you're invited to a writer's workshop

Junaluska Writer's Workshop: The Spiritual Practice of Writing the Story of Your Life

October 15 - 17, 2007

Thomas Merton, the spiritual guide and writer once reflected on his body of work: "The bad writing I have done has been all authoritarian, the declaration of musts, and the announcement of punishments. Bad because it implies a lack of love, good insofar as there may yet have been some love in it. The best stuff has been more straight confession and witness". In this workshop we will explore the basic differences between good and bad writing, and participants will be encouraged to develop as writers who approach Merton’s “straight confession and witness”. In other words, we will create a space and set aside time to write the story of our lives in truthful ways.

Such writing occurs in the midst of particular conditions, and we will reflect on the importance of these: reading, practice, time apart, feedback, discipline, more reading, more time apart, etc. We will learn from writers who teach us how to bear witness to the Christian faith, and who have spoken the truth in love. Finally, we will explore a number of contexts for writing: Sermons, Intercessory Prayers, Personal Letters, Spiritual Journals, Morning Pages, Newsletter Articles, Blog Entries, Book Reviews, Essays and Books. Advice and guidance about the publication of writing will be included in the discussion.

Ken Carter is senior pastor of Providence United Methodist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. He is author of four books, contributor to twelve others, and since 2002 has served as book editor of the Circuit Rider. In addition he has published over one hundred reviews, essays, sermons, hymns, poems and articles in a variety of periodicals and websites, including Upper Room, Christian Century, The Journal of Pastoral Care and www.theooze.com. His blog, “Bear Witness To The Love of God In This World” (http://kenatprovidence.blogspot.com/), has attracted thousands of readers.

For complete course information and registration form, download the Junaluska Writer's Workshop brochure. Contact The Intentional Growth Center toll-free at 1-800-482-1442 or locally at 1-828-454-6720 or by email to info@intentionalgrowthcenter.org.