In 1521, while recovering from a life-threatening battle wound, Ignatius of Loyola began a three-year spiritual journey that changed the direction of his life. Soon he began leading other people along a similar pathway using the insights he gained from his own experience. Eventually, Ignatius gathered these prayers, meditations, reflections, and instructions into a carefully designed framework which he called the “Spiritual Exercises.”

At the heart of the exercises is a deep engagement with the fullness of Jesus’s life through engaging Scripture with all of one’s senses.  The goal is to come to know Jesus experientially in a deep and profound way that leads to loving Him more deeply thus stirring a desire to walk with Him more intimately in the daily course of our lives.

These spiritual exercises were originally offered in a 30-day intensive retreat but over time Ignatius and those who followed him recognized the value of offering a version of the exercises that was accessible for people who could not leave their vocations and families for a month.  Thus the 19th Annotation of the Exercises was developed.

There are a number of excellent guides to following the 19th Annotation of the Exercises.  We will be using the Transformation Intensive which holds as closely as possible to Ignatius’ original vision. It is a school of prayer, healing, and spiritual renewal, and provides a context for decision making and discernment. It is designed to be highly accessible to the broad range of Christian traditions, especially to Christians from Evangelical faith backgrounds in the broadest sense. It also has an Anglican flavor since this is the tradition its creator, Valerie McIntyre, belongs to, but remains very welcoming to those of Catholic, Orthodox, and Pentecostal traditions. 

The Transformation Intensive guide has four components: Foundational Practices, Weekly Prayer Guides, and Prayer Resources. In addition, retreatants read two books, God’s Voice Within: The Ignatian Way to Discover God’s Will by Mark Thibodeaux and Finding God in All Things: A Companion to the Spiritual Exercises by William Barry. The Weekly Prayer Guides provide clear instructions about what to read and when to read it. It is critically important not to race ahead in the reading, as everything is carefully paced according to Ignatius’ original model.

Commitment: Dedicating 45 minutes a day for guided prayer and a weekly in person group spiritual direction session of 90 minutes

Availability: We will be offering groups that meet during the day and in the evening

Facilitators:  Each group will be led by a trained spiritual director and associate trained in offering the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises

Cost:  $900 which can be paid in monthly installments of $100 or quarterly or in one payment

Please fill out this interest form, and we will follow up with you.

A Common Way is Coracle’s expression of a way of life together that makes the wisdom and practices of the monastic tradition accessible to normal people in the modern world in the concrete circumstances and constraints of our daily lives to which God has called us.  A Common Way helps people live by discerned, personal expressions of a general, Benedictine-informed “rule of life”, and helps encourage and strengthen us to live our lives more fully for God’s sake in the world as witness.

LEARN MORE HERE

Bands of 3-4 Disciples Walking Together Weekly:  We envision helping those hungry for companionship on their journey of intimacy with Jesus by providing a framework for them to join 2-3 companions of their choosing in meeting monthly to offer encouragement in their chosen rule of life.  We will be delighted to connect those who are looking for companions.  We will not assign companions but offer the context for each person to choose the companions they want to travel with.

Support in Crafting and Living Into An Intentional Rule of Life:  We are not seeking to add more tasks and resolutions to already busy lives.  Rather we are seeking to help each other focus and simplify living lives of intimate connection with Jesus throughout the day, week, month, and year.  

We will provide a template for crafting an intentional rule of life and a guide for supporting your fellow companions in your monthly meeting.  This meeting can be in person or by zoom.  The key is that we have a regular place to be lovingly seen, heard, and supported in living into the quality of life we desire.

Monthly Community Gatherings:  We envision a monthly larger community gathering for our mutual encouragement and deepening in living into our chosen rules of life.  These gatherings will be an opportunity to break bread together and draw wisdom from each other in living intentionally in the easy yoke Jesus invites us to share with Him.  (Mt. 11:28-30)

Commitment:  The primary commitment is to your spiritual companions to meet weekly with a heart to hear and support your companions and to receive their support.  We would hope that bands of spiritual companions would commit to 9-12 months and then evaluate if they would like to continue or adjust their commitment.  

The monthly community gatherings are an optional support to those traveling this intentional path together.

Share your name and contact info via this form, and we will be in touch.

Kitchen Table Conversations with Kathy endeavors to bring people together to explore current events, history, and literature through meaningful dialogue that challenges assumptions, expands empathy, and advances racial healing all around Kathy’s virtual kitchen table. 

Contact Kathy at KTCWKATHY@gmail.com to register for the upcoming fall table.