I’ve been silent here for quite awhile…mainly due to client copywriting projects…but there has been one project that has been very dear to my heart, and I’d like to share it here. Unabashed promotional spot, and the topic stands at the core of the perspective that drives this blog.
So you might say it’s “a word from our sponsor…”
I’ve written a good bit about Creation Spirituality and the work of theologian/author/activist Matthew Fox, Ph.D. Two years ago I spent four months walking through his most famous book, Original Blessing, experiencing the four paths (experiences of the Divine – awe and wonder; grief, loss, and emptying; co-creation; and working for cultural transformation).
It was a journey that brought – and continues to bring – deep healing and change to my life, feeding my need for a mature spiritual approach that supports inward connection to the Divine rather than hierarchical authority…
- a creation-honoring approach that sees the Divine in all things and all things reflecting the Divine…
- a healing approach that honors the dark night of the soul as an organic part of the spiritual life and a step toward wisdom, compassion and strength…
- an empowering approach that affirms the ability, right and responsibility of all people to fulfill their creative gifts…
- a challenging approach that calls for action toward justice based on conscience.
Untold thousands have shared similar deep shifts through Original Blessing and Dr. Fox’s 29 other works, not to mention the two graduate programs and university he established, which have changed the culture and are reflected in today’s Occupy movement. Creation Spirituality communities have sprung up around the world, offering a fresh new approach to communal spiritual practice and support for evolving spiritual circles.
And from July 27-29, in Rockville, MD, Dr. Fox will be offering a keynote and workshop at Awakening Imagination for Transformation, a Gathering of Creation Spirituality Communities.
Hosted by Evolve Chesapeake – the Annapolis-based Creation Spirituality Community where I have found deep acceptance, affirmation and support toward healing – and the international network of Creation Spirituality Communities, the radically inclusive weekend will also feature workshops on community-building, spiritual activism, art as meditation and body prayer.
Building spiritual community is the focus of the conference on Friday, with speakers from regional Creation Spirituality communities sharing stories of celebrating awe and wonder, navigating pain, conflict and loss, co-creating new solutions, and bearing witness for social, environmental, and gender justice.
Dr. Fox’s Friday night keynote is followed by Saturday workshops on developing a mature, mystical, creative, and socially engaged spiritual practice in the age of Occupy. The day climaxes with “Dancing with Dragons,” the first-ever D.C.-area Cosmic Celebration ritual, inspired by the famous post-modern Cosmic Mass, which Dr. Fox developed 16 years ago to incorporate multi-media audio/video streaming, interspiritual mythology, and dance-based worship. First offered in Oakland, CA, the Cosmic Mass is now celebrated internationally.
The gathering ends with a colorful and reverential Sunday visit to the Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial, followed by a picnic and Sacred Gathering at Evolve Chesapeake, the Chesapeake Creation Spirituality Community, located at 351 Bestgate Road in Annapolis, MD.
The planning committee has worked hard to make the weekend financially accessible to all; you can attend only Dr. Fox’s Friday night keynote ($15), the Saturday workshops and Cosmic Celebration ($95) or the full weekend ($225). Work study is available if needed!
For more information, check out the event website at http://www.awakeningimagination4transformation.com.
Hoping to see you there!