Join our new: 3C Group
A New Opportunity for Caring, Curiosity and a Cohort: a monthly ZOOM gathering
“Poetry is a life-cherishing force. For poems are not words, after all, but fires for the cold, ropes let down to the lost, something as necessary as bread in the pockets of the hungry. Yes indeed!” --Mary Oliver in Poetry Handbook
Poetry offers us a light to find our way through timeless wisdom descriptive words and images that invite us to become curious, mindful, soulful and thirsty. Some poems offer us the power of an ice pick which plunged into frozen ice, frees what is frozen and offers release and freedom. When poetry is read together, we are offered a collective wisdom to glean from and we find that we are not alone. We benefit by the insight and shared curiosity of those with us.
For a year now, you’ve been a witness to my own journey in this regard through Substack. I found some water to drink and through Substack, I am simply sharing whatever water I have found that might soothe the thirst of the thirsty.
“Great poetry, like great art, is a bridge between our heart and the heart of the world” says, Roger Housden. In the chaotic times in which we are living, we can find wisdom, insight, courage and hope to help us navigate our pathway ahead.
As Mary Oliver so powerfully wrote in her little poem,
“The heart has many dungeons! Bring the light! Bring the light!”
Since 2000, I have been writing poems and found them to be the primary tools to help me excavate my inner world and walk forward more mindfully and soulfully into the future. For a year, I’ve shared on Substack my own attempts to say, share, confess and explore my thoughts, convictions and morphing wisdom. It’s been a great joy and consolation to share with you my own journey. Your encouragement as you join me in this has been the wind in my own sails to keep hoisting my soulful sails each week in the attempt to catch some wind from the Spirit to keep moving onward.
As a Subscriber to my Substack, you’re hearing about this first and will have the first 24 hours to register before the group is open to a larger audience! Registration opens at Noon EST on 8/21/2024.
With this in mind, I am starting a new online cohort called: The 3 C Group! Each month, at a designated time, a limited number of men and women will gather for a deep dive into the pool with Peter Ivey and myself as we facilitate a monthly gathering of 25 people and swim together in the deep end of the pool. Sometimes, we may lose our footing. But, we will be together and can help each other. Peter, like me is an emerging poet. He runs an outdoor ministry in Asheville and is a dear friend and companion. Together, we wrote a book titled: Solo: Creating Space for God and the creative tool, “State of My Soul Wheel.”
The 3 C Group will use 3 c's—to set the culture of our monthly times are: Curiosity, Caring and Cohort. Curiosity is how we will shape our times. We will read a couple of poems each session and have some reflection about the meaning. We’ll excavate what wisdom we can and gain from the light and insight of the authors who want to show us something that they have seen and felt in their poems. We will move slowly and intentionally.
Caring is a big element of the culture we will shape together. We will listen to each other. Give each other our respect and bring some love and kindness in these tumultuous days of culture we are all experiencing. We will care enough to listen; be heard and share some insights.
By Cohort, I mean, a learning community— a gathering to explore, process, digest, marinate, think and grow. Together is better than alone. We will circle our chairs via Zoom to build a community of trust and learning as well as support during our nine month sessions
I hope you’ll consider joining Peter Ivey and myself. Registration will open on August 21 and the 3C Group will begin in late September at a time announced in the registration. The 3C Group is limited to 25 people. Registrations will not be allowed when capacity is met. Please consider asking someone you know to join you in the 3C Group! Spread the word. Registration will take place at www. pottersinn.com and you’ll see the information there (It is not up yet).
The Cohort will all use the text: Poetry of Presence: An Anthology of Mindfulness Poems is a collection of poetry that provides a refuge of quiet clarity very much needed in today's restless, chaotic world. Every reader will find favorites to share and to return to, again and again. The diverse group of contributing poets includes contemporary favorites such as Wendell Berry, Joy Harjo, Jane Hirshfield, Li-Young Lee, Naomi Shihab Nye, and Derek Walcott, as well as poets of the past such as Hafiz, Pablo Neruda, Li Po, and Rumi. Readers of the poems in this book will begin to find themselves becoming less stressed, more balanced, and more fully present in the world. This will be our goal in the 3C Group!
Again, Registration will begin August 21, 2024 at NOON! It’s limited to 25 people.
DATES AND TIMES OF THE 3C GROUP:
The idea is to do this over lunch if possible. Participants can feel free to lunch while we meet or adjust time. This way, we’re protecting evenings and weekends.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 AT 12:OO NOON EST
MONDAY, OCTOBER 28 AT 12:00 NOON EST
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24 AT 12:00 NOON EST
MONDAY, DECEMBER 16 AT 12 NOON EST (NOT DATE ADJUSTMENT FOR CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY)
MONDAY, JANURARY 27, 2025 AT 12 NOON EST
MONDAY, FEBRUARY, 24, 2025 AT 12 NOON EST
MONDAY, MARCH 31, 2025 AT 12 NOON EST
MONDAY, APRIL 28. 2025 AT 12 NOON EST
MONDAY, MAY 19, 2025 AT 12 NOON EST (Note Date Adjustment for Holiday in US).
The 3C Group will begin September 2024 and end May 2024. The cost for registration is $249. The required text is available for you to purchase or order when you are confirmed in the group.
In a perfect world, I’ve have it all set up and launched. But adusting to my new world of being on my own, requires working through the availability of others who I need to help do the tech stuff. Thanks for your understanding and patience.
I just couldn’t wait to share it!
Share with a friend. Share this around would you?
Looking forward to our first time in late September!
Zooms will be recorded and available for those who have registered.
Steve
Sounds great, unfortunately I have no computer, or zoom capabilities and zero dollars --- but hope it works for all of you..