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How can we have hope when we don’t even know what is going to happen to us? Br. David Steindl-Rast, a Benedictine monk and the co-founder of Spirituality & Practice's sister site Gratefulness.org, turns this equation on its head. Hope, he says, is by definition "openness for surprise." To become aware of the opportunity that a given moment offers us is the essence of training in grateful living. Once we become aware of an opportunity, during happy times or even amidst great suffering, we can interact with it. This frees us from our addiction to the predictable and brings us fully alive.

This retreat is one of three on the "Divine Virtues" based on videos of Br. David’s talks during a 2011 cruise to Alaska. The virtues are faith (Trusting in Life), hope, and love (a retreat coming in January 2013). These positive attitudes towards life, which appear in all religious traditions and spiritual paths, can become second nature to us. They connect us to the deepest reality of life, the divine spark within us.

In the videos for this retreat, Br. David's wit and wisdom are evident as he explores various facets of hope. He talks about limitations being (surprisingly!) some of our best opportunities and about holding our hopeful expectations firmly but lightly, just as we would any tool. He then moves from the personal realm into broader social ramifications of hope: looking, for instance, at how exploitation can be countered by gratitude for each person’s unique contributions.

Each of the 12 emails includes a link to a video of Br. David’s teachings about hope from the Alaska cruise, accompanied by written reflections and study questions for your journaling.

This retreat was created by Patricia Campbell Carlson, Executive Director of A Network for Grateful Living (ANG*L), assisted by Margaret Wakeley, ANG*L’s Community Development Coordinator. Both accompanied Br. David on the Alaska cruise and work closely with him on Gratefulness.org.

We invite you to learn how to be open for surprise. To register, click on "Subscribe to E-Course" below.

This Online Retreat is available on-demand. Once you click on the "subscribe" button, you will be taken through a sign-up process during which you can choose to pay the $39.95 fee by credit card or check. You'll be emailed a receipt with a link to your "account page" where you can choose when you'd like the e-course to begin and how frequently (daily, three times a week, twice a week, or weekly) you would like to receive it. 4 CEHs for Chaplains available.