by Christine Sine,
A friend of mine emailed me this article: Awe makes us happier, healthier, and humbler. I love the part where it says:
“… researchers who study awe say the emotion shouldn’t be associated only with rare events. Daily experiences of awe, they argue, should be a regular part of the way we engage with the world.”
This sparked my thinking about the ways that our Godspace resources really do help point others to notice the awe and wonder of God’s created world not as a special occasion, but in daily life. One of the newest resources that we have added this past week is the Making Time for a Sacred Summer Online retreat where we took the live webinar that Lilly Lewin and I hosted and turned it into a course that you can purchase for only $24.99 to have 180 days of access to move through the retreat at your own pace. The unique benefit of this course is that it includes the video clips of other participants during the live session so you can see their creativity, their ideas, and their reflections on the activities that we facilitated them through. We looked at symbols of summer that connect us to God, a journaling time to reflect on what a sacred summer could look like and it’s impact, as well as creating a sacred summer kit or centerpiece to use throughout the season. If you haven’t taken a look at the new course yet, we highly recommend that you do!
Our first course called Gift of Wonder Online Retreat that we produced last year was based on my book, The Gift of Wonder, which uses awe and wonder as the premise to find God and experience joy through the wide-eyed wonder of a child. I really enjoyed putting together the slideshow presentations and video sessions with interactive activities to foster awe and wonder.
The Spirituality of Gardening Online Course material brought me so much delight to not only record my sessions but to also partner with other guest gardeners during the uncertainty of the pandemic last year. The biblical metaphors and implications of gardening come alive in this course and truly connect us with Creator God. Each module contains an activity to bring you closer to God and closer to creation whether you have one house plant or a whole garden in your yard. This too is an exploration of awe and wonder for me.
What is your response?
I have been surprised at how many people have contacted me in the last couple of weeks with requests for podcast interviews, weekly discussion series and book clubs revolving around The Gift of Wonder and awe and wonder themes. I think there is a growing recognition of our need for awe and wonder in daily life. What are ways that you experience awe and wonder on a daily basis? Have you taken notice of the symbols of summer that connected you with God this week? Please share with us, we would love to hear from you.
More Awe and Wonder Posts
- Meditation Monday: Walking with Awe
- A Reflection on Awe & Wonder
- Meditation Monday: Awed by Providential Encounters
- Awe and Wonder – What A Creation!
- Meditation Monday: Awed by Uniqueness
- A Season of Awe and Wonder
- Meditation Monday: In Awe of Creativity
- Awe & Wonder in the Eyes of a 7 Year Old
- Awe and Wonder Sightings
Thank you to Benjamin Davies on unsplash.com for the feature photo.