Eremos Annual Gathering
was held on Sunday, 23rd October, 2011
from 12:30pm at the All Saints Anglican Church Hall, Hunters Hill.
The day began with the the Eremos Annual General Meeting. A full report of various activities from many of the Eremos groups is attached in PDF format (scroll down to the bottom of screen).
The meeting was followed by a BBQ lunch with an array of healthy and exotic salads by our award winning Eremos catering team.
After lunch popular writer and speaker, Dr Val Webb gave a thought-provoking presentation, Engaging the Sacred together in multifaith Australia. This keynote address (pictured above) took up themes from Val's most recent book Stepping out with the Sacred: Human Attempts to Engage the Divine.
This latest book has been met with welcome reviews for its fresh insights and engaging style. Margaret Ray writes: Webb “treks across many landscapes and cultures seeking to understand their sacred experiences” and to offer ways of stepping outside our personal “boxes”. Her work succeeds in expanding the vistas, setting Christianity in the context of the universal human search for Something More and acknowledging the truth of the insights of other traditions. For more information about Val see www.valwebb.com.au
The annual Eremos gathering finished with dessert coffee and converation. Keep an eye on Eremos announcements for a link to Val Webb's presentation from the event, the text of which will be made available soon.
Rev. Jane E. Vennard - tour of Australia, March 2011
Events took place in five cities - Sydney (8 & 26 March) – Melbourne (11-14 March) – Perth (18 & 19 March) - Alice Springs (24 March) and Canberra (28 March).
Reverend Jane E. Vennard is ordained to the special ministry of teaching and spiritual direction in the United Church of Christ (USA) and is a Senior Adjunct Faculty in the Iliff School of Theology, Denver, Colorado. She is an experienced presenter and writer of dozens of articles and six books in the areas of prayer and spiritual practice, including Praying with Body and Soul and A Praying Congregation.
Tuesday, 8th March – Sydney - 7:30-9:00pm
Prayer for all Seasons – A Conversation led by Jane Vennard
hosted by the ELM Centre and Eremos at the Centre for Ministry, North Parramatta.
Friday, 11th March to Sunday 13th March - Melbourne
Praying with Body and Soul – two days live-in retreat with Jane Vennard
7:30pm Friday – 3pm Sunday
Monday, 14th March - Melbourne
Hospitality: The Heart of Spiritual Direction
9:30am - 4:30pm Professional development day for Spiritual Directors.
Both events held at the Campion Centre for Ignatian Spirituality, Kew, VIC
Website: http://www.cis.jesuit.org.au/CampVennard.html
Friday, 18th March – Perth - 9:30am - 3:30pm
Hospitality: The Heart of Spiritual Direction
Full day professional development for those interested in spiritual companioning.
Saturday, 19th March – Perth - 9:30am - 3:30pm
Praying with Body & Soul – a retreat day led by Jane Vennard.
Both events held at the Dayspring Centre for Christian Spirituality and Counselling, Dianella, WA
Website: http://www.dayspring.org.au/Dayspring/Home.html
Thursday, 24th March – Alice Springs - 7:00pm
Praying Always and All Ways – a reflection time at Campfire in the Heart Retreat Centre.
Website: http://campfireintheheart.com.au/
Saturday, 26th March - Sydney - 10am to 4pm
Becoming Fully Alive - Spiritual Practice as a Way of Life - A day of reflection and renewal led by Jane Vennard and Rod Pattenden (Australian artist, educator & author).
At St Joseph’s Centre for Reflective Living - Baulkham Hills
Monday, 28th March – Canberra – 9:30am – 3pm
Spiritual Practices for the Journey
Full day professional development for those interested in spiritual companioning.
Venue: Jamison Holy Covenant Anglican Church, 89 Dexter Street, Cook ACT.
Eremos Annual General Meeting
was held on Sunday, 14th November, 2010
from 3:00pm at the Drummoyne Community Centre.
We began the event with author and activist, Donna Mulhearn, telling her story of involvement in the human shield movement in Iraq. How does a person hold contemplation and action together? Donna Mulhearn is author of the recently released book Ordinary Courage (www.ordinarycourage.org).
Afternoon tea was followed by the Eremos Annual General Meeting.
From 6pm we acknowledged Jacquie Pryor on the completion of 20+ years as editor of the Eremos Magazine.
James Alison - September and October, 2010
From mid-September, theologian James Alison visited Australia. His series of events in Sydney were hosted by the Eremos Institute.
Dr James Alison is a priest and theologian with a significant number of publications addressing issues of justice, theology and Christian life (www.jamesalison.co.uk). He has been greatly influenced by the philosophical work of Rene Girard and offers, in an accessible and inspiring style, an engagement with a theology of the everyday that brings justice and reconciliation.
Thursday, 23rd September, 2010
The Challenge of an Opening Horizon
The Gospel Shape of Gay and Lesbian Freedom
at Paddington Uniting Church
James explored his sense of the vacuum that can be seen in the life of the Church as the hate-filled ecclesiastical and biblical discourse with which we used to be characterised ebbs away. How are we to undergo being turned into Church by the One who’s Gospel has set us free?
Friday, 24th September, 2010
The Shape of God's Affection
Re-imagining the Good News of God
at Pitt Street Uniting Church, Sydney
James Alison outlined his understanding of Christianity as a theophany made by someone who likes us and wants to get through to us – resuming some of the themes that he will have looked at the John Main Seminar in Canterbury, in August 2010.
