Testimonials
Long-Term Program Testimonials:
- Heart Longings: An Invitation to the Contemplative Path
- Going Deeper: Clergy Spiritual Life and Leadership
- Nurturing the Call: Spiritual Guidance Program
- Transforming Community: Leading Contemplative Prayer Groups and Retreats
- The Soul of Leadership
- Crossing the Threshold: Contemplative Foundations for Emerging Leaders
Short-Term Program Testimonials:
Pilgrimage Testimonials:
- In the Footsteps of St. Francis & St. Clare: A Pilgrimage to Assisi
- On the Camino: Remember, Release and Reimagine
- An Anchor for the Soul: Iona Pilgrimage
- Walking the Ramparts: A Pilgrimage with Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross
Retreat Day Testimonials:
- Holy Interruptions
- Howard Thurman: Overview and Links to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Contemplative Earth Awareness
Online Course Testimonials:
- Contemplative Leadership Seminar
- Living from the Spiritual Heart
- Open Hands, Willing Hearts
- Living Word, Living Way
- Opening to the Spirit
Long-Term Program Testimonials
Heart Longings: An Invitation to the Contemplative Path
“The Heart Longings program provided me with the love, support, and true community that I needed during a time of uncertainty and testing of my faith. My faith in God increased, and I built connections with others that I believe will continue for many years to come. I learned spiritual practices and tools that helped me grow closer to God in new and amazing ways. I am forever grateful for this experience.”
-Pamela Palmer
“The Shalem frame of reference and focus on relationship with God, others, creation, and the world in which we are situated is an invitation for exploration and discovery. I love the program design of Heart Longings, the scaffolding of support – prayer, group facilitation, one on one spiritual direction, and community. The wonderful, skillful, spiritually adept leadership team of presenters, mentors, and facilitators joined God’s Spirit to make each session a rich experience and a catalyst for growth.”
-Audrey Vosburg, Emporia, Virginia
“I came into the program searching for clarity and found it, but not in the manner I thought it would be. It slipped up on me with every monthly presentation, breakout group, and spiritual direction session. I could share without condemnation, listen, and glean jewels from others. I had many “aha” moments. This spiritual journey helped me to finally find my voice and be in a group of perfect strangers I have become so connected to; they will always be welcome at my table. The experience for me was like being anointed with oil that you don’t see but is there, nonetheless.”
-Sylvia King, Richmond, Virginia
“Through monthly spiritual direction – both one on one and group spiritual direction, I’ve been able to better understand the practices of contemplative life and prayer – informing my times of waiting, listening, and acting. I found the sound of the familiar in myself that I had long repressed. I found God in the beauty of nature. The program has equipped me to stay calm in the midst of storms. I am breathing, praying, and surrendering to dwell in the light and life of God and with others in new and life-giving ways.”
-David Sellery, Raleigh, North Carolina
“Looking back I can barely remember the girl who was scared of her first ever silent retreat in November, unsure even of what she was longing for. In her place is a woman quieted and fully engaged with the One who knows and loves her more than she ever knew, gently calling her back out and connecting her to the world around her.”
-Joanne Youn, Bethesda, Maryland
“I am so glad that I took the brave steps to join Heart Longings during a real time of uncertainty for me. It has been one of the better decisions I have made for my well-being. I had no idea how much I needed such a diverse group in which to experience and explore the world during such a crucial time. It gave me a new sense of purpose while creating new friendships and restoring my faith and hope in others. This time has reconnected my hand to God’s hand, and I feel the melodic awesomeness of God’s peace. I also feel the marching drums calling me to action, calling me to love fearlessly and to fight injustices.”
-Glen Vinson, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs at Howard University (Bowie, Maryland)
“My desire as I began this journey was to ‘reconnect’ with God. I always looked forward to the monthly seminars and also to our group spiritual direction gatherings and to my sharing with my spiritual director. There was always an invitation for me to explore new territories and to be open to new paths.”
-Jacqueline Levesque, Haileybury, Ontario, Canada
“Heart Longings provided a safe space with other sojourners that fed my soul and helped me regain my equilibrium.”
-Christina Guerra, Fair Oaks, Texas
“My life has been transformed by these 8 months. Life hasn’t gotten easier, but I’ve encountered something I want to continue to make myself available to—a connection to others on the journey and a sense of divine presence, not every day, but often enough to make me want to keep coming back to the practice and to keep reading about others who have done the same.”
-Ann F. Stanford
“Having recently re-retired this course has been quite helpful in a sort of ‘re-orientation’ of my life. Moving from the busyness of ministry to these ‘retirement’ years has been a little confusing. Heart Longings has helped re-center me around the love of God. I am called to God, called to love God and others as self and live that love daily. I trust that going a bit deeper will help me continue to see where the Spirit moves me to go wider.”
-Walt McCanless
“As we closed with our final gathering at the beginning of June, the sentiments expressed by many were how Heart Longings had helped us stay “grounded in the storm.” We had connected as a community of encouragement, learning and support with a common language and shared experiences. In the contemplative way, we honored our differing experiences and opinions and sought to be open, willing and receptive to the wide movement of the Spirit.”
-Kimberly McOmber, Atlanta, Georgia
““What is love? It is a walk in a drizzle. You walk and walk and only after a while do you realize that you have become soaked to the core (attributed to Pope John Paul II).” Looking back at my walk with Heart Longings, I can see how contemplative stillness quietly uncovered itself as an element of my core. I can feel how these people will always be part of my community. I’m grateful for the climate. I keep walking.”
