Awareness

Awareness

Holy Wisdom MonasteryCCR, Center for Clergy Renewal (CCR), Pastors' Stories, Uncategorized 1 Comment

Submitted by Kathleen Owens (she/her), Manager of Clergy Programming and Communications for the Center for Clergy Renewal at Holy Wisdom Monastery James Salimes was struggling with disillusionment when he heard about the Contemplative Renewal Immersions at Holy Wisdom Monastery. As part of his disillusionment, he left ministry as a non-denominational pastor and started serving as a chaplain. James entered the immersions hopeful the experience would help him “work through my disillusion, but with an open mind to see where it would lead me.” As a part of the fourth cohort of Contemplative Renewal Immersions, he found a community of pastors …

Stef Coleman - Grounded

Grounded

Holy Wisdom MonasteryCCR, Center for Clergy Renewal (CCR), Pastors' Stories, Uncategorized Leave a Comment

Submitted by Kathleen Owens (she/her), Manager of Clergy Programming and Communications for the Center for Clergy Renewal at Holy Wisdom Monastery Stef Coleman was six months into a new call in the city of Chicago when a colleague who had come to Holy Wisdom Monastery for a Deep Breath, suggested checking out what is available through the Center for Clergy Renewal. Stef remembers feeling like “I was always being poured out” when she found Contemplative Renewal Immersions on the website. The idea of being part of a cohort of pastors in similar life positions or ministry contexts was appealing. “I …

Unguarded

Holy Wisdom MonasteryCCR, Center for Clergy Renewal (CCR), Pastors' Stories, Uncategorized Leave a Comment

Submitted by Kathleen Owens (she/her), Manager of Clergy Programming and Communications for the Center for Clergy Renewal at Holy Wisdom Monastery Michael Anderson stumbled across the Center for Clergy Renewal (CCR) while on a personal retreat at Holy Wisdom Monastery. His interest in CCR led to joining the fourth cohort of Contemplative Renewal Immersions. In the Immersion he found “people who were speaking the same language.” Reflecting on his first immersion in the summer of 2023, Michael says, “What I experienced was no less than the presence of the risen Christ standing among us, breathing peace. It couldn’t be anything …

Presence

Holy Wisdom MonasteryPastors' Stories, Uncategorized 2 Comments

Ryan Wallace does not remember how he first heard about the Contemplative Renewal Immersions at Holy Wisdom Monastery in late 2019. He was already interested in contemplative practices and looking for a way to sustain his ministry. As he remembers, “I was in my early 30s and thinking this is what I plan to do forever. And I know that if I’m going to keep doing this, I’m going to need a way to approach ministry that will be sustainable through my entire career.” As part of the second cohort, Ryan was among those that had to navigate the pandemic …

Experience

Holy Wisdom MonasteryPastors' Stories Leave a Comment

Submitted by Kathleen Owens (she/her),Manager of Clergy Programming and CommunicationsCenter for Clergy Renewal at Holy Wisdom Monastery Emily Tveite is a Lutheran campus pastor from the Madison area, who now works to support Lutheran campus ministries across the country. When applying for Contemplative Renewal Immersions, Emily was hoping to learn some skills for day-to-day life to help her “wake up spiritually.” Reflecting, she says, “I imagined that it was going to be really directive and skill based. And I was pleasantly surprised that it was something different.” In 2022, Emily joined the third cohort of Contemplative Renewal Immersions. At the time she …

Honoring who you are

Holy Wisdom MonasteryPastors' Stories 1 Comment

Submitted by Kathleen Owens (she/her),Manager of Clergy Programming and Communications Center for Clergy Renewal at Holy Wisdom Monastery Jennifer Shimota’s hope for the Contemplative Renewal Immersion experience was that the scaffolding of the extended immersions would create space for her brain to be quiet. In her experience, “A brain with strong ADHD is always scurrying even if the body is still.” The Immersions met this need. The rhythm of the monastery gave her the scaffolding she sought to explore practices like Centering Prayer and silence that are very difficult for her. She was moved by practices such as statio. “To say we …

Pastor Profile: Interconnectedness

Holy Wisdom MonasteryPastors' Stories 1 Comment

Submitted by Kathleen Owens (she/her), Manager of Clergy Programming and Communications Center for Clergy Renewal at Holy Wisdom Monastery Jennie Ott, a pastor at Lake Oswego United Church of Christ in Oregon, can still remember the moment in 2018 when she read the invitation to join a cohort of pastors for contemplative renewal at a Benedictine Monastery in Wisconsin. “So much of my life then, and frankly still now, is attending to other people’s needs and particularly, my children, my spouse and my congregation. And so, I think I was just hopeful. What could I do that would just be …