Saturday, 25th September, 2010
Undergoing God - God's moving Atonement
Co-hosted by United Theological College/Charles Sturt University
at the Centre for Ministry, 16 Masons Drive, North Parramatta
This day was broken into two main parts:
Morning: Exploring Atonement: some background texts
James Alison looked at the texts of the Transfiguration and the Garden of Gethsemane alongside some Pauline texts as ways of opening up different dimensions of God’s movement towards us in the Atonement.
Afternoon: Undergoing God: a meditative atonement update
James led a two hour guided meditation on the atonement, divided into three sessions, with breaks between each part. The purpose of this meditation is to allow those following it to get a sense of how Jesus, in going to his death, wove together the liturgical, political and personal elements of Atonement and how this can make sense for us now.
Mark Burrows - June and July, 2010
EREMOS was proud to present Professor Mark Burrows exploring how spirituality is sustained by the poetic imagination at Epping on Thursday, 1st July, 2010 What dreams does our world need to survive and thrive? How does creativity call us to lives of risk and hope, to a poetic way in a culture saturated with language that seldom inspires? As the psalmist once imagined God inspiring dreams among exiles, so we will engage poems that call us to the new creation which is always breaking in upon us. Mark believes that faith calls us to practices of mind and heart.
Whilst in Australia, Mark also presented a symposium on the poetry of Rilke with Stephanie Dowrick in Sydney on Wednesday, 30 June.
Mark also visited Adelaide - The Effective Living Centre, 5-11 July and preached at Christ Church Uniting, Wayville on Sunday 11 July.
Susan S Phillips toured Australia in March, 2010
Eremos was proud to support and promote a visit to Australia by Dr Susan S. Phillips, internationally acclaimed author and teacher.
Eremos still has a one copy of Susan Phillips' book "The Crisis of Care". Please order via events@eremos.org.au Check with your local Christian bookshop for availability of other titles or order them online through Susan's website - Published work page (link below).
Dr Susan S. Phillips is the Executive Director of New College Berkeley, an affiliate of the Graduate Theological Union. She is a spiritual director and sociologist, an Adjunct Professor of Spiritual Direction at San Francisco Theological Seminary, and is active in the Presbyterian Church (USA). Her writings include the award-winning The Crisis of Care: Affirming and Restoring Caring Practices in the Helping Professions (with Patricia Benner) and Candlelight: Illuminating the Art of Spiritual Direction. Susan's website www.susansphillips.com
Saturday, 13th March - Sacred Space and Sacred Time - a day of reflection, led by Susan with Noel Davis and Trish Watts.
Tuesday, 16th March - Issues of Theodicy and Suffering in Patient Care - In association with the NSW College of CPE at St Joseph's Hospital, Auburn.
Wednesday, 17th March - We Are What We Eat: Spiritual Practices for Everyday Living. At Campfire in the Heart, Alice Springs.
Tuesday, 23rd March - Garden or Circus: Metaphors We Live (and Die) By - In association with the Qld Institute of CPE, Inc.
“While some books on spiritual direction emphasize theology and theory and others are more practical and applied, Susan Phillips offers us something quite unique. We are invited to peek into sacred spaces, absorb poignant stories and watch the candle shed light and sketch shadows. Instead of the harshness of pragmatic, prescriptive and programmatic approaches to spirituality, one is left with a deep and gentle sense that God is here with us.” —Dr. Rod Wilson, President and Professor of Counselling and Psychology, Regent College, Vancouver, Canada
Br David Steindl-Rast's visit to Australia in May and June, 2009.
Eremos was proud to support and promote the tour of Australia by Brother David Steindl-Rast, Benedictine monk and spiritual authority. The tour included 11 opportunities to hear this gentle, yet dynamic speaker in 8 cities around Australia.
Br David spoke on the topics of Gratefulness, Prayer, Community, Contemplation, Spiritual Practices and Christian Faith in a New Millennium.
21st May - Brisbane, Qld - Hosted by Christian Brothers Oceania and the Edmund Rice Network.
23rd May - Rockhampton, Qld - Hosted by Catholic Religious Central Qld.
25th May - Mackay, Qld - Hosted by Catholic Religious Central Qld.
30th May - Hamilton / Newcastle - Hosted by Sisters of Saint Joseph, Lochinvar. To read a report and see photos from the day, go to http://www.ssjl.org.au/whats_new/index.htm
31st May and 1st June - Sydney - Hosted by Aquinas Academy (refer to http://www.aquinas-academy.com for more details or phone: (02) 9247 4651)
4th June - Adelaide, SA - St Paul's Retreat
Evening - Adelaide Town Hall. Hosted by Roy's Retreat. (Refer to www.roysretreat.com for further details or contact (08) 8556 4686
9th June - Alice Springs, NT - Twilight Retreat - Gratefulness. Hosted by Campfire in the Heart.
10th June - Perth, Western Australia. Hosted by Dayspring Centre for Christian Spirituality and Counselling.
After twelve years of monastic training and studies in philosophy and theology, Brother David was sent by his abbot to participate in Buddhist-Christian dialogue, for which he received Vatican approval in 1967. Together with Thomas Merton, Brother David helped launch a renewal of religious life in the early 1970s.
For decades, Brother David has divided his time between periods of hermit's life and extensive lecture tours on five continents. His presentations were well received when he visited Australia some 25 years ago and his message remained fresh throughout his 3 weeks of touring Australia again in 2009.
Visit Br David's own website www.gratefulness.org/brotherdavid/index.htm to find out more about Br David and his books and writings.
Email: events@eremos.org.au
