"The stories people tell have a way
of taking care of them. If stories come to you,
care for them. And learn to give them away
where they are needed. Sometimes a person
needs a story more than food to stay alive."
— Badger in Crow and Weasel by Barry Lopez
"Tell me a story." It's the request of young and old alike. The word “story” reverberates in our consciousness and we are transported to the times when as children we've listened intently to fairy tales and tall tales, as teenagers we went on quests or romantic adventu
res, and as adults, we've marveled at the way things were in the past or just might be in the future. Stories have been the air that we have breathed and the ground upon which we have walked.
Our culture puts before us an amazing array of stories via television shows, films, books, plays, and even poetry. We can pick and choose those we want to take seriously and those we wish to discard. Perhaps we want a story that perfectly fits our situation. Or we want a story to take us to a place we have never been to before.
In our case, we have been lovers of brief but poignant spiritual stories for years. We’ve seen how they can be used in sermons by preachers or become illustrations of key points for teachers. We’ve enjoyed sharing them with friends and family. And we’ve found that reflecting upon spiritual teaching stories has been an important spiritual practice.
That’s why we regularly invite spiritual teachers to present stories through e-courses on Spirituality & Practice. So we are declaring this fall and early winter to be a “Season for Stories.”
The first e-course, running from September 9 – October 4, is being led by Megan McKenna, a renown storyteller who has written more than 50 books, all containing stories. She has dipped into her vast collection and selected 12 stories that illustrate how to repair our souls and our world. They represent the storytelling traditions of Hawaii, Vancouver, B.C. Asia, Italy, the Christian Gospels, Judaism, Sufism, Zen, Native, and Russia, plus stories from Megan's travels. This variety reminds us of the yearning for teachings everywhere and encourages us to know that as we engage with stories, we are in very good company. And those stories point us to concrete ways to repair and heal ourselves and our world. It is not too late to join this e-course; once you register, you will find all the emails that have gone out archived on your account page. And after October 4, it will be available in our on-demand system.
Register for Stories to Repair Our Souls and Our World
"Wisdom Stories from the Sufi Tradition - 2024" is led by Kabir Helminski, Shaikh of the Mevlevi Order that traces its inspiration to Jelaluddin Rumi. He notes that unbounded wisdom that would take countless pages to explain can be swiftly and deftly transmitted through a story. Sufis have long known this, developing a rich history of storytelling as a way to teach and guide. In four weeks of daily emails, he offers guidance and the opportunity to reflect on how stories become containers for meaning, lenses for perception, and multidimensional symbols for the education of the soul. The e-course is designed for people of all traditions and those who do not affiliate with any tradition. It will run from October 6 – November 2.
Register for Wisdom Stories from the Sufi Tradition - 2024
From November 4 – November 29, we will revisit some familiar “Fairy Tales - 2024” with Thomas Moore as our leader. He approaches fairy tales through their imagery, looking for metaphors and extended meanings of words and figures, and also believes that in the end, your imagination is your most potent tool for understanding. What do Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, and other tales say to you?
Register for Fairy Tales - 2024
“
Practicing Spirituality with Teaching Stories - 2024” is a 40-day e-course for which Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat selected their favorite spiritual teaching stories. It will run from December 1, 2024, through January 9, 2024. These are stories whose characters and situations replicate relationships and patterns in our lives. They carry within them universal truths and evergreen applications to contemporary challenges. Each day you will receive a story with a suggestion of a process to use to apply it to your everyday situations.
Register for Practicing Spirituality with Teaching Stories - 2024