Spiritual Formation

​In spiritual formation we are on a pilgrimage rather than a journey guided by spiritual practices/disciplines that aid in formation. We lean into less is more and work toward surrendering our agenda and ego in an attempt to deepen our relationship with God, self, and others. A few of these “soul tending” practices are silence, solitude, Lectio Divina (sacred reading), prayer, contemplation, and meditation.
"Though we may not think alike, can we not love alike."

- John Wesley

  • Sunday Morning Worship Prayer
    Sundays during the 8:20, 9:30 and 11 a.m. services
    The Worship Prayer Team is comprised of individuals who commit to pray during one of the Sanctuary worship services. The team is made up of men and women of all walks of life who are willing to share one hour on Sunday morning to pray for the ministries that take place on the WC Campus. There is a room on the second floor of the Sanctuary on the south end that is dedicated for the purpose of worship prayer and provides a quiet setting and instructions to guide the participant in their time of prayer. John McKellar and Todd Renner, our Co-Pastors, stress the importance of this opportunity to be a church of prayer so we might “see revival and new life spring forth” throughout all areas of ministry here at WC. Please contact Dianne Will at 817-481-4147 to schedule your time of prayer.
    Spiritual Direction
    By Appointment
    The goal in Spiritual Direction is to increase your awareness of God’s presence in your life through a monthly, one-hour conversation with a trained Spiritual Director. Do you wish to hold yourself accountable to regular spiritual practices or wish to learn new prayer practices? Do you desire to love God more dearly, see God more clearly, follow God more nearly? White’s Chapel has several Spiritual Directors ready to join you on your journey. For more information, contact Rev. Betsy Godbold at 817-481-4147.
  • The goal of the SPELL Symposium is to establish a foundation that will support an on-going tradition of inviting teachers to Whites Chapel United Methodist Church, who are grounded in the Christian tradition that teaches the importance of spiritual practices and contemplative prayer as the foundation for experiencing the Love of God.

    Belief statement: When we are centered internally by engaging in spiritual practices and contemplative prayer, our outer actions demonstrate and bear witness to this Love.

    The objective of the SPELL Symposium is to develop and implement a multi-year program of speakers for the benefit of our church and community. These events will be coupled with events/activities that precede the speaking engagement as well as follow-up activities/events. SPELL seeks to gain not just knowledge through these events, but heart-felt ‘knowing’.

    Outcomes:
    SPELL hopes to grow a community that:
    • seeks not just knowledge, but heart-felt ‘knowing’
    • is grounded in spiritual practices and contemplative prayer.
    • speaks to the chaotic and divisive world
    • broadens the base of who we are in Christ
    • believes in and expresses an inclusive message
  • “The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery”
    by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stable
    Consider the personality type system called the Enneagram. This unique, narrative-based approach allows you to see and experience the world through the eyes of people who represent each of the Enneagram types. This introduction to the Enneagram is funny and full of stories so you'll keep turning the pages long after you read the chapter on your own number. Beginning with the changes you can start making today, the wisdom of the Enneagram can help you get on the road that will lead you to your best and truest self.

    This five-week study is offered at three different times and is open to all. The book is available for purchase in the Circuit Writer’s Books & Such bookstore. Participants can register on the church website for one of the following sessions:

    Mondays, Oct. 3-31, 1:30-3 p.m., Room 3102
    ​Led by Rev. Lori Silvestri
    Mondays, Oct. 3-31, 5:30-7 p.m., Room 3201
    Led by Rev. Victor Resendiz
    Thursdays, Sept. 29-Nov. 3, 10-11:30 a.m., Center for Spiritual Care
    Led by Robin Cassell and Janice Smith
    Oasis – Summer Session

    A quiet space that invites reflection and prayer.

    Oasis – Summer Session: A quiet space that invites reflection and prayer. You are invited to come and experience a time of respite with an embody prayer experience or a brief discussion reflecting on God’s Presence in our daily lives in the midst of busyness. The purpose of this space is to lean into a time of solitude, soul tending, or recharge.

    All are welcome to join us from noon to 12:20 p.m. per the schedule below.

    Facilitators: Rev. Lori Silvestri & Rev. Victor M. Resendiz

    Schedule
    June 8     – Sitting in rocking chairs (bring your own journal) – Garden behind CSC
    June 22 – Reflection and spiritual practice – Center of Spiritual Care
    July 6 – Mandala – Center of Spiritual Care
    July 20 – Reflection and spiritual practice – Center of Spiritual Care
    August 3 – Visio Divina – Gallery or Center of Spiritual Care
    August 17 – Reflection and spiritual practice – Center of Spiritual Care
    August 31 – Sitting in rocking chairs (bring your own journal) – Garden behind CSC   
    Labyrinth Walk
    Wednesdays | Sept. 7, Oct. 5, Nov. 2 & Dec. 7 |9 a.m.
    WC Labyrinth
    A labyrinth is an ancient symbol that relates to wholeness. It combines the imagery of the circle and spiral into a meandering but purposeful path. Labyrinths have long been used as meditation and prayer tools and are a part of the pilgrimage path to wholeness and holiness. At its most basic level, the labyrinth is a metaphor for the journey to the center of your deepest self and back out into the world with a broadened understanding of who you are.

