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WHAT IS SPIRITUALITY?
If you missed this exciting workshop at the April New Jersey Counseling Association Annual Conference, it’s not too late to connective with these provocative ideas, herewith appended. We’re extending the workshop to allow for more discussion time and more ideas—yours! With the ideas that resonate for you, we will all progress more meaningfully along our spiritual paths, learn together as we become more cohesive and come to know one another better. Let’s break bread together and create a meaningful experience, provided by your participation.
Please RSVP today. We need a head count. We look forward to seeing you are the workshop.
Judith Sefer Harrow, NJASERVIC president-elect, has published her third book. Devoted to You was published February 7, 2003 by ECW Press in Montreal. Judy relates that the book might better have been called Devoted to Deity. It’s an anthology in which four different writers present their experience of how to connect more closely with one of the Old Gods. Judy’s piece is about Mother Earth. The other three writers wrote about Anubis, Aphrodite and Brigit. Judy also coordinated, edited, and wrote both the introduction and conclusion. People who want more information can visit the publisher’s web site
A second item, Judy has been appointed Chair of the Pastoral Counseling program at Cherry Hill Seminary. Cherry Hill is a new, web-based training program for Pagan clergy. The institution is actively working towards accreditation. The Pastoral Counseling program is not designed to prepare people to be professional counselors. Indeed, Judy doubts that such instruction could be done via distance education. But, it is normal for religious people to want to talk things over with their clergy. Clergy, to serve the need, should be skilled in active listening, problem solving, conflict resolution, et cetera. They should be able to recognize when referral to a professional counselor or therapist is appropriate.
Cherry Hill is fairly new and Judy has lots of scope for curriculum development and faculty recruitment. And, in her words, “I am so excited by this wonderful opportunity to bring together two of the great passions of my life and to make a real contribution.” For more information visit , visit: Cherry Hill
“President George W. Bush's Faith-Based and Community Initiative represents a fresh start and bold new approach to government's role in helping those in need. Too often the government has ignored or impeded the efforts of faith-based and community organizations. Their compassionate efforts to improve their communities have been needlessly and improperly inhibited by bureaucratic red tape and restrictions placed on funding.
The White House Office and the Centers for the Faith-Based and Community Initiative -- located in seven Federal agencies -- are working to support the essential work of these important organizations. Their goal is to make sure that grassroots leaders can compete on an equal footing for federal dollars, receive greater private support, and face fewer bureaucratic barriers.
The Office focuses its efforts on the following populations:
The FBCI grants catalog lists all the grants available, additional resources and links to Departments that give out the money. Another page, Helps Organizations Get through the Grant Process.
AlterNet.org offers an interesting take on the Black Muslems.
“Few religious organizations have more experience transforming outlaws into upstanding citizens than the Nation of Islam. … Allah – the Nation of Islam's iron-handed god – brooks none of the anti-social behavior commonly associated with the poor underclass. The self-discipline he requires, coupled with the Nation's insistence on black self-reliance, has reformed thousands of lives. For example, the Nation's most famous convert, Malcolm Little, forsook drugs and petty crime to become the family man and civil rights leader Malcolm X after several terms in prison. …While running for vice president in 1996, Jack Kemp told the Boston Globe he valued the Nation's advocacy of "responsible fatherhood, individual initiative, of not asking the government to do everything for you." … But one of the things Black Muslims say makes them successful at rehabilitating black outlaws – their message of black empowerment through black separatism – also puts them at odds with Washington policy-makers. …It comes as no surprise, then, that President Bush – who is undertaking an initiative to fund religious non-profits doing just what the Nation of Islam does, fix social problems – has openly expressed reservations about funding the Nation. On the campaign trail, the Austin-American Statesmen reports, Bush said that because "Louis Farrakhan preaches hate," the Nation would probably not be eligible for funding under his initiative. … " But other than the god Black Muslims pray to and the color of their skin, what sets them apart from mainstream religious organizations who accuse Jews of having killed their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? More importantly, is the difference between the Nation of Islam and, say, Southern Baptists sufficient to deny the Nation of Islam access to government funds?”
Americans United for Separation of Church and State has taken the lead nationally in opposing Bush's faith-based efforts. Here are 10 reasons why the president's campaign should be rejected. Two of the reason have their explanation printed here.
Neo-Paganism is the loving reconstruction and adaptation of the indigenous religions of Europe. Or in other words, to the religions that existed before monotheism became so dominant and intolerant of polytheistic ideas. Contemporary Paganism is still mostly a first-generation religion. I learned this reading Judy Harrow’s book, Spiritual Mentoring A PAGAN GUIDE. Since the book is written for mentors, it is not a lot about Paganism, but there is enough to give us a glimpse of the religion. It is understood that a Pagan thinking about mentoring would be well versed in the tenets of the religion. As result we get a book about Spiritual Mentoring and it is delightful. In her introduction we begin to see the wisdom of Judy Harrow, “Mentoring is sometimes stressful, but always joyful. Close contact with beginners keeps our own minds young. And through them, we touch the future.”
We learn a lot about the mentor/mentee relationship in a chapter titled Traveling Companions and even more about the commitment in a chapter titled Safe Space. For me it is the chapter titled Road Maps that Judy truly displays a high level of scholarship and is unable to hide her counseling background. She weaves together developmental models, Erikson’s Life Stages, Maslow’s Needs, Rambo’s States of Conversion and Fowler’s Stages of Faith and then takes us through a self assessment process to help us integrate and understand the learning. The journey continues with the exploration of Deity, Community and something called Lore. We are brought in and out of various concepts and shown ideas from different perspectives. She uses comparisons from traditional religious thought, both eastern and western. We read very practical information, see classical counseling techniques and gain greater understanding through a delivery that is as much scientific as common sense. I have learned a little about Paganism. I have expanded my understanding of the ‘religious” universe. I know more about my own belief system and once again see how it is not so different from other thought. And I certainly know a lot more about Mentoring.
We sent out surveys to all members for the past two years (over 150). We kept the survey down to one page, two sided and included a self addressed stamped envelop to make it as easy as possible for people to respond. Thirty two people responded.
Choice of Meeting Times Chosen as 1st Choice Average out of 6 Weekday Evening 9 3rd Saturday Morning 7 2 Saturday Afternoon 6 2.43 Sunday Afternoon 3 2.93 Sunday Morning 3 3.29 Weekend Evening 1 4 Location: Chosen as 1st Choice Average out of 3 Why attend: Chosen as 1st Choice Average out of 7 Networking 10 3.36 Northern NJ 10 1.7 Personal Growth 10 3.11 Central NJ 10 1.6 Client Development 5 3.18 Southern NJ 5 2.23 Workplace Development 4 3.7 Ethics 3 3.6 Other Religions 3 3.68 Private Practice 1 4.5 Peer Consultation 0 4.18
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