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– Aleksandra Lewandowska, Inspirational Speaker (Warsaw, Poland)
Going Deeper: Clergy Spiritual Life and Leadership
“I thought that my circumstances and ministry setting had to change before I could have fuller communion with God. In the program, I discovered I didn’t have to wait for life to be different. It was already different deep within me, where God dwells….
-Amy Larson, IA
“It is just so exciting to see Clergy walk together, have bonds of fellowship and friendship, and also really experience what it means to live in true contemplative community.”
-Kendrick Curry, DC
“Listening to the guidance of wise spiritual mentors, interacting with Clergy colleagues all over the United States, learning new and varied spiritual and centering practices, and experiencing the deep nurture of silence all became transformative.”
-Scott Landis, San Diego, CA
“Those streams of living water are tasted in the countless ways of contemplative disciplines which Shalem offers to nurture our souls, mind, spirit and body in all the unknown paths of the labyrinth of Creation. Each of them shows the footprints of the Living Presence.”
Cristina Borges Alvarez, San Diego, CA
“[The Clergy program] was exceptionally timely and formative for me in peace ministry as I served with Christian Peacemaker Teams in Baghdad in 2003 during the early days of the U.S. invasion of Iraq… It also was very helpful for me in my pastoral efforts in the Mennonite Church as I worked to include those who identify as LGBT&Q as members and for marriage and ministry in the Church.”
-Weldon Nisley, San Seattle, WA
“In this program I learned spiritual prayer practices that set free some of my longing to notice God’s presence; attentiveness to the present moment; silence; art, walking; even play – all practices that nurture my soul to this day. But mostly I learned ways to listen: listen to the Holy One, listen to my own spiritual heart, listen to others, and listen to the congregation where I serve.”
-Elain Dent, PA
“In my first residency, I knew I was in the right place… We were hungry for true spiritual community, where we could share our hunger with others and our deep desire to be spiritually-grounded leaders.”
-Al Keeney, NY
“Shalem introduced me to the orientation and practice of contemplative spirituality, which has been life-giving. The Going Deeper program created space for God to breathe new life into dry bones through the movement of the Spirit.”
-John Nurnberger
Nurturing the Call: Spiritual Guidance Program
“I believe Shalem’s Spiritual Guidance Program sets the gold standard for Spiritual Direction training…. Shalem nurtured my connection with Spirit by encouraging me to be still, cultivate quiet, and develop trust in Spirit as the real guide.”
-Lerita Coleman Brown
“Few things in life have been so gloriously transformative as my participation in Shalem’s Spiritual Guidance Program…. I’ve embraced a new way of being: one of abiding, of expanded seeing and knowing from the heart. I’ve learned a new language: one of silence, metaphor and imagery which have helped give expression to my encounters with God and those that I companion.”
-Kay Estepp
“The program was intense, deep, and at times challenging, taking me way out of my comfort zone. But above all else, it was one of the most extraordinary, life-giving, life-altering gifts in my life…. Decades later, the Spiritual Guidance Program continues to be a reliable oasis to which I return from my spiritual explorations and know the place again at yet deeper and deeper levels.”
-Phillip Cover
“This program opened me up to experiencing the Divine in new and unexpected ways… Through the support of this program, I developed a contemplative practice that grounds me and is the center of my vocation and ministry.”
-Cheryl Notari
“The gifts I have been given and developed through the Spiritual Guidance Program overflow into every facet of my life, from my family to my church leadership work to my relationships. Spiritual Direction is not something I use for a specific situation. Rather, it is the lens through which all of my life is lived.”
-Susan Etherton
“The first day of my first Shalem residency when I met the other people in my class, the people in my small group and all of the faculty, I had the experience of feeling totally at home with a group of people for the first time in my life. That feeling not only continued, but it actually grew and continues to grow.”
-David Canada
“At Shalem, in the benevolent humor of Spirit, I was invited to go deeper in my own Christian tradition while being returned to the contemplative practices I had found in Buddhism that had been so nourishing to me in my own seeking. That there is a community of such seekers is a great joy and encouragement to me.”
-Cece Balboni
“The reflection papers, the responses, the sense of being prayerfully guided, the amazing growth and spirit in the two years of the program are still powerfully with me today.”
-June Schulte
“When I first entered the Shalem Spiritual Guidance Program, I felt adrift, unsure of my path and the depth required for the role of a spiritual director. What I discovered was far beyond what I expected. Immersed in a deeply supportive community and a curriculum that was both rich and profoundly transformative, I experienced a shift not only in my role as a spiritual director but in my entire spiritual life. The program helped me uncover a clarity and confidence I never knew I had. With the guidance of the deeply experienced staff and the flexibility of the program’s invaluable resources, I emerged not just prepared—but transformed. Today, I am the spiritual director I was meant to be, and for that, I am profoundly grateful.”
-Wes Lambert, Psychotherapist, Coach and Spiritual Director, SGP Class of 2023
“I chose Shalem’s Spiritual Guidance program because of its reputation and the range of backgrounds of those involved. I am interested in being exposed to different voices and perspectives beyond one denomination or piety. While I will say that the program was not what I expected, it was what I needed. Some of the unlearning that took place at the beginning was incredibly life-changing, allowing me to better sense and be confident in the Spirit’s unique connection with me. I appreciated the blend of readings, papers, peer groups, sessions with directees, staff mentors, and in-person residencies …. especially the residencies! (I would have gone back for more of those.)”