    Join Rev. Victor Resendiz as he leads participants through the prayer walk. The labyrinth is located next to the Center for Spiritual Care. Whether you are familiar with this unique spiritual practice or not, you are invited to experience this sacred space.
    “The Return of the Prodigal Son” by Henri Nouwen
    Wednesdays, Sept. 14 – Oct. 5
    10 to 11:30 a.m.
    Center for Spiritual Care Living Room
    Henri Nouwen shares the deeply personal and resonant meditation that led him to discover the place within where God has chosen to dwell. The themes of homecoming, affirmation and reconciliation will be newly discovered by all who have known loneliness, dejection, jealousy, or anger. The challenge to love as God loves, and to be loved as God’s beloved, will be seen as the ultimate revelation of the parable known to Christians throughout time. This concept is represented with a vigor and power, fresh for our time.

    This four-week study is open to all. Join the group at 10 a.m. in the Center for Spiritual Care. The book is available for purchase in the Circuit Writer’s Books & Such bookstore.
    “Soul Feast: A Spiritual Formation Book Discussion Group”
    Wednesday | Oct. 19 | 12 to 3 p.m.
    Center for Spiritual Care Living Room
    ​Reading is one of the ways we develop a spiritual practice of sitting openly with the text, allowing it to speak into our lives. The most familiar type of sacred reading is done with scripture (Lectio Divina), but any reading can become sacred when we read through a lens of kenosis (a self-emptying of one’s own will).

    Reading a good book is a true joy and one to be shared. “Soul Feast” will be a time to come together and share reflections of how God is speaking through words and passages that shimmer from the books chosen.

    This Here Flesh: Spirituality, Liberation, and the Stories That Make Us by Cole Arthur Riley will be the first of three books we will share (other books on later dates). Riley’s writing is breathtaking and invites us to reflect on the importance of how our stories form and liberate us. She writes, “This is a book of contemplative storytelling. The pages you hold are where the stories that have formed me across generations met our common practice of beholding the divine.”

    Please read this book in advance of this class. A few suggested practices to deepen your reading experience.

    1. Each time you open your book, invite God to open your heart and mind.
    2. Take a few moments of silence to clear distractions.
    3. As you read, notice the words or phrases that catch your attention. Take as much time with them as needed. Then spend a few minutes journaling your thoughts and feelings.
    4. Read slowly savoring the important nuances and the flow of the words the author has carefully crafted.

    Mark your calendar now for Wednesday, October 19. We will begin our time at 12 p.m. with a potluck lunch and move from there into our time of Centering Prayer and book reflections. If you’re unavailable for lunch, please join us at 1:00 p.m. for our time of sharing. The book is available for purchase in WC’s Circuit Writer’s Books & Such bookstore. All are welcome and registration is limited to 14 participants.​
    “Breathing Under Water: A Spiritual Study of the Twelve Steps” by Richard Rohr
    Tuesdays, Sept. 13 - Dec. 13 | 1:30 to 3 p.m. (14 Weeks)
    Center for Spiritual Care Living Room
    Tuesdays, Sept. 6 - Oct. 11 | 5:30 to 7 p.m. (6 Weeks)
    Adult Ed. Room 2233
    We are all addicted in some way. When we learn to identify our addiction, embrace our brokenness and surrender to God, we begin to bring healing to ourselves and our world. In “Breathing Under Water,” Richard Rohr shows how the gospel principles in the Twelve Steps can free anyone from any addiction—from an obvious dependence on alcohol or drugs to the more common but less visible addiction that we all have to sin.

    Together, with Chandler’s Hope Ministry, participants will embark on a learning/discussion using Rohr’s book and lectures.

    The book is available for purchase in the Circuit Writer’s Books & Such bookstore at the church.​

    This 14-week series is offered on Tuesdays, 1:30-3 p.m. in the Center for Spiritual Care living room.
    Tuesdays, Sept. 13 - Dec. 13 | 1:30 to 3 p.m.
    This six-week series is offered on Tuesdays, room 2233, on the second floor of Evans Hall.
    ​Tuesdays, Sept. 6 - Oct. 11 | 5:30 to 7 p.m.
    Spiritual Awakenings Roundtable
    ​Sundays, 6 - 7:30 p.m. | Via Zoom Begins Sept. 18​
    The Spiritual Awakenings Roundtable challenges members to see themselves and their faith through fresh lenses. Come join us in lively explorations that include insights from Scripture, tradition, historical texts, contemporary writers, and renowned guest speakers. Our interactive discussions incorporate perspectives from a wide variety of Christian legacies and real-world experiences. Inspired by the authors who fuel our facilitated exchange, we enjoy a circle of genuine trust, empathy, and interest in the spiritual evolution to which Christ calls us.

    Contact Ann Davis for more information.
    Contemplative Discussion on Films
    Wednesdays, Oct. 12 – Oct. 26 | 10 to 11:30 a.m.
    Center for Spiritual Care Living Room
    Could God’s presence be found in the movies that we watch? Join Rev. Victor Resendiz for discussion of three films (Coda, Mass, The Rescue) that tell stories consisting of grace, redemption, kinship, inner-healing and other elements that we can all relate to. The group discussion is open, insightful, and reflective. Together, participants will see how evident God’s presence is in these selected titles.

    This three-week study is open to all. Each week, a movie will be assigned for you to watch at home and then, the group will discuss the film the following week. 
    God’s Presence: Spiritual Formation Practices
    Monday, September 12 & 19 | 5:30 p.m.
    Center for Spiritual Care Living Room
    What is Spiritual Formation? Learn the basics in a two-week introductory study on spiritual formation practices: Christian meditation/centering prayer, Lectio Divina, journaling, and walking the labyrinth. The study will be led in an interactive manner, with visual resources and activities that will help provide a better understanding of what it means to practice the Presence of God.

    This study, facilitated by Rev. Victor Resendiz, is offered from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Center for Spiritual Care living room.
Meet the Director
Rev. Victor Resendiz
Pastor for Spiritual Formation