We are currently living in times that have been called unprecedented, uncertain, difficult and ripe with opportunity. What can we do to engage with these trying times, rather than deny or withdraw or disconnect? What assumptions are confronting us that we can look at and possibly change if change is needed? 
 
The times are calling us to access our spiritual resources, including emotional, physical, mental, etc. and consider what tools and relationships we have to buffer against harm (e.g. stress) that may be caused to ourselves or others. 
 
Pir Zia teaches us that when we suffer from illness we can attend to what is needed by getting in touch with patience, slowing down, ceasing to take for granted, watching the breath, breathing to be held by God, and becoming close to those who are dearest to us. We hold these truths in our heart-minds and bodies as we hope for transformation on a global scale. 
 
The following are healing words and prayers from an interspiritual collection of the Sufi Healing Order. You may want to memorize some parts of these, read them multiple times aloud or silently, and/or hold them in your hearts and minds. 
(language may be altered to reflect modern thought and practice)
 
Short One Line Sufi Prayers (located in the Mysticism of Sound) 
Help me to serve your cause. 
 
Oh Spirit of Guidance, throw your  Divine Light on my path.
 
Open my heart, that your spirit I may reflect. 
 
My life is changing and taking a better turn. 
 
My mind is still, my thought is steady, my sight is keen, my life is balanced. 
 
Harmonize my soul, God, with all people and with all conditions. 
 
My body is healed, my mind is fortified, and my soul is illuminated by the grace of God. 
 
Hindu Prayer 
Lead us from darkness to light 
Lead us from sickness to health 
Lead us from death to immortality 
Om, Peace, Peace, Peace. 
 
Buddhist Prayer-  Brahma Viharas 
With the thought of LOVE let me contemplate the world and may this 
LOVE extend to its four horizons. 
And then with the thought of LOVE increasing beyond measure, 
let me encompass the whole universe Up to its confines. 
With the thought of COMPASSION let me contemplate the world and may this 
COMPASSION extend to its four horizons. 
And then with the thought of COMPASSION increasing beyond measure, 
let me encompass the whole universe Up to its confines. 
With the thought of JOY let me contemplate the world and may this 
JOY extend to its four horizons. 
And then with the thought of JOY increasing beyond measure, 
let me encompass the whole universe Up to its confines. 
With the thought of PEACE let me contemplate the world and may this PEACE 
extend to its four horizons. 
And then with the thought of PEACE increasing beyond measure, 
let me encompass the whole universe Up to its confines. 
Amen.
  
Jewish Prayer/Affirmation -Shema
Sh’ma Yisrael               Listen and hear 
Adonai Eloheinu        The Divine is God 
Adonai Ehad               The Divine is One 
Amen
 
Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi 
God, make me an instrument of your peace: 
Where there is hatred, let me sow love; 
Where there is injury, pardon; 
Where there is doubt, faith; 
Where there is despair, hope; 
Where there is darkness, light; 
Where there is sadness, joy. 
O divine Creator, grant that I may not so much seek 
To be consoled as to console, 
To be understood as to understand, 
To be loved as to love. 
For it is in giving that we receive, 
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned, 
it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen. 
 
The Hopi Elders Speak 
By Oraibi, Arizona Hopi Nation 
You have been telling the people that this is the eleventh hour. 
Now you must go back and tell the people that this is the hour. 
And there are things to be considered: 
Where are you living? 
What are you doing? 
What are your relationships? 
Are you in right relation? 
Where is your water? 
Know your garden. 
It is time to speak your truth. 
Create your community. 
Be good to each other. 
 
Rachel Naiomi Remen, MD 
The purpose of life is to grow in wisdom and to learn to love better. 
If life serves theses purposes, then health serves these purposes. 
And illness serves them as well, because illness is part of life.

~ Jeanette Banashak, PhD, EdD

In light of the Coronavirus health warnings, we have all become more aware of the importance of hand washing. ​

Rabbi Lizzi Heydemann from Mishkan Chicago, one of SGTI's partners in interfaith learning, shared a beautiful Jewish blessing with her congregation about hand washing.  We thought it was lovely and so timely, of course.

With this prayer, we can reorient even the most mundane and repetitive task toward the sacred. We can bring what might cause duress to spiritual practice. Imagine yourself washing your hands and viewing this as prayerfulness, or as an opportunity to take a deep breath and receive a beautiful blessing.

https://www.ritualwell.org/ritual/blessing-washing-hands-during-pandemic?fbclid=IwAR02zucjQ22Y4vhl4nJxqw7K3Ht5I3duKsTvY4y7ybFd-Dxi6fz60HiFoI8&mc_cid=68cae03973&mc_eid=67f093db45

​We send blessings of good health to everyone! May inner calm and clarity be yours. 

