MWPJDII

Midwest Profound Journey Dialog© 9/5-6/08

Sinsinawa Center, WI, near Dubuque, IA, USA

a four-session dialog about our profound journeys

Session 1: Friday evening – Way Life Is (WLI)

… dialog about real life & our relationship to mystery at its heart

Session 2: Saturday morning – Transforming Events and Story (TES)

… dialog about life-changing events & an empowering story to live by

Saturday luncheon – Extended Solitary Reflection

(each participant given one of John Cock's Daily Spirit Journal volumes)

Session 3: Saturday afternoon – Perfect Freedom (ROF)

… dialog about responsible obligation and freedom for decision-making

Session 4: Saturday evening – The Big Context (BOW)

… dialog about living on “behalf of what”

*****

Dialoging about the deep dimensions of our journeys can be . . .

intense, exhilarating, transforming, and celebrative …

leaving us a new vision.

The flow of each session . . .

Meal dialog . . . journey conversations

Foundation talk . . . each with a profound journey symbol

Wisdom reading . . . with reflective questions

Personal grounding . . . personal experiences on the journey

Huddle dialog . . . with 6-7 (voted key by participants)

Group musing . . . sharing the wisdom of the huddles

Secular ritual . . . celebrating the profound journey

40 participants from 12 States

Participants

1. A. Beacham; 2. L. Loeppke; 3. T. Bergdall; 4. D. Ziegenhorn; 5. D. Ziegenhorn; 6. K. Cole; 7. N. Tillman; 8. C. DeFuria; 9. B. Griffith; 10. R. Griffith; 11. P. Druckenmiller; 12. D. Druckenmiller; 13. J. Stallman; 14. A. Gammel; 15. S. Hughes; 16. R. Hughes; 17. C. Johnson; 18. B. Johnson; 19. M. Aiseayew; 20. S. Thompson; 21. S. Vouthilak; 22. Koshin (B. Hanson); 23. K. Ingvoldstad; 24. C. Hood; 25. N. Trask; 26. A. Rader; 27. R. Mitchell; 28. J. Angelica; 29. P. Wilson; 30. R. Alexander; 31. J. Lindblad; 32. N. Lindblad; 33. D. Elliott; 34. M.L. Jones; 35. K. Otto; 36. P. Noah; 37. K. Sims; 38. T. Duszynski; 39. L. Cock; 40. J. Cock

Whole group Musing

Participant Endorsements

“The PJD is a mind-opener! Where do we find the meaning in our lives? How do we build a profound story about our lives? What is our real responsibility in our journey on earth? What must be done to create new and helpful patterns of human endeavor? No less than these big questions are wrestled with during this power-packed four-session dialogue event. Thanks with my whole heart for putting this event together!” ~anonymous

“I have been attending retreats and workshops for over 25 years and have never attended anything quite like this. It was intellectually stimulating, spiritually enlightening, emotionally engaging and highly amusing! The PJD offers seeds for personal and social transformation.” ~Jade Angelica, Unitarian Universalist Community Minister

“The event is individually and socially transformative. The symbols used reflect the meaning of our common human experience.” ~Larry Loeppke, managing editor

“The concepts here will stick with me for my life journey. They will keep me honest and humble and drive me to act on behalf of all that is good. I feel this PJD is a crucial part of my journey.” ~Ashleigh Rader, student, Iowa State University

“It has been over 30 years since I’ve had a similar experience and the ‘energy’” continues to touch me and motivate me on my journey.” ~Ron Hughes

“PJD provides a provocative and nurturing place for Those Who Care to gather and ponder the depth meaning of their lives. A rare and meaning filled oasis of community in these challenging times.” ~Judy Lindblad

“John and Lynda have refined, secularized and made the RS-I event into a ‘today’ experience that everyone needs for deep and ongoing nurture.” ~Mary Laura Jones

“It is hard to imagine a more meaningful way to spend a weekend. The images, visual and verbal, were outstanding. . . . Timing avoided most of the feeling of being rushed.” ~Byrne Johnson

“I was particularly appreciate of the way the PJD was received by ‘new’” people.” ~Beret Griffith

“The PJD is a great rehearsal of the ICA story and what has kept some of us engaged for 30+ years. It’s also an effective introduction to ICA’s greatness for newcomers.” ~Don Elliott

“The PJD allowed me to experience again the way life is, grace with possibility, my freedom, and my future engagement.” ~Dallas Ziegenhorn

“The quality of the work – the presentations, the group sharing in huddles, and the private reflections – in an efficient time package made this an essential part of my life story. Thank you for the profound care in bringing this message to me.” ~Andrea Beacham, counselor, attorney, spiritual guide

“This was a life-affirming weekend as we explored the complexity of the human spirit. The sessions have enabled me to reflect more consciously on the meaning of ‘meaning’ in my life.” ~Timothy Duszynski, PhD, ICA-USA Program Development

“The PJD offers not only a refreshing encounter with self and others through poetry and conversation, but also perspective for living the abundant life, a context for making difficult choices and the courage to step out anew into the Great Work we all share.” ~Donna Ziegenhorn

“A wonderful, insightful event for all who search or think they have found it. Keep on keeping on.” ~Koshin (Bob Hanson), Zen Buddhist Sangha leader

“The re-awakenment I experienced has put me in touch again with the deepest understandings of life . . . my core.” ~anonymous

