Topic for Single Talks,
for Evenings of Reflection,
or for Breakout-Group Sessions
The topics that follow are promotion-ready descriptions for Pat's most frequently-requested events. She also prepares custom topics… contact her with your needs!
The Good News According to Each of Us
The revelation of the Good News does not happen with a leap from the mind of God straight into the human heart, it is mediated through experience. As theologian John Shea says, it always has somebody’s fingerprints on it. This talk will reflect on the Good News according to many sources: from the evangelists themselves to Broadway musicians, from great saints to tiny grandchildren. In the end we will ponder the question, “What is the Good News according to me?”
Our Beloved Dead: Blessing As They Go
(Often scheduled for NOVEMBER)
On the Feast of All Saints we often reflect on how we are blessed by the great Saints. This evening will be a reflection on the way deaths of those we’ve known have blessed us. Join us to share how we have been given wisdom and strengths for our own living and dying by those who bless us as they go.
Creative Nostalgia
Looking back at the past can stir up longing for beloved people and places and circumstances, and evoke a kind of poignant homesickness. But looking back can also evoke a creative energy for the present. We can find strength and goodness in the past to give us courage and resources for the present. We can remember dangers that did not destroy us, hard times that brought us blessing, love that is alive in us still. In this evening we will look at key facets of our past that can bring us to deeper life now and renewed hope for the future.
Longing
In every season of our lives we are beset by longing. Disappointment, resentment, loneliness, and worry stir currents of restlessness in us. Our deep yearnings for peace and joy are intensified by suffering and loss. In this evening we will shine light on our longing. From theology and scripture, humor and deeply human stories, we will look together at the mysterious truth of the beatitudes: Blessed are we who hunger. We will reflect on the journey of longing where vulnerability can be the doorway to Love.
Forgiveness
In Jesus’ teaching, he replaced hundreds of statutes, decrees, and regulations of the law with the commandment to love one another. At the core of that love is forgiveness. In this evening we will explore together the dynamic of forgiveness, examining its central importance, its difficulty, and some practical things that can help us to forgive.
Love, "The Many Splendored Thing“
In Scripture, God is portrayed in many metaphors – a shepherd, a rock, a lion. The one thing we know for sure from the perspective of Judeo-Christian revelation is that God is love. In this evening we will look together at love in some of its many splendors, and reflect on what our experiences of love tell us about God.
What Makes A Difference?
We are each called to make a difference in our struggling world. In order to do so it can help to reflect on what has made a difference to us as believers. This evening will explore insights, experiences, images, and scripture passages that have brought our faith to life, strengthened our hope, helped us to love. Revisiting these resources can renew our energy for making a difference for others.
Pat will customize any of these topics to suit your needs.
Contact Pat