Online Book Studies
The Gifts of Imperfection. Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are by Brene Brown, Ph.D., L.M.S.W.
Led By: Ann Axman and Pattie McGurk on Zoom
Dates: Tuesday June 23 and 30 July 7, 14, 21 and 28
Time: 12:05 – 12:55 p.m. (Feel free to eat your lunch while on the zoom meeting)
Fee: $20
Wholehearted Living includes cultivating a sense of worthiness along with courage, compassion, connection, and an acceptance of imperfections and vulnerabilities. Wholehearted Living also involves love and belonging, two concepts that are central human needs. Brown emphasizes the importance of self-love as well as love for others and also notes the important difference between true belonging, which is being accepted for who you are, and fitting in which requires you to change who you are. Brown also addresses the challenges to Wholehearted Living and notes the importance of facing those challenges and working through them rather than trying to circumvent them. Shame, fear, and vulnerability are all things we need to cultivate resilience against and not push under the rug.
Brown then launches in to the ten guideposts for Wholehearted Living with a chapter devoted to each one individually. The ten guideposts are about cultivating the following things in one’s life in order to live Wholeheartedly: authenticity; self-compassion; a resilient spirit; gratitude and joy; intuition and faith; creativity; play and rest; calm and stillness; meaningful work; and laughter, song, and dance.
In the conclusion, Brown notes that Wholeheartedness is a way of life that requires practice and intention. It is also counter-cultural and subverts many pervasive cultural messages and can therefore be a challenge. However, Brown emphasizes that the rewards of Wholehearted Living are far greater than the challenges and invites readers to join the Wholehearted revolution.
Fully Awake and Truly Alive Spiritual Practices to Nurture Your Soul by Rev. Jane E Vennard 
Led By: Marcia Berchek and Ann Axman on Zoom
Dates: Wednesday August 5, 12,19 and 26, September 2
Time: 12:05 – 12:55 p.m. (Feel free to eat your lunch while on the zoom meeting)
Fee: $20
Reverend Vennard is fearlessly awake to the wild dance of life. Rather than sleeping through life, she awakens to it. Rather than escaping from reality, she embraces it. Rather than distracting herself with a life to come, she dares to live the life that is. And she wants you to do all this as well. Read this book. Live this book. Wake up.”
–from the Foreword
In a culture enthralled with technology, striving and speed, people of many faith traditions and no faith tradition long to slow down, pay attention and wake up to the present moment. They want help in realizing their hope that they can become more truly alive.
This engaging and highly readable book offers you guidance for the journey. Sharing stories from her personal life as a spiritual seeker and from her professional career as a retreat leader, spiritual director and teacher, Reverend Jane Vennard illustrates the joys and frustrations of spiritual practice, offers insights from various religious traditions, and provides step-by-step exercises and meditations to practice: Caring for the body * Rest * Silence Solitude * Letting go * Community * Hospitality * Service * Living gratefully
To register for either book study use the form below. You will be sent an e-mail with details after your registration is complete.