http://www.nouwenlegacy.com/papers/2011/HN-Spiritual-Polarities-Launch2011.pdf
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Henri Nouwen and Spiritual Polarities Retreat Series
For more information, check out:
http://www.nouwenlegacy.com/papers/2011/HN-Spiritual-Polarities-Launch2011.pdf
http://www.nouwenlegacy.com/papers/2011/HN-Spiritual-Polarities-Launch2011.pdf
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
WELCOME 2011
Saturday, January 01, 2011
EXPECTING A SURPRISE
Each day holds a surprise. But only if we expect it can we see, hear, or feel it when it comes to us. Let's not be afraid to receive each day's surprise, whether it comes to us as sorrow or as joy. It will open a new place in our hearts, a place where we can welcome new friends and celebrate more fully our shared humanity.
(Henri Nouwen - Bread for the Journey)
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
Monday, March 08, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
RETREAT UPDATES
Please make sure you post your Personal Introduction this week if you have not done so yet.
Monday, January 18, 2010
WELCOME TO THE FIRST COHORT OF PARTICIPANTS!
Patti Yukawa/Rebecca Janes/Jeanne Roach/Nancy Coburn/Flor Samson/Jovy Lam/Rick Oxenham/Jonathan Mitchell/Jackson Chan/Roy Inzunza/Sharon Hart/Candace Kelly/Millie Sterz/Gary Purtee/Frank Ponnet/Margreth Knirsch/Gene Ano/Jimmy Tan . . .
APPLICATION IS NOW OVER! Deadline for Registration is Feb. 12.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
Saturday, November 07, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
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Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
One-Day Nouwen Retreat on Sept. 26 in Orange
To register, contact Gerri - gscharff@csjorange.org (714-744-3175 ext. 4409)
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
CONCLUSION
Henri Nouwen was truly a man for others. When he companioned others, he gave unreservedly of himself because he had a full self to give, a self anchored upon his true, spiritual identity before God as God’s beloved. His effectiveness to reach out in love to the world was directly contingent upon the extent to which he allowed God’s love to reach in to the very depths of his experience. Living “from the center of our being, where our identity is defined by God, not others,” Nouwen pointed out, is what enables us to care and thus minister with real depth and effectiveness. It is true that in ministry, you can only give what you have—and who you are. Nouwen was effective in his ministry of spiritual caregiving because he knew who he was as a minister. Thus the more he embraced that truth and claimed it for himself the more empowered he felt to extend himself to others in ministry. Ministry, to him, is precisely that—“the giving of self.”
Henri Nouwen ministered to others in a soul-deep capacity that distinguishes him as one of the most effective spiritual care providers of all time. Whether in his role as a priest, a pastor, or a prophet, Nouwen shepherded people as one who truly and deeply cared for their spiritual well-being. Behind his intensely personal and caring focus to ministry also lies the conviction that such an approach holds relevance for our technological age: “Scientism cannot replace personalism. Techniques cannot replace ministry. Rationalism cannot replace sensitivity.” Given this conviction, Nouwen decried the growing tendency of “professionalization” in ministry. In his commitment to dismantle the constant elevation of hierarchy in ministry, Nouwen stressed the fact that “[w]e are all healers who can reach out to offer health, and we all are patients in constant need of help. Only this realization can keep professionals from becoming distant technicians and those in need of care from feeling used or manipulated.” Ministry relationship, Henri Nouwen insisted, “can never completely be understood within the logic of a professional contract.” By his own example, Nouwen functioned in every way, as a fully alive, engaged spiritual companion in the journey of people’s lives.
In a life-giving way, Henri Nouwen ministered personally, spiritually, creatively, holistically, and most of all, integratively. The integrated dynamics he utilized in his ministry of formation proved to be effective not because they represented workable tools anyone could dispense on demand but because they embodied his very being—the integrated person that he was. Simply put, his entire ministry was characterized by a ministry of integration primarily because he, first of all, lived out a spirituality of integration. His ministry was but an overflow of his spirituality. Unquestionably, Nouwen ministered out of who he was as a person—a person of deep integrity.
