This Crumbs! day draws on the imagery in the parable of the sower to continue our exploration of ‘fruitfulness at the edges’. It will be both a day of personal, experiential learning, and a chance to try out some ideas we can use with others.
In the morning we will reflect on the seed which falls on good soil, and ask what makes ‘good soil’ for us. Different plants need different conditions to thrive, so what helps us to thrive in our personal, working and spiriitual lives? For example, does being on the edge – or by the wayside? – bring out the best in us, like the plants which bloom in crevices or on rocky ground?
We will work individually and in pairs, telling stories of when our own lives have been most fruitful, and thinking about what needs to be in place for us to thrive. We will also look at experiences of barrenness in our lives, seeing what blocks – chokes, withers, consumes – us, and how we might move from unfruitfulness to flourishing. We will be facilitated in this by Anne Borrowdale, drawing on her experience as a personal coach using the SIMA process. (For more information see her website.)
In the afternoon after a reading of the Parable of the Sower there will be the opportunity to use creative materials to represent stories that have been prompted by the morning’s activities. There will be a time to talk about creations if this is helpful. After quietly clearing our work, the afternoon will end with a meditation.
The Burren, County Clare - photo Anne Borrowdale 2003
The Burren in County Clare on the West coast of Ireland, from a distance, nothing but craggy, bare, limestone rocks running to the sea. Yet this habitat abounds with plant life growing out of the cracks and crevices.
