and 26 (6:30-8:00 p.m.)- Come Away to a Quiet Time with Alexandra Montoya, spiritual director. View the A Quiet Time Poster

·Saturday, March 24 (9 a.m.-noon)- The Lord’s Prayer with Mark Medin. View the “Lord’s Prayer” & “Meeting the Mystics” poster

·Saturday, March 31 (9 a.m.-3 p.m.)- Orientation and Training For Volunteer Service with our Most Vulnerable Neighbors with Kalia Mussetter, founder of Living Bridges.  View the “Orientation and Training for Volunteer Service” poster

·Our regular prayer/meditation groups in Santa Rosa and Sebastopol (offering lectio divina, centering prayer, imaginative prayer and other contemplative practices). Free. View the Contemplative Gatherings poster

Thank you for registering ahead of time for any gatherings you would like to attend. You can do so online at www.journeycenter.org or by calling us at 707-578-2121.

May you be blessed on your journey!

Joanna Quintrell and the Journey Center staff

The Journey Center
1601 Fourth Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95404
707-578-2121
www.journeycenter.org

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Reflections and Resources February by Joanna Quintrell

Posted on February 13, 2012 by publicity@journeycenter.org

photo of plantGreetings from the Journey Center staff!

The seasons are about to change again soon. Just yesterday I looked at a flower bed outside our front door and saw only bare soil. This morning I looked again and there were the pointed green tips of numerous bulbs poking up through the soil. I found myself amazed by the change that happened in just one day!

Change is an interesting thing, isn’t it? Sometimes it seems to happen almost in an instant…we turn around and things are different. Circumstances have changed, time has flown by, or a shift has happened in a relationship. These changes can be positive or painful. So are the changes that happen gradually over time, one tiny step after another….some are welcome and some are not.

It is part of the human experience to long for change…and also to resist it.
In the words of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow:

Nothing that is can pause or stay;
The moon will wax, the moon will wane,
The mist and cloud will turn to rain,
The rain to mist and cloud again,
Tomorrow be today.

As we journey through the seasons of life and the changes that inevitably come, it really helps to have places where we can pause, reflect, be in community, and connect more deeply with ourselves and the One who sees us, knows us and is with us. It is our prayer and hope that the Journey Center could be one of those places for you.

We are winding up the winter quarter with the following workshops and gatherings…thank you for considering whether one or more of these might be just the oasis you need on your journey! Pre-registration is required, which you can do by calling us at 707-578-2121 or going to our website at www.journeycenter.org:

NEW!! Opening the Heart’s Gate through the Rhythm of Word and Silence: Hearing Jesus’ Parables as Zen Christian Koans ( Introductory Evening on Friday, February 24, 7:00-9:00 p.m. and Silent Retreat Day on Saturday, February 25, 10:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m.) You are invited to join Revs. David and Christy Parks-Ramage for one or both of the events below. The parables and sayings of Jesus, used in silent prayer and meditation as koans, open our hearts to God’s healing presence. View the Opening the Heart’s Gate poster

-Friday Night Introductory Evening: This is an introduction to silent meditation and the use of parables as Zen Christian Koans. Jesus used stories (he called them parables) to help people experience the realm of God’s presence (kingdom of God). In this he was like the ancient
Ch”an Masters of China who taught using stories called koans. A koan is a story or statement that cannot be understood by rational thinking, but is understood intuitively. The parables and sayings of Jesus, used in silent prayer and meditation as koans, open our hearts to God’s healing presence.

-Saturday Retreat/A Quiet Day for Spiritual Exploration and Discovery - Our day together will be held in the stillness of God’s presence. Inviting Spirit to lead, we will use the spiritual discipline of silent meditation as we keep company with the parables and sayings of Jesus. The words of Jesus come alive in new ways when we hear them from a place of silence. Like Zen Koans, the parables of Jesus are explorations rather than explanations of sacred reality. When used in silent prayer and meditation as koans, they open the heart’s gate to our true life in God.

Facilitators: David and Christy bring a life-long passion for the spiritual life to their ministry.  Both are actively engaged with the interfaith dialogue between Christianity and Buddhism, bringing the experience of meditation to their Christian faith. Christy has an M.A. in comparative religion from Indiana University. David is a spiritual director trained at the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation. David and Christy both studied with Henri Nouwen while students at Yale Divinity School. They have engaged in the practice of ministry for 30 years.
Cost: The Friday evening session is $10. The Saturday retreat is $20. If you register for both events, the total cost is $25. Registration is required. Please bring a bag lunch for Saturday.
Location: Both events will be held at The Journey Center, Santa Rosa

May you be blessed on your journey!