-Stacy Schroeder, SGP Class of 2023
“The Shalem Spiritual Guidance Program provided me with the support to explore, learn and grow in my practice of deep attentive listening. I experience an intimate and deeper relationship with God as a result of having participated in this program. The Shalem staff is remarkable and share incredible wisdom and companionship. I am blessed with many more companions on the Way as well. Forever grateful for ALL!”
-Nancy Bellamy, SGP Class of 2022
“As a deep spiritual seeker throughout my life, I had longed since my seminary days (29 years ago) to attend Shalem. My spirituality professor, Dr. Glenn Hinson, had urged me toward it. It was a desire that essentially waited in a file of longing until my more recent employment brought it to the fore. Throughout those years, I had found spiritual friends along the way but spent much of the path feeling as if I ultimately did not fit. The Spiritual Guidance program brought me not only in touch with deeper aspects of my own being, enhanced my learning in journeying with others, but also gave me a tribe of people who spiritually looked like me. Dr. Hinson used to say that when we approach God, we should do so with mouths gaping in awe. I feel the same about the experience of Shalem. My gratitude for its gifts to me is endless.”
-Blythe Taylor, SGP Class of 2022
“The Spiritual Direction program has been a spiritual kickstart. I have read, written, and thought about God in ways that I hadn’t before. I found in my cohort and the staff a supportive community that simultaneously held space for me and encouraged me on along the path. In some ways my life can be viewed as ‘before Shalem’ and ‘after Shalem’. The period that is ‘After Shalem’ has been characterized by a deeper, more resilient, and more joyful relationship with God, myself, and the world around me.”
-Rachel Donnelly, SGP Class of 2022
“Enrolling and participating in Shalem’s Spiritual Guidance Program was, I believe, the biggest gift I ever gave myself. Looking back to whom I was before and after, it feels like a homecoming to my true authentic self, to how God created me to be in the world, as a soul friend, as an artist and in my personal relationship with the Divine. The whole program was a mountain top experience: finding a new soul community, soaking in the wisdom, teachings, deep love and dedication showered upon us by the teachers, a deepening of my sense of Divine Presence in all. It was like swimming in a lake of Grace. I am deeply grateful as this formation continues to shape me on the journey….”
-Liedeke Bulder, SGP Class of 2022
“Shalem’s Spiritual Guidance Program is truly a gift that continues to give. As I develop my ministry of spiritual direction, I continue to draw from the rich resources provided including books, papers, notes and community. In my spiritual life, SGP affirmed my contemplative experience and has helped me to see how Spirit has been weaving together my spiritual experiences over the years. I learned that trusting the Spirit’s guidance is a process and not to be afraid of stumbling in the dark. I continue to meet with my ‘Shalem sisters’ and I’m grateful for the ongoing support and community.”
-Lara Bolger, SGP Class of 2022
“The [Spiritual Guidance Program] residency is the opportunity of a lifetime. Imagine living within a community of seekers resonating together in Presence, with exceptionally kind and wise staff who exude confidence and offer wisdoms, resources and experiences to absorb the mystery as God leads you into this ministry of spiritual guidance. Such is the sacred community of Shalem. Thank you. The planning and organization of even the details is extraordinary. I felt invited, welcomed, and cared for throughout the residency.”
-Susan Marie
Transforming Community: Leading Contemplative Prayer Groups and Retreats
“In Shalem leadership program, I learned that a true master is the Holy Spirit; Whenever I celebrated Eucharist service or leading a retreat even in my daily life I try to make spaces where the Holy Spirit can act through. Let the Holy Spirit come in our room!”
-Ambrose Kim, South Korea
“What a blessing Transforming Community was and continues to be. I received so many gifts from the program: a beautiful relationship with my Spiritual Director, an amazing Peer Group, who still stays in touch, and deep personal growth. I meet with two small groups of women each month whose lives are being transformed each time we meet to enter into silence together. It is such a privilege to see the joy in their faces as we share the awe and wonder of what an amazing God we have.”
-Kim Prothro, Class of 2022
“Honestly TCP [Transforming Community Program] changed my life and breathed much needed vitality, creativity, and equanimity into me, a weary mental health provider. I wasn’t exactly clear why God guided me to this particular program but I knew I felt a deep longing to help support the healing of our wounded world in a way that seemed larger than just working one-on-one with clients in my psychology practice. TCP gave me the tools to teach others to access and listen to the transforming and deeply healing voice of God. Through engaging seminars, small group practice, monthly book reading and discussions, modeling by leaders, and collaboration with others I felt like my understanding of contemplative practices and leadership expanded greatly and I became well equipped to guide others into practices of connecting with the Presence. I’m now incorporating my passions for nature, creativity, deep healing, and connection and leading retreats at a local retreat space as well as weekly contemplative prayer groups. This work is life-giving for me and I’m so thankful I trusted that quiet voice that nudged me to start!”
-Laura Kirby, Class of 2023
“I feel so blessed to have been a part of the Transforming Community program. From start to finish, I felt a more profound sense of God’s presence and found significant spiritual growth through the program (I even experienced several spiritual healing breakthroughs). I have since used the skills I learned to put on several Prayer Retreats and Spiritual Gatherings. The comments I have had through follow-up surveys for my retreats convey the same sort of gratitude that I have for Shalem and the Transforming Community program director, Lorie Conway (as well as all those who lead us on a journey with the Spirit): It was life-changing! I would thoroughly recommend this program to anyone who desires to take people deeper in their faith and connectivity with God, people, and the world around us.”