In the next few weeks, a new feature will appear on the SGTI website. We are excited about spotlighting our current students and alumni and have plans to do both beginning in February. We feel that our new features, "Student Spotlight" and "Alumni  Spotlight," will help you get to know the Institute better, especially when it comes to the kinds of students we attract, why they take SGTI's unique training, and how they hope to serve others once their training is complete. 

In the meantime, one of our current students, Matthew Whitney, has been featured as a guest on the Spiritual Directors International podcast, "SDI Encounters." Matt is usually the host of this wonderful series, but this time the tables were turned and he is interviewed about his life as a contemplative artist and a student of spiritual companionship. We hope you will take a listen!

Visit this main page for SDI podcasts:
https://www.sdiworld.org/podcasts
then look for Matt's podcast:
"Art, Creativity, and Spiritual Companionship" 

You can also listen here:
https://sdiencounters.podbean.com/
On Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/2ufeZhwf9z6WuBi5pZEeNn
On Apple Podcasts  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/sdi-encounters/id1451231142?mt=2
On Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/sdi-encounters

At the Spiritual Guidance Training Institute, we are constantly amazed at the wonderful inter-religious gatherings that we have been a part of that promote justice, respect, care, and conversation. We thought we would highlight three different ways to go about growing together as one interconnected community.  Below, you will find some ideas about what you might experience in an inter-religious gathering, and perhaps you may be interested in facilitating your own gatherings.
 
1. Dialogue
​One of our favorite ways to engage in dialogue revolves around a meal. Because many participants are available for dinner, this kind of gathering tends to begin at around six and last for two to two and a half hours. There are many ways to organize the dialogue, but it is common for the organizer to bring in a few differing religious, spiritual, and/or ethical perspectives around a theme while attendees sit around tables (we prefer circles).  For example, themes could be death and dying, loving others and self, spiritual practices, etc. The order can vary, but generally, each of the experts or practitioners shares about their tradition’s worldview, attendees have opportunities to discuss together in small groups, attendees ask questions of the experts/practitioners, and everyone may have a chance to ask questions and discuss in a big group setting.
 
2. Storytelling
A storytelling event can be a powerful way to engage with others around a theme. They can include snacks or a meal, a formal or informal time to meet other attendees, an explanation of the theme by experts/practitioners/storytellers, and of course, the stories themselves. These events can last three to four hours and have many aspects to them, so we recommend inviting six storytellers to share, and coaching them, or having a coach, to teach them some tricks to the storytelling trade.  We have also participated in storytelling events where the host provides prompts for attendees to write a line or two of their own stories related to the theme. These are read in between storytellers and before a new teller is announced.
 
3. Panels
Panels are good ways to engage in dialogue when the focus is on content and engaging with an expert in the field. Like dinner dialogues, panels are usually organized around a particular theme. Panels tend to be shorter in length than dinner dialogues, as they can last about an hour to two.  Because the nature of panels includes asking questions and seeking answers, the key to a memorable panel is the host. This person facilitates conversation among the panelists, as well as attendees. It is also helpful when the panelists know each other and interact together in real time.
 
We hope that you may find a way to attend inter-religious gatherings and also to host them in whatever unique context works for you and your audience.  

When we attended the Spiritual Directors Conference in Seattle in March we became aware of the ever-growing need for spiritual companionship for people of all traditions (and none)—BY people of all traditions and then some.

SDI has been moving forward to expand the understanding and practice of spiritual companionship—beyond formal spiritual direction. We at SGTI support this effort. There are a myriad of ways we can companion individuals of various religious, spiritual and ethical traditions and many forms of training one might be able to take to get comfortable with doing so.

When we think of all the heart-centered individuals in various caring professions—chaplains, social workers, counselors, coaches, hospice workers and health-care professionals, clergy and lay servants, spiritual and secular community leaders, and more—who might want to expand their understanding and practice of compassionate presence and care, our hearts open even wider. 

The world is in such great need of healing and many of its citizens are ailing, feeling spiritually uncertain, isolated or unsupported. A spiritual companion is someone who can hold presence for someone right where they are, just as they are. No matter their religious, spiritual or ethical framework, a properly and ethically trained companion can serve others individually and collectively. 

