Northern Lights
Spiritual Direction
Sharon K. Cooper, M.A.
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The
Peace Song
by David Haas
Northern Lights Spiritual Direction is a program of Contemplative Ministries of the Pacific Northwest. C.M.P.N. has a mission of serving individuals and groups who seek transformational union in God. They lead retreats, workshops, and educational programs throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Bill Ryan and Sharon Cooper work together as a ministry team in a variety of settings. Their deep love for contemplative practice and way of life is the heart and soul of their ministry. In their view, this way of life is best expressed with a commitment to social justice/action/service which flows from an ever growing rich interior awareness of Divine Presence and Love.
Their work with people springs from the foundation of the “Living Water” of Divine Indwelling as a basis for all spiritual transformation.
Northern Lights Spritual Direction - On Line
Sharon has acquired an M.A. in Religious Studies from the School of Theology at Claremont in California. She has served as an active lay person and diaconal minister in the United Methodist tradition and ecumenical community for 30 years as an active leader in religious education, spiritual formation, music and liturgy, inter-religious dialogue. Her work integrates both the conceptual theological dimensions of contemplative spirituality and the psycho-socio-spiritual dimensions of interior growth. She is committed to her own daily Spiritual Practice of Centering Prayer, Lectio Divina and contemplative service in the world. Sharon is an active member of the United Methodist Congress of the Deaf which is an advocacy group for the culturally Deaf, late deafened, deaf/blind and hard of hearing persons within and beyond the church. She is a certified presenter of Centering Prayer through Contemplative Outreach, ltd. She is an active participant in a number of Contemplative communities in Alaska and Portland, Oregon.
If you are interested in on line Spiritual Direction sessions please contact Sharon at skc@alaska.net. Sessions are designed according to the directee's spiritual needs. Basic guidelines are provided by the Spiritual Director.
A Liturgical Celebration of Hope
Prayer of Praise: Radiant God, nations are drawn to your light; people proclaim your praise. You befriend the forsaken and the discouraged; you are the help of the oppressed; for you have come to us Incarnated in the flesh. We rejoice in your great love for the world, and rise to praise you, together with people of all nations. Glory be to you, O God! Amen!
Prayer of Confession:Gracious God, you encourage us with your love, bringing new life out of death. We confess that we need your life giving power in our lives and our relationships. We have hurt others and been hurt by them. We are often angry or afraid. We are not sure when to assert our needs and when to care for others' needs. We continue to live in ways which do not lead to peace and justice. Forgive us, O God. Pour your Spirit of wisdom and healing upon us, that by our lives and our loving, we may glorify you, through Jesus Chrsit, the Risen One. Amen.
Affirmation of Faith:
We believe it is a matter of faith to stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves.
We believe it is a matter of faith to recognize equally and love all members of God's human family whatever their race, creed, color, gender, marital status, physical or mental capacity.
We believe God's creation is good, beautiful, sacred and therefore to condemn any portion of God's creation is to condemn a portion of God. This is sin.
We believe Jesus Christ came to us to free all people from the internal bondage that perpetuates the human condition. Jesus came to show the way to inner transformation so that humans would once again know that they are made to be One with the Creator.
We believe that we are loved by God and that with that love we are supported to change the things we can that are destructive to me and to others and as well to let go of the things I cannot change.
We believe the Holy Spirit is that power within us that gives us courage and stamina to face the truth and to live it, even to die for it, as Jesus died.
We believe that there is a resurrection story to be found in all of human life experience and that with this vision comes new life.
We believe in the Jesus Christ of compassion, justice and love. Despite our human limitations, in faith we long to walk the journey with the communities of faith which consistently affirm that God is Love and encourage an authentic expression of that Love.
We believe that we have nothing to lose by loving and resting in God for in that nothingness, we are given abundant life.
Resource: These liturgical readings were adopted for use on this website from:
"Touch Holiness, Resources for Worship"
by Ruth C. Duck and Maren C. Tirabassi
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