-Phil McKinney II, Ph.D., Class of 2023
“Before I came to my current work, Margaret Benefiel just happened to lead a retreat I was attending. I had known about Shalem and looked at their website but after that retreat and meeting Margaret, I started looking more closely at the offerings and the Transforming Community program jumped out at me. Through the program I learned to create retreats and spiritual groups where people new to spiritual practices could come learn and experience in a safe space. The program was transformational in my leadership and what we offer in Spiritual Formation at my church. It has helped me to recognize the ways God works in each person’s life and the world. It has given me permission to make a spacious space for silence. As a former middle school teacher, I was trained to have every second planned or that was planning for problems, and that also translated into how I facilitated classes in church. I also met colleagues that I can share ideas with and get honest feedback. If you are looking for a program to integrate a contemplative way of being with ministry in the local church that goes beyond ‘ministry as usual’ I recommend you look closely at Transforming Community.”
-Betsy Hall, Pastor of Spiritual Formation, Providence Church, Class of 2023
“When I first heard the inner whisper of longing for a new path, I was looking for integration of the spiritual and the everyday elements of life. Among those whom I trusted to share my longing were former graduates of the Transforming Community program. Participating in group spiritual direction with them, it became clear to me that a call was present. A threshold was beckoning. I began the Transforming Community program which led me to engage in new ways with life-giving spiritual practices. I am so grateful that the program structure invited me into a powerful connection with Spirit and with others, and sends me and others out as bearers of love. I consider myself to be a contemplative activist, drawing others into Presence and cultivating inner listening as a healing, sustaining process in our community and world. The wounded world is calling out for the gifts offered in the Transforming Community program.”
-Melanie Woodard, Class of 2022
“When I entered the common room for the first residency, it felt like coming home to something I didn’t even know I’d been looking for: a place of spiritual nurture grounded in unity; a place to explore an open and loving presence in a simple, profound way; a place to offer and receive support. I experienced so much more than training — I found a community, a people, a home.
-Jamie Deering, Saint Cloud, MN
“At Shalem, the leaders revealed their personal passion to us through each teaching. Their words and presence were alive, resonating and bouncing off of all of our hearts. Together we laughed, we walked, we played with art, we talked a lot over meals. They truly entered into the community with us.”
-Susan Rowland, San Jose, CA
“All that I experienced in ritual, worship and focused dialogue, both in my peer group and our larger plenary sessions, has helped me make better lived sense of the purpose, paths, and fruits of contemplative prayer, for and with those I teach and pastor.”
-Ridgeway Addison, DC
“What I experienced was a call into the greater spiritual depth with the Presence, and the shallow waters where I had been wading were just no longer satisfying for my soul. Experiencing what Shalem offers was less about me accomplishing or developing or learning as much as being encouraged to be guided by God to live the life I am supposed to lead as a spiritual being.”
-Ian White Maher, NY
“The course offers a radical hospitality, consistent with Henri Nouwens’s teachings: a hospitality which offers a spacious emptiness which welcomes in strangers, allows them to remember who they are and how they belong, and is large and safe enough to encourage transformation. To me, it was a homecoming to a community where I belonged and where I felt loved into being.”
-Mimi Saayman, Cape Town, South Africa
The Soul of Leadership
“I now have a very clear sense of being a leader with the integrity that I want to have, clearly based on the values that I have, and with a really clear sense of purpose about what I’m doing. That’s really helpful for the team that I manage, for stakeholders, and for trustees in the new charity that we’ve been able to set up. Over the course of this program, my work life has really blossomed.”
-Tess Bailey-Sayer
“Through each of the residentials, as well, I’ve built a confidence, and the way that I’m teaching has evolved. I’m teaching from a place that feels led from [the heart] rather than being led from the curriculum or the outside world. Being able to test that out and come back and share that with the group and facilitators and then go back and do some more practice has been really helpful.”
-Kerry Clarke
“The world right now needs more leaders who are more caring, kind, compassionate, open. Unfortunately, this isn’t what’s normally taught in leadership courses. Leadership is often associated with the vision of the heroic leader – someone who is decisive… and takes command and control… What the world needs is leaders who listen, who are open, who are vulnerable, who make decisions with others. And it’s those types of skills – based in your soul and your heart – which is what the course offers.”
– Nic Burton, North Yorkshire
“You find you come to each residential just longing for that space to pause, to reflect, to go deep, to explore, to find new insights, to bring some of the challenges, the problems you’re facing in every day life. Those residentials are like oases in many ways, oases in a very busy life, busy work schedule… My observation would be – for myself, for those I’ve seen going through the program – they come out of those residentials with renewed purpose, renewed energy (the batteries have been recharged), with renewed connection with soul. And that makes all of us better leaders in the world.”
-Margie Buchanan-Smith, grad and current co-leader
“Through the Soul of Leadership Program, I gained the guidance I needed to shift into the role of a leader within my job in early childhood education. This included understanding my own mission and vision and gifts. To this day, I return to the practices I learned for making decisions and discerning the role I want to play in each and every challenging situation (and believe me, my field is full of challenges right now!).”
-Linda Schumacher
“The Soul of Leadership has been by far one of the best programmes I have been on. It has the right balance of information, theory, insights and space to reflect. The programme had a huge impact at a professional, spiritual and personal level and I am very grateful for the new opportunities which enfolded from this experience.”
– Daniela Bultoc
“The Soul of Leadership course equipped me, not only to deal better with change, but also to manage complexity. By combining knowledge sharing with practice, I discovered how to create an ‘inner sanctum,’ from where I am able to lead much more effectively.”
