One of our temptations when we talk with others is to stay on the surface of ideas and theories, never taking the risk of sharing from the heart. So in this group we gently draw each other again and again to the heart. We challenge one another to move out of our heads and to go deep sea diving in the ocean of our own pain and joy, sharing the depths of who we really are.

As we are able to do this listen and speak out of our depths, even though our wounds feel so private and severe or, on the other hand, seem almost trivial when held up beside others’, and when we see that the same cultural systems that have so deeply hurt some have made life easier for others we begin to recognize how much we all need healing. The Holy Spirit breaks into our midst, and the bonds between us deepen.

Our desire is to create a safe and receptive space where we can speak out loud our experiences of both the presence and “absence” of God in our lives without being judged or analyzed or even advised. Here we can express our feelings of shame and joy and anger and longing, perhaps confessing aloud some life experiences for the first time, and be completely accepted as we are. The group’s attentive, lovingly detached listening shines a light on the darkness around an experience, and the heavy burden of separation is lifted.