Spaces of Exploration, Practice, and Belonging for All People
+ Belong
+ Practice
+ Explore
+ Question
+ Trust
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.
-- James 3:17
Trinity's Spiritual Formation Program for adults seeks to create "spaces" to which all are welcome with an open spirit. Some of these spaces are aimed at providing people the opportunity for specifically Christian formation within the context of The Episcopal Church. Some of these spaces are more open, in the sense of inviting an exploration of the spiritual life even in the absence of a specifically Christian or Episcopal commitment. All of our classes and conversations are informed by the Nine Aspirations of Spiritual Formation, which you will find at the bottom of this page.
The Sunday Sessions
These are short sessions, either "one-offs" or series of two consecutive Sundays, offered several times a year, and are dedicated to formation within the Christian tradition as received by The Episcopal Church and lived out by the Trinity community. Each session runs from 11:15 am to 12:45 pm, beginning immediately after our 10:00 am service. We start with lunch together, and then move into our class. Sometimes, there are a couple of offerings to choose from. Child care is provided for the youngest children, and an activity or formation session is offered for older children. Youth sometimes are asked to share in the adult offering, or offered something designed just for them. These sessions are scheduled during the program year, which runs from September through May. The 2017-2018 schedule for Sunday Sessions will be found here.Some of our Sunday Sessions are recorded, and you can access the archive here.
The Rector's Classes Rev. Matthew offers classes during the program year (September through May) on Monday evenings from 7:00 pm to 8:15 pm, with the session repeated on Wednesday mornings from 10:30 am to 11:45 am. A theme is generally adopted for each year, and there are breaks in the course of the year to accommodate holidays. Information on the 2017-2018 class schedule can be found here. You will also find recordings from last year's classes.
Other Opportunities for Meditation, Sacred Movement, and Prayer
The Trinity community offers different opportunities each week, outside of Sundays, for meditation and other spiritual exercises. Information about those offerings is found here.
These nine aspirations have been borrowed, in a modified form, from the Community of the Mystic Heart, an interspiritual group of contemplative practitioners. They suggest what we aspire to as we move along a path of inner spiritual development.
1. To actualize and live according to my full moral and ethical capacity
2. To live in solidarity with the cosmos and all living beings
3. To live in non-violence
4. To live in humility and to remember those who assisted me on my spiritual path
5. To embrace a daily spiritual practice
6. To cultivate mature self-knowledge
7. To live a life of simplicity
8. To live a life of service and compassionate action
9. To work for justice, peace, and healing of the world, including the environment
It is important to see these aspirations as suggestions meant to shape our path rather than as requirements imposed from outside. We encourage you to reflect on these aspirations and consider how they might apply to your life and situation. It is to be expected that people will interpret them and live them out somewhat differently.
Below you will find recordings of talks from some of our classes. The library currently contains talks from our 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 seasons. Please note that the James Alision series has not been recorded due to the format of those classes.
Description
Recording of the second talk in this Fall's Living Wisdom class series on The Foundations of a Generous Christianity. Please note that the recordings are unedited.
Description
Matthew Dutton-Gillett's first Living Wisdom talk of the 2012-2013 season. It is the beginning of the Generous Christianity series, entitled "The Key to Everything: The Experience of Christ". Please note that the recording has not been edited.
Description
Talk on Part 4 of Alexander Shaia's book, The Hidden Power of the Gospels, covering the Gospel of John. Note that this recording is unedited.
Description
Part 1 of the class on Marcus Borg's book, Speaking Christian. Please note that the file is unedited (and the recordings for parts 2 and 3 were lost).