– Elmor van Staden
“I have found the Soul of Leadership programme immensely enjoyable. I was very drawn towards it, even though worrying that I wasn’t a proper “leader,” but it was made very clear that this didn’t matter, and indeed right from the start I found myself making sense of past and current experiences. The sense of support through the residentials and between them has been very nourishing and sustaining.”
– Kate Graham
Crossing the Threshold: Contemplative Foundations for Emerging Leaders
(Formerly known as YALLI)
“The program was really special for me because it helped me delve deeper into my spirituality and really understand that God’s presence is all around us.”
– Alfonso Campbell, graduate of Crossing the Threshold
“For me one of the biggest pieces from that program was learning how to take faith from a part of my life and part of who I was to really integrate that into who I was and how I lived.”
-Laura Brokaw, graduate of Crossing the Threshold
“Instead of focusing on what God was inviting me to, I was focusing on what I wanted to be invited to. And it wasn’t working. This form of control is the enemy of the contemplative life. It’s what the brain craves. All of this striving and ‘should-ing’ taught me how little was actually within my control, and that as a contemplative, I would have to be more flexible….”
-Aryn Davis, graduate of YALLI and current co-leader of Crossing the Threshold
“After years of apologizing for being an introvert, YALLI also helped me to name myself as a contemplative leader by owning the authentic ways of being that God invites in my life: deep listening, co-creation, prayer, and other contemplative practices. By listening to the abundance of God’s invitations, I have learned to ground my life and leadership in God’s loving presence…”
– Sarah Forti, graduate of YALLI and current co-leader of Crossing the Threshold
Short-Term Program Testimonials
Group Spiritual Direction
“I attended the in-person GSD workshop in 2017, and it felt like coming home. This process has been such a gentle and grace-filled container for growth in my prayer life, and in my relationships. All of the foundational elements of Group Spiritual Direction can be applied to other contexts, so that we are not simply learning a format, we are receiving a new way of being.”
-Sarah Forti
Pilgrimage Testimonials
In the Footsteps of St. Francis & St. Clare: A Pilgrimage to Assisi
“As a participant in the May 2019 pilgrimage to Assisi, I would like to describe why I would encourage and recommend without any reservation this extraordinary pilgrimage to anyone who might be considering it. Beauty, wonder, cuisine and inspiration truly infuse the steps, the walls, the very air in this storied town.
Three shining realities persuade one to say yes to this pilgrimage: First, every pilgrim can rest in the sure knowledge that the co-leaders have poured thorough-going thought and care into the preparations that imbue and uphold the overall structure and daily flow of the pilgrimage. Great sensitivity is evidenced in the daily rhythms and provisions that create serene spaces for individual and group quiet contemplative practices. Margaret Benefiel and Julie Pennington-Russell, this year’s co-leaders, along with Chuck McCorkle in years past, distinguish themselves in this regard as spiritual guides.
Secondly, the structured rhythms of the day interface organically with the activities of each day. One will walk the very steps of St. Francis and St. Clare in an ancient city on a hill that, for generations, illuminated historic avenues for peace. One will find the streets and walls and trees still whisper, guiding you toward fresh, pastoral pastures.
Finally, one will be struck by invigorating and illuminating thoughts and connections that heretofore may have eluded one. The beauty of the history, the sweetness of the hospitality offered by the nuns providing our comfortable, scenic accommodations and the richness of the spirituality presented…they all beckon the potential pilgrim to say yes. Yes to quiet illumination. Yes to sure refuge. And yes to joy-filled, spiritual grounding and discovery in the company of good friends.”
– Leslie Mason Alford
“Unstructured time and space in my heart and mind are very important to my well-being but have been in short supply for quite some time. The opportunity to stroll the streets of Assisi, savor the blue skies and fresh air, wander in and out of shops, enjoy a gelato – this was healing and nourishing to my soul. One day as I lingered in the plaza in front of Basilica di Santa Chiara the noon bells began to ring out. Such exuberance, rolling over and over, wild with joy!
On Sunday mornings, at our Catholic church, the bells are rung as Mass is about to begin. They always made me think of church bells in Italy; now, when I hear those bells, I am transported back to Assisi, reminded to hold that exuberance and joy in my heart.”
– Marianne Carroll
“What a grand adventure to travel to Assisi with pilgrims from across the states and Singapore! Led by the experience and expertise of Margaret and Chuck we explored the steps of St Clair and St Angela. We deepened in our knowing the stories of these women, walked where they walked, prayed where they prayed, lived for 10 days where they once lived. We were immersed in an ancient culture, nestled in the beauty of Assisi and its surrounding landscape all held together in our shared experience. Engaging all of our senses and ways of learning this pilgrimage was a gift and privilege!
– Leslie Smith
“Can a place of beauty be influential in our lives? I believe it can. Such was my experience of our pilgrimage to Assisi… Beauty became a being to hold and see. Artists in their shops. The simplicity of historic chapels. The exquisite design of basilicas. The display and taste of new foods. The mountain views outside my windows. The sky at sunset.
But even more deeply, I saw beauty in the face of my pilgrim companions. An appreciation grew within me as we shared reflection, prayer, conversation, and travel. I began to see the breadth of humanity in the face of each other. There was wisdom offered, kindness conveyed, listening, laughing, weeping.
