A reflection on wilderness places, and meditative prayer

As we follow the journey to the cross, Jesus has left the wilderness. But for many people, the wilderness place in their lives continues.
Here is a reflection, meditation and Bible Study facilitated by CMHI and NBSI exploring the theme of wilderness, with some interesting findings!
Passcode: 3a@i6#zG
Lydia says: It’s 1 hour and 20 minutes long, but I would encourage you to carve out some time to listen and rest and wonder about God’s love and provision in the wilderness places.
Photo by Andrew Ridley on Unsplash

Under the Tree is back – March 22nd at lunchtime!

We are thrilled to let you know that Under the Tree is back, for one day only!

Join us on Friday 22nd for a lunchtime pause to reconnect with nature, self, others and God, who holds it all together in His hands.

Location: The old orchard & the chapel, 96 Rathmines Road Upper, D06 Y684 Dublin 6

At Under the Tree we come together to nourish body, mind, soul & relationship. We take an intentional pause to eat, to rest, to notice the beauty of nature, to laugh, to wonder and to remember the gift of our breath and of the present moment. In this pause, we learn more about who we are and whose we are.

The session takes place outdoors in a garden space and includes mindful and meditative practices to support us to be in the moment and and an interactive Bible study that creates a safe space to wonder about who God is and who we are in His eyes.

Photo by Mihály Köles on Unsplash

In this session people will be invited to bring a small lunch and a hot drink. Some other foods will be prepared together as part of the session.

People are invited to bring a camping chair, a throw for your legs and a Bible and notebook (but we have spare chairs, throws and Bibles if you need them – just get in touch lydia.cmhi@gmail.com)

The sessions are facilitated by Dr Julie McKinley of the National Bible Society of Ireland and Lydia Monds of the Ministry of Healing: Ireland.

Reserve a place and make a donation to support the event at https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/under-the-tree-nature-connection-bible-study-session-tickets-862913817457?

“Finding God in the In-Between Places”

We are delighted to announce that Lydia is facilitating the Dublin & Glendalough Ministry of Healing Springtime Quiet Day this year!

It’s called “Finding God in the in-between places,” and takes place on March 2nd, 10.30am – 3pm in Newcastle parish centre, Church Lane, Newcastle, Co. Wicklow, A63 X782. The Quiet Day will be a gentle, reflective and experiential time to intentionally rest in the Presence of God.

We all experience times of living between an ending and a ‘not yet’, …like tentative new Spring shoots emerging from the stagnancy and decay of Winter. How can we hold such endings and new beginnings together? Most importantly, how can we invite God to hold these de-stabilising times of endings and beginnings, and in-between spaces, with His compassion and healing?

Closing with Service of Holy Communion during which prayer ministry will be offered
Tea/coffee/soup provided. Please bring a packed lunch.
Register your interest by emailing Jeanne: healing.dgdc@gmail.com
No charge. Donations welcome

 

Mindful Art Cafe in Your Parish!

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An article from the US National Library of Medicine notes that community-based art-making, in particular, can enhance mental well-being.
“Art therapy uses integrative techniques to captivate the soul, body and mind in ways that verbal expression alone doesn’t appear to”.
After a hugely enjoyable and creative 4 weeks at St George and St Thomas Church, we are open to invitations from parishes that would like to set up their own mindful art cafes! All you need is a space, some tables, and a small budget to purchase art supplies and provide tea and coffee. Contact Catherine at catherine@ministryofhealing.ie to find out more.
Reference is to Shukla A, Choudhari SG, Gaidhane AM, Quazi Syed Z. Role of Art Therapy in the Promotion of Mental Health: A Critical Review. Cureus. 2022 Aug

Mindful Art Café – January 2024

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Mindful Art Café – January 2024

Join us in a warm, calm, space to relax, be present to the moment and get creative!

What is the Mindful Art Cafe?

Join us this January in our warm and welcoming space in the heart of Dublin city to rest and engage in a self-led time of painting, sketching, colouring, journaling, creating – or sip coffee and listen to relaxing music, the choice is yours.

The Mindful Cafe, offers rest and connection – with yourself, with others and with the present moment. Come for a hot drink and a toastie, settle at one of the art stations and allow yourself to be creative.

You don’t need to know what you’re doing or to have a fantastic end product to give yourself permission to draw, create a collage, make a craft, paint or to take a mindful colouring page and enjoy seeing the designs come to life with colour. This is about being present in the process without worrying about the outcome. Some of the mindful colouring will be scriptures or affirming words that the artist can meditate on as they work, others are picture or pattern based.

At some point during the session, you will be invited to notice your breath, your feet on the floor, the sounds around you, to help you rest and bring compassion to yourself in whatever you are doing. Sometimes the biggest blockage to being creative is fear and harsh criticism of ourselves and the belief what we try won’t be any good. Letting go of perfection or fear of failing allows us to create without judging ourselves on whether or not we are ‘good enough’.

When & Where?

Our pop up cafe, in St. George & St Thomas’ Church, Cathal Brugha Street, is just off O’Connell street (parellel to Parnell street) and is across from the O’Connell street luas stop. It will take place on Wednesday 10th, Wednesday 17th and Wednesday 24th and Wednesday 31st January 2024 from 10.30am – 12.00pm

Just pop in! No booking required!

For more info, or to donate to help us run this and future events:

Mindful Art Cafe Tickets, Wed 10 Jan 2024 at 10:30 | Eventbrite

 

Who is the Mindful Cafe for?