Spiritual Directors International defines spiritual companionship in this way:

"Spiritual direction or companionship inspires people to experience authenticity in their lives as they connect with and explore the ground of all being, that deepest of truths which is beyond life and death and goes by many names, including God, and no name at all."

In keeping with this international movement to promote and expand spiritual companionship, SGTI has expanded its 5-month training program to be more inclusive.  

We are pleased to announce "Interfaith/Interspiritual Wisdom Training." This innovative training program is for people in all the caring professions. online program results in a Certificate in Interfaith/Interspiritual Competence. This will prepare you to companion and serve seekers of various religious, spiritual and ethical traditions. 

The premier cohort is now forming and we invite you to learn more about  "Interfaith/Interspiritual Wisdom Training" and listen deeply to hear if this kind of offering might serve you and those YOU serve very well. 

We welcome your questions and look forward to hearing from you and do hope you will consider joining us—and enter the "circle of love" of which Rumi spoke. 

​The Spiritual Guidance Institute recently spent a fabulous week together at our spring residential institute.  We camped out at the Cenacle Center, a wonderfully hospitable retreat center on the northside of Chicago.  The week’s activities were quite varied: We incorporated teachings on development and the enneagram, practiced deep listening with our unique methodology Pure Presence, had a day of silence, ate community meals together, met with a Cenacle sister, and visited the Hindu Temple in Lemont, an Ash Wednesday service at a Presbyterian church, IMAN (Inner-city Muslim Action Network), and a Muslim/Christian dialogue dinner.  It was a week to remember! 
 
We feel grateful to our students for the productive conversations and presence during the week.  And we are grateful to our friends who hosted us and shared their sacred stories with us.

Our next cohort will begin in August 2019. An interfaith immersion experience like this could be yours! Learn more.

​The term "interspirituality" is still a fairly new term in terms of public awareness. Many people who might consider themselves to be "interfaith", are often called deeper: to explore the intersection of religious/spiritual experience on more universal soul level. 

These people are often mystics, and sense a deeper thread of universal truth running through the religious traditions of the world. Perhaps they've never used the term "interspiritual" to describe themselves, but, in truth they just might be. 

In 1999, Br. Wayne Teasdale, a Catholic monk who also practiced in the Hindu tradition, spoke of "the mystic heart," the meeting place of all the world's spiritual traditions—a deep well of wisdom sourced in Ultimate Reality that anyone can access. 

Here at SGTI, we are proponents of this deep well of wisdom. We are encouragers of mystic hearts. To that end, we have now made a dynamic new e-course available to all seekers and companions (not just our students): "Enter the Mystic Heart: An Introduction to Interspirituality." 

Created by Dr. Janice Lundy, it is a self-paced, downloadable course with 12 dynamic lessons, including videos and audios, to help deepen your understanding of your own mystic heart, or the hearts of those you companion. This unique course is both an informational, content-rich class and an opportunity to engage in spiritual formation through an interspiritual lens.

We hope you will take advantage of this unique opportunity!

At the Parliament of World Religions in Toronto last November, I attended a session entitled “GenInterfaith: Claiming Complex Religious Labels”.  Author and speaker, Susan Katz Miller, began with a premise that speaks to us at the Spiritual Guidance Training Institute.  From her description she wrote, “Few of us have singular religious identities. Most of us have extended interfaith families, are multiple religious practitioners, live in post-colonial environments with religious layering, and learn from and draw on the many religions that surround us.” We interact in face to face and online encounters with diverse representations at the intersections within our community.
 
In her presentation, Susan Katz Miller highlighted the fact that ¼ of our population in the US is growing up in interfaith families.  In addition, the fastest growing interfaith couples are Christian and Atheist.  We are in need of new practices, given the rise in intermarriage, multiple religious practices, and spiritual fluidity (a term by Dwayne Bidwell, author of When One Religion Isn’t Enough).  The following four practices were suggested:

1. Let us define ourselves.  We don’t want to check merely one religion.
2. Educate institutions and clergy.  Make sure we include the voices as insiders, rather than talk about them as outsiders.
3. Embrace religious literacy.  We can take opportunities to create links between people of faith and no faith.
4. Include us in the practices.  Make sure that multi-faith people are part of the discussion.

 
We would like to add one more and are also curious about what practices you would add.

1. Cultivate relationships with people of multi-faith and no faith.  What better way to live into our interconnected nature.

 
At the Spiritual Guidance Training Institute, we celebrate the multitude of religious identities as well as the identities of race, ethnicity, class, gender, ability, sexual/attractional orientation, age, socio-economic class, work, education, veteran status and more.  And, we trust that our practices align with our words.