In the labyrinth of streets and steps and tunnels, I was led toward what was needed for the uplifting of my spirit. A surprise discovery around a corner. The scaling of a steep slope. Finding the strength and breath to move forward. Risking to see with new eyes, listen with new ears. I was given enough for each day to ponder and hold.
A place of beauty can open us to the beauty we long for in the world – to see the seeds of compassion, hope and justice bloom even in times of struggle and despair. I felt that in breaking of God’s presence expanding my senses and my being, calling me, through beauty, to listen, to observe, and to live with intention and love.”
– Anne Roser
“When I look back at my experience on pilgrimage, I discern two different impressions that come to me more than any other. One of them is the awe I felt in experiencing the “ancient-ness” of the city of Assisi… It was a unique experience to stand at the font in a church and learn that a world-famous saint was baptized there in the 1100’s. And to have a corner of a particular room pointed out as the spot where this world-famous saint died. To go to pray in a small, simple chapel that was built in 1156. There was something holy and sacred in all of that. Hallowed ground.
The other experience that stood out for me was the sheer enjoyment and pleasure I had getting to know and connecting with every person in this pilgrimage community… Each and every person brought so much personality, unique life experiences and spirituality, gifts and talents and knowledge of every kind.”
– Mary Becker
On the Camino: Remember, Release and Reimagine
“The Camino experience gave me insight into how to transcend suffering (blisters, swollen ankles, exhaustion) and find God via Shalem’s exceptional leadership, quiet mornings, gorgeous scenery, good food and good company.”
– Aetna Thompson
“For me, the goal of the pilgrimage was not reaching Santiago; the goal was the Camino itself, and the knowledge that we were following in an ancient line of footsteps. The sense of accompanying one another, and being accompanied by all who have gone before, was deeply sustaining, even when the path was at its most difficult.”
– Christiana Lundholm
“Walking the Camino immersed in the Shalem Spirit and with Shalem guides meant that every aspect of the walk was true spiritual pilgrimage. The pilgrimage was excellently organized and lots of fun!”
– David Keller
“The Camino was a beautiful confluence of the spiritual and physical for me. Coming from a spiritual tradition that often discounted reality, it was very healing to have this physical opportunity to walk out my faith with wonderful community.”
– Jimmy Abyad
“The Shalem Camino Experience is well organized, well communicated, well led. It allows one to be present to the spiritual intentions of a pilgrimage. It relieves the pilgrim of managing logistics so one may be more present to interior work and contemplation. It creates a community of support for the way. It is clear in its mission. This is not a tour, but a possibility for a spiritual encounter.”
– Sarah Hollar
“Our three leaders, Jackson, Bryan and Chris, led us on an amazing trip on the Camino de Santiago. It was transformational and for me, a time of no anxiety. Everything was planned out for us so all we had to do was show up, walk, and focus on the spiritual. My listening circle allowed me to solidify some of the thoughts of remember, release, reimagine. It was the perfect trio for me at this point in my life. I have been able to bring my journey back with me and realize it was only a beginning not just a segment of my life.”
-Susan Warren
“Walking the pilgrim path of so many who have walked before you and with you becomes a spiritual event. Freed from the pressures of responsibilities and schedules you become present to the moment with all its beauty, challenges and surprises. For me, it was a time of many “aha” moments. I continue to process its many gifts.”
-Carolyn Ballmer
“I am so glad that I decided to experience the Camino de Santiago through Shalem’s Camino pilgrimage. The arrangements were excellently managed so that I could focus on the physical and spiritual aspects of the journey. I cannot imagine doing the Camino without the wonderful group of fellow peregrinos and the spiritual leadership of the Shalem program.”
-Eric Beene
An Anchor for the Soul: Iona Pilgrimage
“I appreciated the slow, prayerful time together as community and in nature. The plenary sessions and lectures were incredible and life changing. This pilgrimage has brought me deep healing.”
– Past Pilgrim
“To experience the [journey] in a prayerful pilgrim community has been an extraordinary gift for me. I appreciate the careful and inspired planning that went into making each step a mindful, spirit-filled opportunity to open our hearts to creation.”
– Past Pilgrim
“I certainly am returning home with a heightened sense of God’s love and our potential to know that love and a renewed desire to help make that love manifest in the world.”
– Past Pilgrim
Walking the Ramparts: A Pilgrimage with Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross
“The pilgrimage met all my expectations and more! John and Teresa and the contemplative path that they invite has come even more alive for me. The presentations were very instructive and helpful, and the spaciousness of the free afternoons was a very welcome part to the rhythm of the day of the entire pilgrimage.”
-Gerald Wescott
“Being with Teresa and John was remarkable. I experienced them getting under my skin and into my heart. I connected with both of them in Spirit.”
-Eileen Epperson
“My spiritual life was greatly supported by our leaders and my fellow pilgrims. The plenaries were meaningful and the discussions rich, and lunches were a time to get together in small group or one-on-one to get to know one another better or deepen spiritual conversation and form friendships.”
-Julia Carlson
“I sensed a spiritual journey both in community and as an individual. The heart provoking questions, the listening circles, the sharing, and the historic sites we visited stirred my soul to go deeper. The pilgrimage was transformative and gifted me a deeper loving relationship with the Trinity and new spheres of inner peace and calm, and wholeness.”
-Deborah Britt
“It was a significant experience to sit in the places of prayer and veneration of spiritual giants from the past. I was very happy to just be present to the past and let it impact my spiritual awareness.”