“The PJD is perfect in every way. I love it!” ~anonymous

“Although not a minute seemed wasted and the event was ‘highly structured,’ as advertised, I felt lots of time to have follow-up conversations and to move slowly through the activities. Such an opportunity is rare.” ~Pat Druckenmiller

“A great opportunity to consider spiritual questions in the context of real life experience. Creativity will flow.” ~Terry Bergdall

“What a great weekend! Sharing my profound journey with others is worthwhile. Beautiful sharing with friends old and new is what it’s all about.” ~Sarah Thompson

“Everyone is on the journey in search of meaning. In the PJD the meaning is illuminated and the path is cleared. The way is lit.” ~anonymous

“This weekend may give you the courage to take steps to reconnect with others and yourself and make things work toward a more fulfilled life.” ~Ken Otto, facilities manager

“What is distinct about the ICA methods isn’t just their elegance, but the depth and breadth of what underlies them . . . reflected and expressed in the PJD.” ~Jane Stallman

“The construct pushed my reflection in many ways. I appreciated the opportunity to reconnect with colleagues and to meet the new ICA staff. Plus, of course, the setting couldn’t have been more perfect. . . . Many people are engaged in community, church, organization but find it difficult to ‘keep on keeping on’ . . . therefore the need for a time of spirit renewal and sustenance.” ~Priscilla Wilson

Huddle participation: Donna Ziegenhorn and Ron

Griffith

Participants’ answers to “Why would you recommend such an event?”

•“For anyone who wants to grow in awareness, wake up and stop falling back to sleep.”

•“Provides deeply necessary reflection that supports future action.”

•“It is truth.”

•“A way to reach 'un-churched' spirit-centered people wanting to make a commitment to change.”

•“Everyone processes their story/journey differently yet can find common language and symbols to share here.”

•“Well balanced to address issues of mind, heart, body, spirit – unique, stimulating. Very important message.”

•“To open minds and make people really think.”

•“Powerful way to examine individual and corporate life.”

•“It’s basic knowledge that everyone should have stored in memory, because it speaks to the soul.”

•“Deepen your awareness of your life journey.”

•“Recruitment to become engaged.”

•“The weaving of many modalities . . . the exercises and poetry, presentations and huddles plus rituals freighted the journey well.”

•“Really struggling first hand with responsibility, obligation, and freedom in the midst of the session.”

•“Our times call for such spirit consciousness and sustenance for the journey.”

•“I am really excited about the reflection and action plans that emerged Saturday night after the PJD . . . especially as they connect with the diverse forms of the BIG WE.”

•“Everyone needs a profound story to live by.”

•“Inspire more change agents for the world.”

•“It is so real and life-giving.”

•“The mix of old colleagues and new is a way to pass on this movement. Quality experiment.”

•“Profound life events are given symbol and language.”

•“Helps people to understand what is going on in the deeps of their lives.”

•“Experience deep gratitude and joy.”

•“It provides the common language of care and faith for our secular age.”

•“People need to know this.”

•“Glorious celebration of the historic ICA/EI . . . how they developed and what they represent.”

•“Time together to pause from the daily onslaught and breathe deeply.”

Judy Lindblad’s PJD poetry

First Night's Reflection . . .

Breath taking!

Breathtaking!

Time away, alone, with others, in community.

Parched parts plumping

Patterns revealed

Habits of rushing, avoiding, overbooking, fixing, being late,

Mindlessness to mindfulness cluttering and catalyzing the journey anew.

“Universe illumination – everywhere is found life’s meaning

And I – I am the one

At the center tranquil.”

“Daily Spirit Journal” dialog poetry . . .

A Mama Longlegs shared my silent space,

Silently reminding me of graceful profound journeys unimagined.

Noticing was my part of the dialog.

Gratitude is my gift.

Namaste!

Upon returning home . . .

How glorious to be among the blue – warts and all!

The practices, the laughter, the wisdom, the deep address, the community;

Shining through the anger bred moments of despair and horror . . . that keep on giving.

And yet in the renewed “Big Context” of our shared understandings,

Tiny green shoots of the new, the next, the what if

seem to be appearing in the desert.

Is it dessert or the appetizer of some fresh uncharted banquet?

Only time will tell.

Rejoining the league that is not the League,

I am grateful.

Coordinators and Guides Comments

This is the second Profound Journey Dialog, the first held in Denver, September 2007. Its primary source is a core seminar of the Ecumenical Institute: Chicago/Institute of Cultural Affairs, created in the 1960’s and taught to thousands globally.

Each participant worked from a printed 27-page notebook. The meeting space was intimate with six round tables, all with quotes, décor objects, and daily reflections; a front art form table for larger décor; an Earth hanging; and selected music. After each session, the large easel sheets became wall décor – an array of images and symbols that guided the profound journey dialog.

A post-PJD confab of 32 participants considered next steps for the PJD experiment.

Andrea Beacham and Larry Loeppke, local coordinators

John and Lynda Cock, national initiating PJD guides

Future Considerations for the PJD Experiment

The PJD is not a workshop, seminar, or retreat, but is a exploratory

dialog about the profound journey.

Make the content even more secular.

Enlist cross-cultural and inter-generational participants.

Deepen personal reflection and huddle dialog.

Enhance the foundational talks with computer technology.

Coordinate volunteers to further revise the four sessions.

Train PJD guides to lead projected PJD’s.