The space is for everyone. People who like being creative, people who fancy a cup of tea before they go shopping, people who like the idea of a warm space and a chat, people who want to be more present in the moment, people who have faith and want to nourish it in new ways, people who don’t have faith but want to focus on self care and community, people who are rushing around and want a pause, people who feel lonely and disconnected (who doesn’t these days?) people who will be in the area and are curious. Everyone.

What to Bring?

Your good self, exactly as you are.

However, if you are currently creating something, you can bring your own sketch book or knitting or pastels or whatever your chosen materials are, and continue your creativity in a community setting.

Extras:

Throughout the session, there will be chances to pause and notice your breath, your feet on the floor, the sensations in your body, the sounds around you, and to be completely present in the moment, allowing all that is here to be here and to rest.

We are blessed to have several prayer ministers as part of the team. If you wish to receive prayer at any point during the session, 2 prayer ministers would be honoured to pray with you. It is so beautiful to share your burden in a confidential and loving space and feel you are being held in community and in God’s arms.

Cost, Bookings and Team

This is a FREE drop in event so you don’t have to book! However, we created this event page for people to get more information, to give a donation if they so desire and to get in touch if they would like to be involved. Email: lydia.cmhi@gmail.com

The Mindful Cafe is a collaboration between different groups and individuals and we are delighted we get to work together to try something new.

In the team are members of St George and St Thomas Parish Church, members of the Church’s Ministry of Healing: Ireland, both centrally and at diocesan level, members of ACET, a migrant health and education organisation, members of the National Bible Soceity of Ireland, healing prayer ministers, lay readers and people who are interested in art, mindfulness and community.

 

CMH:I and NBSI Mindful Advent online

A lunchtime pause to breathe, to be present and to rest in His Presence – facilitated by Lydia from CMHI and Julie from the National Bible Society of Ireland

Tue, 12 Dec 2023 13:00 – Tue, 19 Dec 2023 14:00 GMT

Join us on Tuesday 12th and Tuesday 19th at 1pm for 45 minutes sessions to bring pause, reflection and restoration.

Lydia will open by facilitating a mindfulness practice to help us pause and notice that God is with us.

Julie will lead us in a scriptural Advent reflection. When we deepen our understanding of God who was and is and is to come, our current reality, no matter how fraught or joyful, can rest in His Presence and we can experience Peace that surpasses understanding.

Lydia will finish with a pause to allow the biblical reflection to go a little deeper so that we continue our day sensing our belonging to God, to ourselves, to each other and to the present moment as a gift of grace.

Photo by Max Beck on Unsplash

 

Members of the Church’s Ministry of Healing: Ireland

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As a company limited by guarantee, CMH:I is composed of members and a Board of Directors. The Board is accountable to Members for its management of the Company’s business. Members therefore play a role in scrutinising the operation of the Company. Accordingly, the role of Members is similar to that of shareholders in a public limited company, save that Members have no financial interest in the Company. Members will perform this corporate governance role by receiving reports on the Company’s performance and by participating in Members’ conferences and in general meetings of the Company.
In addition, Members have a role in:
(a) approving certain changes to the Company’s constitution;
(b) approving the appointment, re-appointment and removal of directors;
(c) approving the Company’s annual report and accounts;
(d) approving the report of the Company’s remuneration committee; and
(c) approving the appointment, re-appointment and removal of the Company’s auditors.
Members are selected on merit and against objective criteria, the intention being that the Company has a membership which has the necessary skills, expertise, experience and/or capacity to contribute to these key governance roles and, in particular, to represent effectively the interests of the Church of Ireland.
If you would like to apply to become a member and help us to shape the work of CMHI and approve its accounts and governance, please email catherine @ ministryofhealing.ie for an application form.

Our membership policy states that our list of members will be published on our website, and that consent for this is given by applying to become a member.

Our list of current members is:

Gordon Freeman
John Scott
Baden Stanley
Richard Graves
Enid Adair
Georgina Anderson
Hilda B Bleakley
Ellen Brown
David Caird
Laura Close
Avril Gillatt
Brian Harper
Helen E Humphries
Patrick W Rooke
Laura Scott
Roderic West
Hilary Ardis
Felicity Blennerhassett
Dermot Dunne
Violet Elder
Valerie Swanwick
Edward Ardis
Carol Casey
Sheila Freeman
David Gillespie
Daniel Nuzum
Christine O’Dowd-Smyth
Ruth West
Bruce Hayes
Leonard Madden
Stan Bloomer
Julie Corr
Kris McCaffrey


Church’s Ministry of Healing: Ireland membership

If you would like to apply to be a member of CMHI, please email catherine@ministryofhealing.ie and ask for more information and an application form! The initial term of membership is 5 years, and we are a company limited by guarantee, which protects members in the unlikely event that CMHI would have to be wound up. Once you send in your form, the membership committee will convene and then we’ll get back to you as soon as possible!

CMH:I annual service of thanksgiving and wholeness

We had a very beautiful and joyful service in St Mary’s, Maynooth – and are deeply grateful to Rev Eugene Griffin for his hospitality, and to Mrs Gillian Kingston for preaching.

Under the Tree is back for more sessions!

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Under the Tree is back! Our nature connection and bible study sessions taking place in the beautiful surrounds of a garden in Rathmines will run again. This time we will meet on Thursday evenings, the 1st and 8th of June.
Lydia from CMHI will lead the nature connection and practising presence aspects and Dr Julie McKinley from the National Bible Society of Ireland will lead the interactive Bible Study.
You are welcome to attend one or both of these sessions. Spaces are limited so book your place today.
Photo by Jan Huber on Unsplash