Joanna Quintrell and the Journey Center staff
The Journey Center
1601 Fourth Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95404
707-578-2121
www.journeycenter.org

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Reflections and Resources January 23 by Joanna Quintrell

Posted on January 24, 2012 by publicity@journeycenter.org

photo of plantGreetings from the Journey Center staff!

After a long stretch of “cold and dry”, the rain has come back to Northern California and the earth soaks up this marvelous live-giving gift. Whether we are a person who enjoys the rain or not, we know that it is truly needed by all of Creation. The hills are responding by showing off their deepening green coat of grass. Plants and trees have perked up and our reservoirs and snow pack are headed in the right direction once again. Yes, the rain is indeed a gift and we are so grateful for the deep soaking that has come.

As I walked outside this morning during a lull between storms, I realized that I have been in a “cold and dry” season spiritually. There are many reasons for this and perhaps you are (or have been) in a similar place. When I get busy and distracted, when I forget to take the time to tend to my heart…it is like I am in a season where the rain is scarce and dryness is my experience. If I allow myself to look a bit more deeply, though, I do have to admit that perhaps a better image (which I’ve shared before) is that the rain is falling but I have put up my umbrella. What is that rain? I believe it is the life-giving, spirit-watering gift of Love…for which we all long and without which we do find ourselves in a desert experience.

I invite you to join me as we put down our umbrellas (whatever keeps us from opening ourselves to the Spirit’s presence and touch) and allow the Living Water of God’s love to soak into our spirits, to touch us and to transform us.

There are a number of wonderful workshops, groups and gatherings being offered at the Journey Center in the next couple of weeks…different pathways for experiencing the Love that surrounds and supports us. If you would like to attend one or more of these events, please register on our website (www.journeycenter.org ) or by calling us at 707-578-2121. We hope to see you soon!

·This Thursday (January 26; 7-9 p.m.) is a very special gathering, our first Evening of Sacred Hebrew Chant and Music. Dr. Sheila Katz has previously facilitated two workshops at the Journey Center; this gathering is not a workshop, but an opportunity for those who desire to praise the Holy One with song, music and silence. Sacred chant is a practice of spiritual communal worship that is embodied and contemplative. Everyone’s voice is invited into the mix and the blend creates a chorus that envelops the group and shapes everyone’s prayer experience. The repetitive, active chanting of simple Hebrew verses from scripture will be followed by periods of silence, allowing time for integration and reflection. Sheila is the co-founder and Executive Director of Beit Ayin, a national non-profit that brings Jewish spiritual practice to people through sacred chanting, meditation, storytelling and movement.  She will be accompanied by Brian Lemesh, a musician and composer for 22 years, who provides the music for Jewish chanting and Kabbalat shabbats for several North Bay synagogues, and with the Beit Ayin band. Cost: $15.   View the Evening of Sacred Hebrew Chant and Music poster

·This Sunday, January 29 (6:30-8:30 p.m.) Julie Miller is offering something new…the first Evening of Natural Reflection gathering…and it’s free! Julie has joined our team of spiritual directors and offers this opportunity for you to get together with others to enjoy a 30-minute reading/reflection on some aspect of how we encounter the Holy in nature, followed by a time of just plain “hanging out” in the beautiful Journey Center. (Those of you who are not able to come by during our daytime hours will appreciate this!).  View the Evening of Natural Reflection poster

·NEW!! Creativity Released: Reawakening the Artist Inside of Us (Saturday, February 4; 1-5 p.m.) This class is for people who feel they have an artistic talent and have buried it rather than developed it and for people who simply want to have a more meaningful artistic life. We will engage in a number of activities to call out the artist and creativity in each participant. Kathy Cia White is a local artist who is passionate about helping others release their creative gifts.  Cost: $20 + a $10 materials fee.   View the Creativity Released poster

·Join spiritual director Alexandra Montoya for a half-day Centering Prayer Retreat on Sunday, February 5 (1-4 p.m.). This is an invitation to and extended time of quiet in the presence of the Holy One. This retreat day will offer silence, a variety of contemplative prayer practices, such as prayer walk, lectio divina and journaling, as well as several centering prayer sits. Cost: $15.  View the Centering Prayer Retreat poster

·For those of you interested in the Enneagram, a spiritual approach to understanding the nine personality types, we have two workshops and two groups coming up:
-A free Introductory Workshop this Wednesday, January 25 (6:30-9:00 p.m.) and a 5-week Enneagram Exploration group (Wednesdays, Feb. 1-29)  with Joanna Quintrell View the Enneagram for Beginners Series poster