Henri Nouwen’s work of soul care and spiritual formation was never about techniques. Neither was it about programs and curricula—important as they are in ministry. More importantly, it was definitely not about “roles” even though multiple roles have been attached to his person. In the final analysis, it is about the person of Henri Nouwen that made his ministry distinct and undoubtedly fruitful. It is Nouwen’s lived spirituality flowing out of his integrated being that made all the difference. Nouwen, from the start, espoused a unified schema of spirituality which he himself lived out consisting of three integrated movements: to self, to others, and to God. It is a spirituality of integration rooted in the Great Commandment with its equally unified and intersecting dimensions: the love of God, others, and self. This is what made Henri Nouwen a soul companion par excellence!
Sunday, August 02, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Henri Nouwen on Spiritual Direction
Henri Nouwen seized the practice of spiritual direction for his own sake and for the sake of others. He sought direction for himself when he needed it and gave direction to others who asked for it. Creatively, he was able to draw from its rich diversity of expressions while at the same time wisely focusing on its most fundamental thrust: listening to God.
As if to wipe out its rhetorical mist and in the process demystifying it, Nouwen—in his characteristic simplicity—boiled down his definition of spiritual direction to that of “direction given to people in their relationship with God.” God is the ultimate focus of spiritual direction. It is not jut a one-on-one but a one-with-one encounter. For Nouwen, “a spiritual director simply was someone who talks to you and pray with you about your life.” Nouwen focused on this crucial component of prayer which is the lifeblood of any true spiritual direction relationship.
As many practicing spiritual directors would attest, at the heart of the spiritual direction experience is the dynamic of prayer. Henri Nouwen painted the profile of a spiritual director as someone mature “from whom we can expect prayerful guidance in our constant struggle to discern God’s active presence in our lives.” As he explained further, “the prayer life of the spiritual director is the source of his or her own directing ministry. To be a spiritual director means to share one’s prayer with the searching other.” Moreover, Nouwen regarded prayer as “an outward, careful attentiveness to the One who invites us to an unceasing conversation.”
Fundamentally, Nouwen believed “prayer is an attitude of open heart, silently in tune with the Spirit of God, revealing itself in gratitude and contemplation.” In saying this he noted the primary thrust of prayer as that of listening and waiting. This involves the art of discernment. Henri Nouwen brings to our attention the reality that authentic spiritual direction “means that ... people come together to listen to the direction of the Spirit.” The Holy Spirit must be acknowledged ultimately to be the real director.
As Henri Nouwen underscored, spiritual direction, “offers prayerful presence, wise counsel, and careful guidance by a spiritual friend who is sensitive to the movements of the Spirit ...” In short, everything about spiritual direction revolves around the twin dynamics of prayer and discernment. In it, we pray as we discern and discern as we pray. What made Henri Nouwen the effective spiritual director that he was can largely be attributed to the fact that he refused to stray from these two focal points; instead, he relied heavily on the Spirit’s work to use the crucial avenues of prayer and discernment to effect inner change in people’s lives. He prayed and discerned out of a deep motivation in his heart to see this kind of change take place.
Andrew Dreitcer, one of Nouwen’s former students at Yale remarked: “We learned spiritual direction primarily because Henri modeled it for us. He showed u show to be the spiritual friend, the sacred companion. He offered us the space and time to be companions to one another.” Dreitcer’s words sum up the kind of versatile journey companion Henri Nouwen was to many people. He filled the oftentimes indistinguishable roles of a spiritual friend, a spiritual guide, a spiritual mentor, a spiritual director effortlessly. He was able to do so because this was precisely who he was—a well-integrated soul companion on life’s sacred journey.