-Beth Roberson
“The pilgrimage provided ample space for me to do important inner work, on my own and with others in the community. I remember now who and whose I am. And as a result, I have re-entered the world with fresh eyes and a gentler heart. I have been challenged to embrace and prayerfully traverse the dark nights and impasses within my own life, the Church, and the nation.”
-Caitlan Gartland
Retreat Day Testimonials
Holy Interruptions
“This was a chance to rest deep inside the spiritual heart and to listen for God’s knocking wherever that might occur. It was a heartfelt joy.”
– Joe T.
“This is a very accessible, practical, low carbon footprint way to deepen one’s contemplative way of being in the world.”
– Mary Lou D.
“The openness of the spaces around the offerings was perhaps the best part for me, as I could take all the time I needed, rather than have the retreat move on ahead of my readiness.”
– June M. S.
“I appreciated the personal, simple, spiritual richness of an online retreat day. It contained all the elements of a live retreat, but accessible to your own schedule. I needed to remember taking time to be intimate with God and this is one way to do it.”
– Pam S.
“An online retreat day is a special gift. It allows one to commit to a short amount of time, to be fully present, and to benefit from doing this where it is convenient for you.”
– Clair U.
“The Shalem experiences that are offered are always a welcome and rewarding time to pause from our full-scheduled days in order to be attuned to God’s presence and be reminded that we have access to the Beloved any time we quiet our minds and open our hearts.”
– Connie S.
Howard Thurman: Overview and Links to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
“This course was life changing. I had heard of Howard Thurman and had even read some of his materials, but this course really created a strong desire and determination to continue studying his work.”
– Patrice
“Howard Thurman’s thinking is so conducive to a retreat day, and the presenter did a lovely job curating his ideas and translating them into invitations to go deeper with God and into the world. This was a very well-designed, accessible retreat, and I’m likely to do another one with Shalem because of my experience.”
– Vanessa C.
“A welcome respite amidst our politically polarized world in order to be reminded of the resources of our inner life we can draw on to stay grounded and find courage to resist being crippled by the demagogues of our day, and motivation to contribute to constructive social change.”
– Carol A.
“I highly recommend this experience. Understanding the influence that Howard Thurman has had and the life that shaped that influence will be transformative, especially in our culture that is starving for more like him.”
– Jeff F.
“I was excited to see an online retreat using Howard Thurman’s material. I am part of a group that engages in dialogues about diversity. I invited other spiritual directors to join me in participating in this online retreat. We each engaged with the material individually over a period of 4-6 weeks and then joined together for an online group spiritual direction meeting to share our experiences. Every participant shared that they were enriched through their encounter with this retreat and would be interested in doing something similar again in the future!”
– Alice Y.
Contemplative Earth Awareness
“I appreciated the calm, nondirective, open, inviting nature of the experience. I was reawakened to some aliveness in the Great Mystery which I found very satisfying.”
– Mel B.
“The Earth Awareness Day provided the structure and guidance I was looking for in setting aside a Sabbath Day for myself. Nature has always been a place where I feel closer to the Divine. This online retreat built on that foundation and drew me deeper into communion with God as the ‘shy, wild animal of my soul’ showed itself. I was very grateful for the opportunity to rest in God for a day, and be held in God’s Creation. I ended the day refreshed, renewed and inspired to carry my experience into my more active life – and to share it with others.”
– Donna A.
“The guided meditation is helpful in growing to be at peace with myself and surroundings.”
– Terry L.
“I have found this one-day, at-home retreat to be a refreshing break, a pick-me-up as the season changes in nature and in my life.”
– Kay L.
“For anyone with a handicap or trouble traveling, these e-courses provide a great way of continuing our spiritual journey to the Divine!”
– Barbara H.
“These Shalem online retreats are like the ‘living water’ that Jesus promised so that our spiritual thirst can be quenched and our spirits revived.”
– Connie S.
Online Course Testimonials
Contemplative Leadership Seminar
“The content that was provided was rich and varied. It was helpful to be able to use the resources at my own pace, and schedule time that fit into my day. The presentation was prayerful, gentle… The course in itself modeled compassion. The experience offered new ways for me to see Leadership, while affirming some things that I have believed and intuited before. Thank you for this opportunity!”
– Mary Rose K.
“This course helped me slow down to consider leading from the heart once again. It reminded me of the value of continuous practice of compassion in leadership and prompted me to return to our original Source of all power.”
– Karen D.
“This seminar helped my team understand and practice deep listening and compassion in our work together. As a result, we stayed more grounded and were more effective in our work together.”
– Past Participant in a group
“[This seminar] challenged and inspired me personally, and more importantly, it led our team into deep and meaningful conversations about contemplative leadership. We were able to share issues with which we struggle personally and be of support and encouragement to one another. We’re a Team on a deeper level now and that can only mean good things for our shared leadership.”
– Past Participant in a group
“It was such a gift to be able to participate together from afar, to journal and share reflections during the course of daily work. The class brought us closer as we shared the ways that power and compassion can be shifted and viewed in countercultural ways. Our hearts opened wider to each other and to our work.”
– Past Participant in a group
Living from the Spiritual Heart
“This online experiential course is a wonderful way to experience a bit of ‘the Shalem way’ at home. It is a deeply nourishing reminder of the yearning beneath all others that draws us to our true home.”
– Dawn Peck
“This e-course was a valuable tool for me to explore ways to deepen my daily spiritual practice. Grounded in that place of the spiritual heart, I begin to discern God’s call of love (not just the voices of my ego and mind) and am then able to respond more faithfully to that call in my work and my relationships.”
– Elaine D.
