Anam Cara Spiritual Visioning Network: Spiritual Support & Resources for Transformative Times

Interfaith Worship Services and/or Conference Presentations / Weaving
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I am available to lead Interfaith Worship Services for your

Spiritual Community

Or as part of a Retreat

or Conference

 

 

 

These services could focus on bringing together people of different faiths to share their heritages, or could be an exploration of a theme or a scriptural passage that is relevant to your community. I can also work with a group within the congregation, to help them develop a creative sharing of their insights and experiences on a particular subject or congregational vision or issue.

I also delight in weaving together retreats and conferences with ritual, music and movement that not only complements, but expands on the themes of the conference and brings them into people’s experiential awareness in transformative ways.

 

 

A Small Sampling of Possible Topics:

 

INTERFAITH   AWARENESS

 

The Relevance of Jungian Psychology to Interfaith Dialogue

 

The Art of Living with Intention:  The Gifts of the Jewish High Holy Days

 

Honoring Indigenous Traditions: Finding our Own Earth-Centered Spiritual Path

 

The Gift of Compassionate Presence: An Exploration of Buddhist Practice

 

Celtic Spiritual Traditions that Nourish the Soul

 

The Dark Places of Wisdom: The Elusynian Mysteries and Our Western Philosophical Traditions

 

COMMUNITY LIFE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

 

Voluntary Simplicity and Freedom

 

Keeping Covenant With One Another:  The Healing Potential of Communities of Faith

 

Living in Conscious Community

 

The Transformative Power of Community

 

Healing our Divisions: Moving Beyond Self / Other Polarizations

 

Hear No Evil...   Confronting Society's Complicity in Trauma & Injustice

 

On Developing Sane Societies

 

Why the Political is Personal - Transformation AND Liberation

 

Spiritual Perspectives on Our Global Crisis

 

Climate Change and You:  Changing our Course

 

Refusing Cynicism:  Believing in Our Power to Create Change

 

Re-Imagining the World

 

Unmasking Pretension: The Role of the Sacred Fool, Jester,  Clown ,  and Trickster in Shaking Up Our Social Norms.

 

Liberation Theology and You:  Joining in Solidarity with the Oppressed

 

Earth Community:  Re-Visioning Our Place in the Family of Beings

 

Shared Ministry:  Mutuality in Fostering the Beloved Community

 

Covenental Theology:  Reclaiming the Transformative Power of our Sacred Commitments to One Another and to the Earth.

 

This Land is Your Land, This Land is My Land - How do we Undo the Damage?

 

Keepers of the Dream:  Guarding the Earth for the Seventh Generation 

 

 

SPIRITUAL LIFE AND PRACTICE

 

Developing a Spiritual Practice

 

Return to the Land of Your Soul: Reclaiming the Art of Silence and Solitude

 

Honoring the Sabbath: Hospitality to the Holy

 

The Healing Power of Dreams

 

The Role of Dance and Music in Our Spiritual Lives

 

Vision Quest: Wilderness Rite of Passage

 

Wisdom of the Heart:  Trusting our Intuitive Knowing

 

Aligning Our Intentions with the Rhythm of Life

 

Breaking the Shell that Encloses our Understanding: Pain and Limitation as Teacher

 

Doing Theology: Wrestling with Life's Big Questions with Integrity

 

Our Lives as Sacred Texts

 

Reclaiming Ritual for Personal and Communal Transformation

 

The Contemplative Activist: Mysticism and Social Change

 

Original Sin / Original Blessing:  Knowing Ourselves Anew

 

Feminist and Womanist Theology: The Sacredness of Being in Right Relation

 

Honoring Life's Passages: Taking our Place in the Circle of Life

 

 

NATURE AND INSPIRATION

 

Sacred Hoop: The Importance of Nature in our Spiritual Lives and our Children's Development of Values

 

Creating Beauty: A Spiritual Imperative for Our Time

  

Dancing the Edge of Mystery

 

A Celebration of Night: Hearing Whispers of the Sacred in the Dark

 

Living the Questions:  Reflections on Rilke's Advice to a Young Poet

 

The Circle of Life:  Giving and Receiving as Sacred Reciprocity

 

Light to Read By: Literature and the Religious Imagination

 

Why are we Here?  What Greater Life Wants to Live in Us?:  Hospitality to the Mystery of Life

 

 

HOLIDAY SERVICES

 

Fully Alive on the Brink of a New Year – A New Year’s Service

 

Tending the Inner Fire - a Brigid’s Day Fireside Service – near Feb 1

 

Maundy Thursday Communion Service

 

Now the Green Blade Riseth: An Intergenerational Easter Service

 

Foolish Wisdom:  Sacred Play:  An April Fools Service

 

Motherhood as a Spiritual Art and Practice

 

Turning toward At-One-Ment: High Holy Days Reflection

 

Honoring the Ancestors: An All Souls Day Service

 

Thanksgiving Bread Making Service

 

Keep the Magic Alive: Celebrating Festivals of Lights and the Aurora Borealis

 

Flower Communion: A Celebration of the Gift of Life in Community

 

 

This is a small sampling: feel free to suggest a topic!

 

My background:

I have been leading worship services for over 25 years, primarily within the Unitarian Universalist Tradition, but also in interfaith gatherings and as part of my ongoing work as a Workshop and Retreat Facilitator. I received my formal training at Union Theological Seminary, which has a powerful tradition of creative and transformative community worship. For a year I worked with the Worship Office Staff, facilitating the planning process for groups who would be leading services, and helping to design the chapel space in creative ways.

 

I also sing songs of many traditions, especially Hebrew chants and holiday songs, Spanish songs, and sacred circle songs that bring communities together to affirm their values in heartfelt ways. I can sing solos a capella, or lead the community in song.  I can also integrate a simple folk dance or a movement meditation into the service, encouraging community participation in a non-threatening way.

 

It is my vision to fully integrate the arts, music, dance, healing forms of ritual, community participation, meditation, silence and sharing in a way that brings your community's services to life and fosters intergenerational bonds.

 

My fee for leading a one hour service is between $75-$200 (depending on size of congregation).  plus travel expenses. If you are a distance away, I would be happy to receive home hospitality with a congregational member to facilitate my arriving in a timely manner.   I like to coordinate the service with the congregations musicians, so that the music is an integral part of the service and complements the theme. I strive to integrate your own traditions and rituals while enlivening the service with meaningful creative elements. Services that involve a planning session with the congregation would cost an additional $100, and would include an powerful learning experience and educational handouts on facilitating worship.

 

I could also lead a workshop on Facilitating Worship for your congregation or Worship Committee.

 

I also welcome opportunities to collaborate in the weaving together of retreats, conferences and other transformative experiences.

 

Feel free to contact me at anamcaracenter@earthlink.net

Anam Cara Spiritual Visioning Network:
Spiritual Resources & Community  
for Transfomative Times
Jeanne Marie Merkel, M.Div
PO Box 371,  Mattituck, NY  11952      631-320-0277