As if to wipe out its rhetorical mist and in the process demystifying it, Nouwen—in his characteristic simplicity—boiled down his definition of spiritual direction to that of “direction given to people in their relationship with God.” God is the ultimate focus of spiritual direction. It is not jut a one-on-one but a one-with-one encounter. For Nouwen, “a spiritual director simply was someone who talks to you and pray with you about your life.” Nouwen focused on this crucial component of prayer which is the lifeblood of any true spiritual direction relationship.
As many practicing spiritual directors would attest, at the heart of the spiritual direction experience is the dynamic of prayer. Henri Nouwen painted the profile of a spiritual director as someone mature “from whom we can expect prayerful guidance in our constant struggle to discern God’s active presence in our lives.” As he explained further, “the prayer life of the spiritual director is the source of his or her own directing ministry. To be a spiritual director means to share one’s prayer with the searching other.” Moreover, Nouwen regarded prayer as “an outward, careful attentiveness to the One who invites us to an unceasing conversation.”
Fundamentally, Nouwen believed “prayer is an attitude of open heart, silently in tune with the Spirit of God, revealing itself in gratitude and contemplation.” In saying this he noted the primary thrust of prayer as that of listening and waiting. This involves the art of discernment. Henri Nouwen brings to our attention the reality that authentic spiritual direction “means that ... people come together to listen to the direction of the Spirit.” The Holy Spirit must be acknowledged ultimately to be the real director.
As Henri Nouwen underscored, spiritual direction, “offers prayerful presence, wise counsel, and careful guidance by a spiritual friend who is sensitive to the movements of the Spirit ...” In short, everything about spiritual direction revolves around the twin dynamics of prayer and discernment. In it, we pray as we discern and discern as we pray. What made Henri Nouwen the effective spiritual director that he was can largely be attributed to the fact that he refused to stray from these two focal points; instead, he relied heavily on the Spirit’s work to use the crucial avenues of prayer and discernment to effect inner change in people’s lives. He prayed and discerned out of a deep motivation in his heart to see this kind of change take place.
Andrew Dreitcer, one of Nouwen’s former students at Yale remarked: “We learned spiritual direction primarily because Henri modeled it for us. He showed u show to be the spiritual friend, the sacred companion. He offered us the space and time to be companions to one another.” Dreitcer’s words sum up the kind of versatile journey companion Henri Nouwen was to many people. He filled the oftentimes indistinguishable roles of a spiritual friend, a spiritual guide, a spiritual mentor, a spiritual director effortlessly. He was able to do so because this was precisely who he was—a well-integrated soul companion on life’s sacred journey.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Henri Nouwen on Spiritual Mentoring
Henri Nouwen was a good friend to many people and a close friend to a number of special individuals. As well, he is considered by many as their spiritual guide even today. To a select few, Nouwen was both a friend to those he guided and a guide to those he befriended. There were also those who looked to Nouwen as their spiritual mentor. Indeed he did not just serve as a friend and guide to many: he mentored specific people in specific ways as well.
People were drawn to Henri Nouwen for the wealth of wisdom and experience he possessed. For his part, Nouwen was only too willing and eager to share his insights and gifts with those seeking him out for spiritual help. It was in his very nature to always seek to bring out the best in people. Somehow people picked up that bent of his that is why they came to him wanting to learn.
“How can I help you get to where you are going?” was exactly the kind of question Henri Nouwen would ask the individuals to whom he ministered. His aim was always that people might be freed to be who they were called to be. Herein lies the heart of a real guide and mentor, one of selfless giving for the others’ sake. It is said that a good mentor releases the mentoree to be his or her own person, empowering them to live out their true identity and calling. Nouwen lived such characteristic well for he was definitely not after advancing his own agenda. On the contrary, he was always committed to empowering others.