“This course has influenced how I live and act in the ordinary and the stressful moments of my daily life. I have noticed myself pausing to ask from where am I responding and trying to choose to respond [from] the spiritual heart.”
– Rebecca P.
“My daily prayer is that I love God more each day. I believe this course was a Grace that is allowing me to do that and to go to a deeper spiritual level.”
– Maureen B.
“I appreciated the opportunity to learn to distinguish between seeing with my ego, my mind and my spiritual heart. I felt gently and lovingly encouraged to continue to seek my spiritual heart. Tilden embodied loving compassion as a teacher and exemplified the spiritual heart reaching out to us. I felt moments of unity with my own soul and the world around me through the space he held for us, for me.”
– Donna A.
“Tilden Edwards carries a healing presence that invites gentle self-compassion, love, and grace as we reflect on the calling of our spiritual heart. Being a seasoned instructor in contemplative wisdom practices, I welcomed the time to not have a ‘teacher’ mind, but to just BE and learn and bask in my heart. The sage wisdom is deep and I will carry forth this journey to connect deeply with the divine.”
– Denise P.
Open Hands, Willing Hearts
“This course, as with other Shalem offerings, is well thought out, open, spacious, and encourages honest sharing and vulnerability both within and between participants. Shalem leaders assume a deep and growing spirituality in each participant and are always respectful of that awareness.”
– Carol I.
“I have participated in Shalem programs for more than a decade. The online course on discernment, as every course I’ve taken, was well designed and provided many opportunities for spiritual reflection and practice. I find there are few programs for clergy that expect and provide the deepening that Shalem demands. I am clearer on God’s dreams and will for me after this course and what else could one ask for a class on discernment?”
– Don S.
“This online course helped me to gently notice and reflect on the totality of God’s movement over the course of my life. New ‘calls’ emerge over the years, but they have their rootedness in what has gone before. I also noticed the wealth of companions who have encouraged my faith. Thinking about who they are and how they inspire me helps define who I desire to become myself.”
– Valerie H.
“The ‘Open Hands, Willing Hearts’ online course with Shalem was truly challenging for me but deeply significant. The questions inviting reflection touched the core of my inner being, pain, struggles and desires. Sharing online with a community of pilgrims was an absolutely beautiful and inspiring journey. This course was definitely a blessing and a graceful noticing of God’s presence on my path.”
– Jacqueline L.
“I am more aware of areas that ‘trip me up’ on my journey with God. I am inspired to ask every day, ‘What is mine to do, Lord?’ I see a thread from my earliest years and throughout my life of God’s guidance, a common drawing for deep relationships on a spiritual level that has been there in every stage of my life. On and on!! I am grateful for this study!”
– Frances M.
Living Word, Living Way
“This course helped me to move further into contemplative prayer and contemplative living. It was both a reminder of my intentions and an enabler of progress on my journey.”
– Jean E.
“This online course was a perfect way to help deepen my spiritual prayer life. The questions were thought provoking, and led me deeper into personal reflection. The weekly videos from Patience were filled with a variety of information that I was able to integrate into my daily life. I highly recommend this online course to anyone wanting to deepen their spiritual practice of prayer.”
– Edwina L.
“The course was a great reminder of the richness and breadth of God’s presence that is experienced through so many different forms of contemplative prayer.”
– Kim
“This course awaken[ed] a strong desire to bask in God’s loving presence. The Contemplative Prayer course offered a chance to practice different prayer techniques. Reading the other journal postings gave a sense of community. I have used the gratitude meditation with some of my elderly patients, with poignant results. Some of my patients now have the daily assignment to write their gratitude list every morning.”
– Ruth
“While it might seem strange to think of an online course as a community, this course definitely was. It was delightful to discover other contemplatives as we struggle and grow in our practices.”
– Anne
Opening to the Spirit
“This course opened me to the possibilities of God’s Spirit already working within my spirit. It helped me begin the process of letting go of my need to control and to simply open myself to God’s Presence. It was a relief to hear again and again that the simplest practices are the best and to do what seems most natural to me… This experience has re-energized my spiritual life and has enabled me to go to a deeper place.”
– Carol W.
“This opportunity for spiritual deepening has helped me to refresh long standing spiritual practices. During the class I found myself discovering all over again the delight of opening space up in heart and mind and body to allow God’s spirit to live and move and shape me. To humbly remember to have a beginner’s mind in approaching silence and simply show up in trust, has been a great delight and consolation for me.”
– Nancy S.
“This course offered a way for me to become nearer to the Loving Source of all that we are. It provided a way to be in touch with others who are seeking the same blessings. Together we have explored the possibility that contemplative prayer may be a way to listen more closely to what God wants for us. I am grateful for Carole and for my fellow pilgrims.”
– Marian Penney R.
“This program changed my prayer life completely. I always felt I prayed all the time, but developed through this guidance, a specific time, period, and total reservation of prayer space. It seems so natural now, where I didn’t even do it 6 weeks ago. I also increased my understanding, through the guided program, of contemplative prayer. It is now the most important part of my Quest.”
– Jerry K.
“Shalem provides a safe space and nurturing instructors who guide one to a deeper understanding of how to experience the Presence and appreciate that God is always with us. I recommend the online course to those who have full days and yet wish to be fully present to God in the midst of the busyness.”
– Deborah S.
“The pace and content of this course were reflective of contemplative practice. I was very grateful to have this renewal and refresher of primary elements of contemplative prayer, especially during the very busy Advent season.”
– Dana Greene