Writing as a Spiritual Practice

Saturday, July 24th, 2021, 9:30AM – 12:30PM Central, $50

Online via Zoom.

“Writing can be a spiritual practice. To write about what is painful is to begin the work of healing. To write the red of a tomato before it is mixed into beans for chili is a form of praise. To write an image of a child caught in war is confession or petition or requiem. To write grief onto a page of lined paper until tears blur the ink is often the surest access to giving or receiving forgiveness. To write a comic scene is grace and beatitude. To write irony is to seek justice. To write admission of failure is humility. To be in an attitude of praise or thanksgiving, to rage against God, or to open one’s inner self and listen, is prayer.”—Pat Schneider, How the Light Gets In: Writing as a Spiritual Practice

Join us as we explore the act of writing as a spiritual practice. Many of us engage in a variety of spiritual practices, such as Centering Prayer, spending time in nature, and reading religious literature. Writing can also serve us in this way, by inviting us to express ourselves from the soul. In our time together, we’ll experiment with various ways we might incorporate writing into our daily spiritual lives. From writing our prayers to contemplating a piece of poetry, writing can connect us to ourselves, our fellow pilgrims, and the Divine. This is not about critique: it’s about creating in community and supporting one another in our spiritual development.

Amy-Lyles Wilson, M.A., M.T.S., believes it is the sharing of our stories that saves us. Toward that end, she helps people get to the heart of the matter through words. A Mississippi native who calls Nashville home, Amy-Lyles works as a writer, story coach, and community-based teacher. She has been published in a variety of magazines and co-authored or contributed to nine books. Her essay “The Guts to Keep Going” was featured on National Public Radio. Amy-Lyles has served as adjunct professor and writer-in-residence at the Earlham School of Religion, and led workshops across the South, as well as at the Chautauqua Institution. She is a trained spiritual director and facilitator of both Amherst Writers and Artists and SoulCollage® workshops, and holds degrees in English, journalism, and theology. She completed LRU’s Narrative Healthcare Certificate Program in May 2021. Learn more at www.amylyleswilson.com.