Henri Nouwen’s mentoring style rested firmly on the foundation of relationship. Spiritual theologian James Houston affirms this vital foundation by emphasizing that “spiritual mentors matter most when the spiritual life is centered upon spiritual friendships.” To Joe Vorstermans, who spent ten years working with Nouwen at L’Arche Daybreak, Nouwen was definitely a mentor-friend with whom he experienced a genuinely nurturing and caring relationship that he never once felt toward his earthly father. When asked to identify Nouwen’s influence upon him as a mentor, it is Nouwen’s fearlessness that first came to his mind. As he recounted, “Henri unhesitatingly moved into my life and the risks he took only resulted in my own growth and development as a person.”
Many others testified of Nouwen’s lingering relational influence via his ministry of mentoring. Parker Palmer, the famed educator, wrote this short piece in his journal in loving memory of Henri Nouwen, his mentor and friend: “Henri’s spirit continues to call me … to more openness and vulnerability, more shared humanity and mutual healing, even—and perhaps especially—when the subject is so difficult that words seem to fail.” In depicting Nouwen’s overall mentoring impact, author Ron Rolheiser could not have phrased it better:
By sharing his own struggles, he mentored us all, helping us to pray while not knowing how to pray, to rest while feeling restless, to be at peace while tempted, to feel safe while still anxious, to be surrounded by a cloud of light while still in darkness, and to love while still in doubt.
Henri Nouwen was not just a mentor; he was a mentor-friend. As a mentor-friend, he offered wise guidance necessary to direct others to their own chosen path. On many occasions, Nouwen likewise functioned as a sensitive, discerning spiritual director. This final role is what we will tackle and focus on next—Nouwen as a spiritual director.
People were drawn to Henri Nouwen for the wealth of wisdom and experience he possessed. For his part, Nouwen was only too willing and eager to share his insights and gifts with those seeking him out for spiritual help. It was in his very nature to always seek to bring out the best in people. Somehow people picked up that bent of his that is why they came to him wanting to learn.
“How can I help you get to where you are going?” was exactly the kind of question Henri Nouwen would ask the individuals to whom he ministered. His aim was always that people might be freed to be who they were called to be. Herein lies the heart of a real guide and mentor, one of selfless giving for the others’ sake. It is said that a good mentor releases the mentoree to be his or her own person, empowering them to live out their true identity and calling. Nouwen lived such characteristic well for he was definitely not after advancing his own agenda. On the contrary, he was always committed to empowering others.
Henri Nouwen’s mentoring style rested firmly on the foundation of relationship. Spiritual theologian James Houston affirms this vital foundation by emphasizing that “spiritual mentors matter most when the spiritual life is centered upon spiritual friendships.” To Joe Vorstermans, who spent ten years working with Nouwen at L’Arche Daybreak, Nouwen was definitely a mentor-friend with whom he experienced a genuinely nurturing and caring relationship that he never once felt toward his earthly father. When asked to identify Nouwen’s influence upon him as a mentor, it is Nouwen’s fearlessness that first came to his mind. As he recounted, “Henri unhesitatingly moved into my life and the risks he took only resulted in my own growth and development as a person.”
Many others testified of Nouwen’s lingering relational influence via his ministry of mentoring. Parker Palmer, the famed educator, wrote this short piece in his journal in loving memory of Henri Nouwen, his mentor and friend: “Henri’s spirit continues to call me … to more openness and vulnerability, more shared humanity and mutual healing, even—and perhaps especially—when the subject is so difficult that words seem to fail.” In depicting Nouwen’s overall mentoring impact, author Ron Rolheiser could not have phrased it better:
By sharing his own struggles, he mentored us all, helping us to pray while not knowing how to pray, to rest while feeling restless, to be at peace while tempted, to feel safe while still anxious, to be surrounded by a cloud of light while still in darkness, and to love while still in doubt.
Henri Nouwen was not just a mentor; he was a mentor-friend. As a mentor-friend, he offered wise guidance necessary to direct others to their own chosen path. On many occasions, Nouwen likewise functioned as a sensitive, discerning spiritual director. This final role is what we will tackle and focus on next—Nouwen as a spiritual director.
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