Peter Hawkins was our facilitator for this first event of 2004, held in February at the Bath University Chaplaincy Centre.

Peter's "Street Spirituality" article, formed the basis of the evening discussion. The areas which Peter highlighted from his article, were:

• How do we attend to the 'more than' in life, allow space in our lives?
• Living, as part of the whole - how do we live in this environment?
• What is wisdom?

From the environmental movement in Nature, we understand that every species is trying to optimise itself. It works by competition and collaboration. As a species become successful, it starts to dominate its own environment and then damage it.

Material success always has the seeds of its own destruction. Self-serving is always self destroying. Other questions asked were:

• How do I align myself? How do I open to the other?
• How do I create inclusivity and stewardship?

Spring is a marvellous lesson in impermanence. The great value is in impermanence. Yet we try to attach our happiness with permanence, we confuse happiness and joy?

Our group divided into three smaller discussion groups to talk about, "what are our daily practices in the every day?" Amongst the answers were:

• Pausing
• Being present, for example, meditating in traffic jams, this is my brother/sister
• Listening - not speaking , believing in people, non-judgemental
• Time-changing one's perspective, remembering to be present
• Communication-strengthen our openness to other people
• finding the right words for spiritual things
• Time - metaphorical language
• When you try and make it happen-it doesn't
• Creating space for spirituality, live it every day
• Meditation, not a task, build up with new habits
• Heightened awareness-what are the trigger points? E.g. gardening
• Some practice with e-mails
• take in the other-a person communicating
• Be present to the person
• What's the experiment, I'm going to do in my life, to create more and new spiritual spaces?

• Active listening
• Metaphorical language
• Activities-putting things into practice
• Explore Street, spirituality
• Being fully present to the other
• Share at the spiritual moments and experiments
• Relational, taking a small theme and exploring in more depth

As a result of these discussions, Judy Ryde will be facilitating active listening at our next discussion group meeting on the 23rd March . Following feedback we will be starting with tea and biscuits at 7 p.m. for a 7.30 discussion start!

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