W: Poetry Divina: A Celebrationof Rumi

W: St. Mary’s Sewanee: �e Ayres Center for Spiritual Development, Sewanee, Tennessee

Poetry Divina:

S P C P

October 4-6, 2013

W: Starting 6pm Friday, October 4Ending 11am Sunday, October 6

C: $325 includes workshop, meals and lodging (ask about lodging in the new facility); or $225 for commuters.

R I(800) 728-1659 or (931) 598-5342reservations@stmaryssewanee.org

�is event is made possible by the Community Building Institute (CBI) and St. Mary’s Sewanee: �e Ayres Center for Spiritual Development.

“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” – Rumi

A Celebration of Rumi

EDWARD GROODY is president of the organizational consulting firm Ed Groody & Associates, Inc., specializing in helping business leaders overcome people issues and implement change in a way that engages and honors people. In addition to his full-time consulting work, Edward leads poetry divina, community building, centering prayer and other contemplative workshops for retreat centers, universities, nonprofits and religious groups.

How interesting and amazing that the number one selling poet in America for the past 8 years is a 13th century Sufi scholar and mystic by the name of Jelaluddin Rumi! In his time (and still today), he was loved and respected by Jews, Hindus, Christians and Muslims alike. Rumi was a scholar and master of the Sufi tradition and calls to us from beyond the concerns of institutional religion and limiting beliefs. A clear, powerful voice of divine, ecstatic love, he awakens us to the possibility of a direct and intimate relation-ship with the Divine. We see that not only could God be our Beloved, but that we are the beloved of God.

In all of the great contemplative spiritual traditions, repeating aloud a sacred verse is a way of opening to the divine indwelling. For example, Christian’s have lectio divina, and the Sufi’s have both dhikr and spiritual audition. Poetry Divina is both an ancient and current practice. Sacred poetry and scripture from all religions and traditions is recited from the heart in order to remove obstacles and open to the divine indwelling, the Great Love.

Poetry Divina creates a container for individual experience – and group community-building. We recite sacred poetry – or more exactly, we converse and listen from the heart. �is listening frees us of excessive dependence on thinking and allows us to move toward God and a point of communing beyond words, thoughts and feelings. During this workshop we will work individually and in small groups, sing/chant and share community time. �is is important work that, when done in a small circle, expands out into the world.

We will focus on the poetry of Rumi and also dive into the work of other great contem-plative poets from all times and traditions. �ere will also be optional time to learn about and experience Sufi contemplative prayers and practices including remembrance, dhikr, tawba and others. Bring your favorite poem(s) if you have one. Recite or just listen. Everyone is welcome.

“Magical, mystical, delightful! �e Poetry Divina workshop hit all three notes as we delved into the writings of the sacred poets, especially the spiritual wisdom of Rumi. Edward Groody’s teaching and gentle assurance that the poem ‘finds its way to you,’ helped to guide me into a time of deep reflec-tion, ultimately leading to both healing and joy.“

– Laura Copeland

U C B W

October 10-12, 2013St. Mary's Sewanee

(865) 300-2889

W T’ S

“�e Poetry Divina workshop was wonderful on many levels – and an opportunity for making new friends...friends with the sacred landscape of St Mary's retreat center, friends with fellow participants, and friends with the evoking spiri-tual poets and masters, Rumi, Kabir, Hafiz and many others.”

– David Howard

“Here are the words that came to me about the poetry divina experience:

Sitting in the sacred circleno beginning nor enda myriad of voicesweaving into oneopening the heartwhere the Beloved enters in.”

– Leslie O’Toole

“It was a pleasure to attend the Poetry Divina retreat. Edward Groody’s skillful guidance and delicate balance of presentation, and collective and individual reflective ‘work time,’ create a wonderful space for exploring new poetry and moving more deeply into poetry one already loves. I look forward to the next Poetry Divina retreat.”

– Jean Jackson

L F R

Sell your cleverness and buy bewilderment.

Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field.I’ll meet you there.When the soul lies down in that grassthe world is too full to talk about.

Let the beauty we love, be what we do. �ere are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the earth.

For all my years I have been forgetful and ungrateful.Yet not for a second, has God’s flowing toward me stopped or slowed.

�e breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you. Don’t go back to sleep!

Something opens our wings. Something makes boredom and hurt disappear. Someone fills the cup in front of us: We taste only sacredness.

Everyone has been made for some particular work, and the desire for that work has been put in every heart.

�is being human is a guest house.Every morning a new arrival.A joy, a meanness, a depression,some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor.Welcome and entertain them all!Even if they are a crowd of sorrows, who violently sweep your house empty of its furniture. Still, treat each guest honorably.�ey may be clearing you out for some new delight.

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For more information, please contact St. Mary’s Sewanee at (800) 728-1659 or (931) 598-5342reservations@stmaryssewanee.orgMyPoetryDivina