June 12 – August 6, 2011
This summer I will be taking a sabbatical from teaching, but the Abbey is delighted to offer this class with Judy Smoot, a fellow Benedictine oblate, to explore monastic wisdom for living with illness.
Course Description
This 8-week online course facilitated by Judy Smoot, OblSB , offers participants an opportunity to share with others who live with chronic disease or who support someone with chronic disease.
Some illnesses bring little long-term disruption to life. We may feel that our network of support is sufficient, our way of connecting with God remains unchanged, and there is little internal shifting of attitudes and values. Other times, however, we receive a diagnosis that, in a moment of time, causes our lives and those who are closest to us to take a radical turn. After the initial shock settles in, we come to realize that our pattern of living must transition if we are to move forward. Support systems may need to expand and deepen. A connection with God may need to change and may even feel at risk during certain times. Attitudes and values may shift as we enter this new land. Previously fertile land may quickly seem parched and dry.
Using the book by Mary Earle, Beginning Again – Benedictine Wisdom for Living With Illness, we will explore how chronic disease impacts our physical, emotional and spiritual life. Following the teaching of St. Benedict, who modeled living daily in a balanced manner with an ever-deepening awareness of God regardless of circumstances. We will explore together how to apply these simple teachings for positive life change.
Limited to 20 participants.
