PLAY and REST at Rivers of Life!
Sofia's Theme Park: Rivers of Life 2022 is a space for rest, renewal, and spiritual direction to nourish your inner child and be intimate with Divine Wisdom. The retreat begins and ends with playful worship services! Each day, participants will engage in individual and communal spiritual practices, the serious work of play, reflection, improvisation, movement, imagination, fellowship, interaction with biblical stories, and ongoing vocational discernment.
It is summer, a great time to refresh your spirituality at Rivers of Life!
June 10, 5:40 PM CT to
June 11, 5:40 PM CT
Registration is now open!
Please, register by June 4.
Registration fee: $72
Early bird registration fee: $54
Register by May 27 to receive a resource package with guidelines for individual contemplative practices, and art supplies for specific communal spiritual practices that we will do during the retreat.
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EARLY BIRD FEE
ONLY $54
IF YOUR REGISTER BY MAY 27
Goals and Objectives
The main goals are to rest and play!
During the retreat, participants will be able to:
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Play as a way of resting
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Nurture their spirituality while learning, actively and intentionally moving and listening to their bodies
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Reflect on images of life from scripture
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Examine their approaches to ministry and their true self
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Enjoy fellowship
Detailed Program
Friday, June 10
3:30 PM Pacific / 5:30 PM CST / 6:30 PM EST and PR
Check in to your place of rest. Situate yourself.
3:40 PM Pacific / 5:40 PM CST / 6:40 PM EST and PR
Open plenary: Ice Breaking games (30 mins.)
Opening worship (30 mins) – Creative ways of co-creating worship through playing games and other engaging and imaginative practices, as we focus our attention on the Creator of the rivers of life and the Divine Source of our lives.
4:40 PM Pacific / 6:40 PM CST / 7:40 PM EST and PR
BREAK: Rest, Reflect, Rest, Relax, Rest, Recreate…
5:00 PM Pacific / 7:00 PM CST / 8:00 PM EST and PR
Virtual Campfire and Book Conversations
Imagine that we gather by the Missouri River at night. Sit around the fire with your fellow campers to share mythical stories and recent struggles to keep the water safe from the black snake. Join the tribe of water protectors.
6:00 PM Pacific / 8:00 PM CST / 9:00 PM EST and PR
BREAK: Rest, Reflect, Rest, Relax, Rest, Recreate…
Saturday, June 11
7:30 AM Pacific / 9:30 AM CST / 10:30 AM EST and PR
Visio Divina in Community (30 mins.)
How divine is to observe the beauty of the rivers! Engage this ancient monastic practice with a modern twist, praying through observing a work of art, this time in Community.
Whimsical Waters 1 (30 mins.) – Ongoing vocational discernment and spiritual practices, testing play and imagination as pedagogical strategies.
Temporary Waters: Join us as we journey to the wadi to ponder what happens when the waters provide temporary respite.
8:30 AM Pacific / 10:30 AM CST / 11:30 AM EST and PR
BREAK: Rest, Reflect, Rest, Relax, Rest, Recreate…
9:00 AM Pacific / 11:00 AM CST / 12:00 PM EST and PR
Close Encounters with Rivers of Life 1 (90 mins. with two 5-min. breaks) – Imaginative interactions with stories from scripture.
9:00/11:00/12:00 Lis Valle Genesis 2:8-14
The River of Eden: Meet Crystal as she remembers the creation story and invites you to be like a “Crystal-clear” river, both transparent and reflective.
9:30/11:30/12:30 Elisabel Ruiz 2 Kings 5:1-16 (Español)
The healing Jordan River: Meet the young girl from Israel who served Naaman’s wife as she recounts the story of Naaman’s healing. Will you let God surprise you in unusual ways?
10:00/12:00/1:00 Tiffany Trent Ezekiel 47:3-12
The River from the Temple: Meet a young servant girl who witnessed Ezekiel’s vision and the waters that make everything live.
10:30 AM Pacific / 12:30 PM CST / 1:30 PM EST and PR
Whimsical Waters 2 (60 mins. with a 5-mins. break) – Ongoing vocational discernment and spiritual practices, testing play and imagination as pedagogical strategies.
River and Shore: In this game, come play on the riverbank and find the divine on both sides of the boundary.
Baptismal Waters: In his activity of contemplative art-making, baptize your dreams and witness how they turn into works of art.
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11:30 AM Pacific / 1:30 PM CST / 2:30 PM EST and PR
BREAK: Rest, Reflect, Rest, Relax, Rest, Recreate…
12:30 PM Pacific / 2:30 PM CST / 3:30 PM EST and PR
Close Encounters with Rivers of Life 2 (90 mins. with two 5-min. breaks) – Imaginative interactions with stories from scripture.
12:30/2:30/3:30 Nancy H. Parker Psalm 1
Streams of Water: Meet a date tree firmly planted by streams of water, which will help you reflect on nature as a sanctuary and how you are planted, nourished, belonging, and fruitful.
1:00/3:00/4:00 Immanuel Karunakaran Mark 1:4-5
Jordan River: Meet John the Baptist, preparing the way for Jesus. How are you preparing the way for Jesus? How are you doing prophetic work?
1:30/3:30/4:30 Elba Nazario Revelations 22:1-2 (Español)
River of the Water of Life: Meet this river as she tells the stories of things that were and things to come, restoration, waters that nurture fruit, and healing leaves.
2:00 PM Pacific / 4:00 PM CST / 5:00 PM EST and PR
BREAK: Rest, Reflect, Rest, Relax, Rest, Recreate…
2:10 PM Pacific / 4:10 PM CST / 5:10 PM EST and PR
Sharing (30 mins.)
Closing plenary: communal reflection and evaluation (20 mins)
Break (10 mins.)
Closing worship (30 mins) – Creative ways of co-creating worship through playing games and other engaging and imaginative practices, co-preaching, and re-imagining sacramental eating in the Childom of God.
3:40 PM Pacific / 5:40 PM CST / 6:40 PM EST and PR
¡Adiós!
Meet The Facilitators
Elba I. Nazario
Reverend, Chaplain, McCormick alum, former member of the Board of Directors of McCormick Theological Seminary, and actress.
Elisabel Ruiz-Quirós
Reverend, retired minister, playwright, actress, artistic director, community builder, expert in game facilitation and fundraising, and provider of pastoral care for home-bound elders.
Immanuel Karunakaran
Reverend, Ordained Minister of Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church, India, McCormick alum, PhD student at LSTC, activist, artist, pastor, trained folk musician, photographer, dancer, theater jack-of-all-trades, and black belt holder in martial arts
Joanne Lindstrom
Reverend, Doctor in Ministry, Pastor, Director of Experiential Education and Field Studies, and Associate Professor of Ministry at McCormick Theological Seminary.
Lis Valle
Reverend, PhD, Assistant Professor of Homiletics and Liturgics at McCormick Theological Seminary, playwright, actress, artistic director, designer of creative liturgies and communal healing rituals, educator and playful scholartivist.
Nancy H. Parker
Reverend, Pastor of Young Adults at West End United Methodist Church and Director of Vanderbilt Wesley Fellowship, actress, singer, playwright, and expert in spiritual formation.
Tiffany Trenton
Tiffany Trent is Chair & Associate Professor of theatre & dance at Middle Tennessee State University. Her artistic and scholarly practices encompass theatre & performance studies primarily in contexts of justice work and faith practice, particularly with youth, and how the arts connect to citizenship, self, and culture.
About the Platform
You will receive the information for joining the zoom meeting once you register.