-A Guest Enneagram teacher workshop with Kathryn Grant (The Wings and Arrows of Outrageous Fortune), this Saturday, January 28 (9-4 ) and our monthly “Going Deeper with the Enneagram” session on Monday, February 6 (6:30-9:00 p.m.) View the Enneagram for those Familiar Series poster

·Our monthly Healing Prayer Gathering will take place on Friday, February 3 (6-7 p.m.). View the Contemplative Prayer Gathering poster

And here are quick links to the rest of the February offerings, so that you can plan ahead a bit if you see something that will be a blessing to you:

THE CONTEMPLATIVE LIFE SERIES:

·Walking the Path Together, a monthly spirituality support group facilitated by spiritual director Dick Meyer (Thursday, February 2; 7-8:30 p.m.). View the Walking the Path Together and Reading Group poster

·Walk by the Spirit, a special class with spiritual director, Cecilia Tonna (Saturday, February 11; 9 a.m.-noon).  View the Walk by the Spirit Group poster

·Come Away…to a Quiet Time gathering with spiritual director, Alexandra Montoya (Mondays, Feb. 13 and 27 and Friday, Feb. 17; 5:30-7:00 p.m.). View the A Quiet Time Poster

·NEW!! Opening the Heart’s Gate through the Rhythm of Word and Silence: Hearing Jesus’ Parables as Zen Christian Koans-Introduction (Friday, Feb. 24: 7-9 p.m.) & Silent Retreat Day (Saturday, Feb. 25; 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m.) with Revs. David and Christy Parks-Ramage. The parables and sayings of Jesus, used in silent prayer and meditation as koans, open our hearts to God’s healing presence. View the Opening the Heart’s Gate poster

·Our regular, free gatherings for prayer and meditation: View the Contemplative Gatherings poster

SPIRITUAL DIRECTION:

·For an introduction to Spiritual we offer at Direction, which is at the core of everything the Journey Center, plan on attending this free workshop… An Invitation to Encounter the Holy (Friday, February 10; 7-9 p.m.). Facilitated by two of the Journey Center’s spiritual directors. View the Spiritual Direction Workshop poster

May you be blessed as you put down your umbrella and soak in the Living Water…

Joanna Quintrell and the Journey Center staff

The Journey Center
1601 Fourth Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95404
707-578-2121
www.journeycenter.org
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Reflections and Resources-January by Joanna Quintrell

Posted on January 18, 2012 by publicity@journeycenter.org

photo of plantGreetings from the Journey Center staff!

I’ve been watching the vegetables in my garden be “confused” by the weather we are having…it is so cold at night, sometimes below freezing. By morning, they are covered with frost and looking wilted and stressed. But then the sun shines all day and it actually gets quite warm, and they perk up. It looks to me that just about the time they decide they can put a little energy into growing, the sun goes down and they find themselves back under a blanket of coldness. So mostly they just sit there and not much happens in terms of growth.

I don’t know about you, but life can feel a lot like that to me. I am so aware lately that the warmth of the joys of life AND the coldness of the pain I also encounter seem to go hand-in-hand…both are present and true at the same time.  There are blessings and grace in the midst of pain…. and grief in the midst of joy. No wonder I sometimes feel confused, too!

As we journey through life experiencing all that it means to be human, there are some things that truly help us to keep growing in the midst of it all. Everyone’s list of what those things are is unique and there are also some basic things that we need for growth, just because we are human: love, an experience of the Holy, community, places where we can share our experiences and be heard…and a balance of taking care of ourselves and giving to others.

At the Journey Center, we offer a variety of resources and gathering places where these very things can be received as you seek to keep growing and learning and experiencing transformation in your life and relationships. If you read on, you’ll see what we are offering the rest of this month and we want you to know that we’d love to see you and have the opportunity to be companions on your journey!

THE CONTEMPLATIVE LIFE SERIES:

·NEW Workshop with Helen Cepero who is here from Alaska!! Writing the Sacred: A Psalm-Inspired Path- (Saturday January 21, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.)
In describing different aspects of our relationship with the Creator and of living in the world, the Psalms invite us to see the holy in the ordinary–and also in times of suffering and exaltation. They are the authentic voice of our common humanity. This workshop will offer gentle writing exercises that encourage you to stretch your imagination, express your emotions and experiment with forms of language inspired by the words and forms of the Psalms.  Facilitated by Helen Cepero, spiritual director, author and co-director of the spiritual direction training program at the Journey Center. She lives in Anchorage, Alaska. Her book, Journaling as a Spiritual Practice: Encountering God Through Attentive Writing, was published in 2008.  View the Writing the Sacred
Poster

