The elements of compassion will be explored when the Spiritual Growth Mission at Grace Lutheran Church, Davenport, presents “Living Compassion for the Sake of the World,” a free retreat featuring the Rev. Elaine K. Olson, MDiv, LCPC, and a certified spiritual director, on Saturday, Oct. 1. The retreat will take place from 8:30 a.m. until noon in the Pat Bell Hall at the church, 1140 E. High St., Davenport, a news release says.
Olson says this topic is particularly pertinent right now.
“I think we’re currently living in a time when we engage the world with fear and apprehension, which keeps us separate from people when we really need each other to figure out how to solve complex problems. I think part of this workshop on compassion will not only be learning how to engage in compassion with others but also learning how to engage with compassion for ourselves,” says Olson, who has based her presentation on the writings of Joyce Rupp, the author of “Boundless Compassion.”
“As I learn about being compassionate with my own fear, my own judgments and my own reactivity, I can find ways to be compassionate with others and those same emotional experiences,” she adds.
For those “who are longing to find ways to engage with others in the world in a kind way,” this is the retreat to attend, she says. “Those who attend will learn tools to help them understand and act in a more compassionate way — a way that is based on mindfulness, forgiveness, non-judgment and nonviolence.”
To register for this free retreat, visit here or call the Grace Lutheran Church office at 563-322-0769.