Never give a hollow greeting of peace, 
or turn away when someone needs your love.
from the Rule of St. Benedict

We are pilgrims on a journey, fellow trav’lers on the road;
we are here to help each other walk the mile and bear the load.
I will hold the Christ-light for you in the nighttime of your fear;
I will hold my hand out to you, speak the peace you long to hear.
I will weep when you are weeping; when you laugh, I’ll laugh with you.
I will share your joy and sorrow till we’ve seen this journey through.
lyrics by Richard Gillard

Week 1

Introduction to this Group
by Dan Puchalla

Attending: The Conversation Begins
from Method in Ministry
by James D. Whitehead & Evelyn Eaton Whitehead

Guidelines for Verbatim Exercise

Week 2

Note: This week’s main reading is from Cooper-White, and she talks a lot about a concept from psychology called “countertransference.” I’ve included a very basic introduction to this concept. There’s also some other jargon and a distinction made between “classical” and “totalist” countertransference, but don’t let any of that overwhelm you. Concentrate instead on Cooper-White’s fictional vignette about “Linda” and the steps Cooper-White describes for how Linda can understand herself in relationship to her parishioners.

Introduction to Countertransference
from goodtherapy.org

The Relational Paradigm in Pastoral Assessment
from Shared Wisdom: Use of the Self in Pastoral Care and Counseling
by Pamela Cooper-White

Week 3

Please do this Loving-Kindness Meditation (15 min):
Read this First, then play the audio below when you're ready.

And please read these:

Sam Lee’s Verbatim
refresh your memory from Week 1

Embodied Listening
from The Practice of Pastoral Care: A Postmodern Approach
by Carrie Doehring