·NEW!! An Evening of “Natural Reflection” with Julie Miller, spiritual director ( Sunday, January 29, 2012, 6:30-8:30 p.m.).Have you wanted to come to the Journey Center to enjoy the space but you are not available during the weekdays? From 6:30-7:00 p.m. we will enjoy a contemplative reading of a piece of literature that captures the way we encounter the Holy in nature. The rest of the evening is available for you to enjoy our WIFI access, prayer, conversation, a chance to read or meditate.  View the Evening of Natural Reflection poster

THE HEALTH AND HEALING SERIES:

·New!! How Honey Can Benefit Your Health (Sunday, January 22: 2:00-5:00p) Honey is an amazing gift from our Creator! Using honey both internally and externally can give your body amazing results and is especially useful for burns, allergies, arthritis and osteoporosis. Join beekeeper Emery Dann to learn about the miracle of bees and hives and the many practical everyday  uses for honey.   View the How Honey Can Benefit Your Health poster

THE SHARING THE SACRED/JOURNEYING WITH OTHERS SERIES:

·An Evening of Sacred Hebrew Chant and Music (Thursday, January 26, 2012, 7:00-9:00 p.m.). Sacred chant is a practice of spiritual communal worship that is embodied and contemplative. Everyone’s voice is invited into the mix and the blend creates a chorus that envelops the group and shapes everyone’s prayer experience.  Sheila Katz, PhD is co-founder and Executive Director of Beit Ayin, a national non-profit that brings Jewish spiritual practice to people through sacred chanting, meditation, storytelling and movement. Brian Lemesh, a musician and composer for 22 years, provides the music for Jewish chanting and Kabbalat shabbats for several North Bay synagogues, and with the Beit Ayin band.     View the Evening of Sacred Hebrew Chant and Music poster

THE SPECIAL EVENTS SERIES:

If you are thinking about this evening, please register in advance as without a minimum number of folks, Julie will have to cancel the evening.  PLUS, there will be free hot, homemade soup and bread served at 6pm for anyone interested in joining us early for a bite!

·Repeated from Fall 2011 by popular demand…Digging Deep in Israel: Archaeology and the Excavation of Faith Insights in the Holy Land ( Wednesday, January 18, 2012, 6:30-8:30 p.m.). Julie Miller spent five weeks this past summer participating in an archaeological dig at Tel Gezer, an ancient city that guarded the western entry into Jerusalem. Julie will give us glimpses into “a day in the life of an archaeologist” and the discoveries made, as well as share insights into how historical evidence has informed her faith.  View the Digging Deep in Israel poster

THE ENNEAGRAM SERIES:
·The Enneagram: A Tool for Transformation (Free Introductory Workshop on Wednesday, January 25, 2012, 6:30-9:00 p.m.)
Join Joanna Quintrell, spiritual director at the Journey Center, for this free workshop designed to introduce you to the Enneagram, an ancient tool for personal and relational transformation. You will learn a lot about yourself and others in a relaxed and fun setting! This is a great workshop to bring a friend or relative to.    View the Enneagram for Beginners Series poster

Blessings to you on your journey!

Joanna Quintrell and the Journey Center staff
The Journey Center
1601 Fourth Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95404
707-578-2121
www.journeycenter.org

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New Beginnings by Joan LaViolette

Posted on January 9, 2012 by publicity@journeycenter.org
It is time to use what I learned about myself during my winter of reflection. I seem to always go deep within during November and December, then come January I am ready to begin anew and refeshed spiritually. My goal for 2012 is to walk closer with my God, my Higher Power every day. I have given this much thought and finally asked God if he had any ideas about my journey.  Of course, the answer is not new to me. It was to pray every day from the moment I awaken to the end of the day and somtimes pray in my sleep. I often doubt that praying is enough of a mission for God.  I wonder if I shouldn’t go to a different country that really needs people to help; I truly struggle with this. Then my God lets me know that prayer is enough.  There will appear a person or situation that I feel compelled to pray about.I find a place where homeless people are and they need prayer, or someone will ask me for prayer. God always gives me direction, I just do not listen all the time. He has shown me that anytime one prays, you add love and hope to the Universe.

The Universe and our world really need positive forms of energy now. We all need lots of love and hope for the conditions we find ourselves in. I encourage you to ask your God what He/She wants you to do for the improvement of the world and I bet He answers you. When your mind is going in so many different directions just stop and ask Him.  He might just tap you on the shoulder, nod His head and say “I need you to pray .”

Happy New Year
Joan L

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