We Are Beloved in Our Woundedness
Have you ever truly reflected upon your own belovedness? And, in searching for deeper meaning within your experiences of pain and hardship, have you wondered about the purpose of human suffering and how God might be present within it? As the perennial Lenten Season arrives this year, you are encouraged to pause contemplatively and consider these rich and necessary questions through a spiritual lens.
With this understanding, you are invited to join facilitator Gordon Creamer for a delicious lunch and dialogue about two seminal texts from renowned theologian and influential spiritual writer, Henri Nouwen. In both Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World and The Wounded Healer: Ministry in Contemporary Society, Nouwen explores what it means to acknowledge our brokenness and awaken to the abiding love that God always has for us. Throughout these poignant texts, he continuously inspires individuals to recognize and integrate what it means to live as God’s beloved, even within our respective woundedness and unique life journeys.
During the program portion, participants will have opportunities for engaging in prayerful pauses, creative and spiritual-oriented exercises around excerpts from each text, and group dialogue sessions all within sacred community. Prior reading of Life of the Beloved or The Wounded Healer is not mandatory for active participation. Please bring along a journal for use during the program. Guided by Gordon Creamer.
Gordon Creamer, MA, creator of the Mission Bridge, currently serves as Program Director at Well for the Journey, a spiritual wellness center in Lutherville, Maryland. He has held leadership roles in healthcare programming and operations since 2001 at various assisted living, skilled nursing, and hospice communities. He earned a Master of Arts in Spiritual & Pastoral Care from Loyola University and a Master of Arts in Theology from the Ecumenical Institute of St. Mary’s Seminary & University. Currently, he is a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry Program at the Ecumenical Institute. Gordon has facilitated numerous retreats and workshops that focus on creating opportunities for participants to explore and enhance their spirituality and well-being through various media and formats. He also participates as a peer group leader in the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation’s Transforming Community Program. His passions include uplifting the journey of adults, individuals with memory impairment, and members of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as fostering support groups and programs for caregivers and those who are grieving losses. Trained as a spiritual director/companion, end-of-life doula, and Reiki practitioner, Gordon welcomes all in discovering the spiritual life as a means of healing, expanding, and flourishing. For more information, visit TheMissionBridge.com.