If you plan to attend this workshop, even if you have already told us, please register for rooms and meals. Click HERE
Dancing in the Dark: Exploring Issues related to Death and Dying through Music, Discussion and Prayer is a workshop in which we will address issues related to death and dying and provide participants with the opportunity to share and explore their thoughts and concerns. Very practical information about the physical aspects and the psychosocial and spiritual needs of the dying will be presented with ample room for questions and dialogue. In addition, through music, guided imagery, discussion and prayer we will also explore our own views, feelings and concerns about death. This will be both a spiritual and an emotional exploration.
The valuable role of music in working with the dying will also be addressed. Music can be especially meaningful at this time because grief is comprised of love and loss, and in music we can experience beauty and sadness simultaneously. Music can also express our thoughts and feelings when we are either at a loss for words or simply not ready to broach a difficult subject. There can also be a strong spiritual component to music which can be particularly meaningful and powerful at the end of life.
While we do not know exactly what happens when someone dies, many of us feel that this involves a transition from the physical realm to the fully spiritual realm. Our faith and spirituality greatly affect how we approach death. The writings and teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg are especially meaningful in this regard because they directly address the spiritual realm. While respectful and open to participants of all beliefs, this program will include dialogue around Swedenborg’s teachings and their relevance to our perspective when working with the dying or approaching death ourselves.
For more information, reservations or to RSVP,
Contact Rev. Paul Martin at 425-844-9050, email paul@mosswoodhollow.org
Highlights of the Weekend*:
Friday 7:00 p.m. Presentation and Discussion:
Introductory Session to the topic of Death and Dying. Will include a guided meditation with music and creative means for processing the experience, as well as discussion.
Saturday Morning Workshop:
Exploration of the dying process, with a focus on the physical, psycho-social and spiritual dimensions. Will include both presentation and discussion.
Saturday Afternoon Session:
Deeper exploration of our thoughts and concerns about death with a focus on spirituality and music. This will include both open-ended discussion about spiritual ideas and experiences around death, including the enlightening teachings of 18th century mystic Emanuel Swedenborg, as well as how music can be used at different stages to accompany us along the path.
Sunday Morning Worship:
Celebrating the significance of travelling together and the gift of presence.
Rev. Jenny Caughman, Rev. Paul Martin, Licensed Pastor Helen Barler
*$45 Workshop Fee includes Saturday night dinner catered by Mosswood Hollow – other meals will be potluck, please let us know what you will be bringing.
Throughout the weekend, there will be ample opportunities for relaxation and recreation in nature. Mosswood Hollow is surrounded by trees, flowers, and wildlife which can be enjoyed on easy trails or just from the porch. Bring your binoculars for birding!
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Rev. Jenny Caughman
Jenny Martin Caughman is a pastor, musician and mother and brings all of these roles into her work and interaction with others. Jenny was raised in the Swedenborgian Church, her parents both being multi-generation Swedenborgians. Her father was a Swedenborgian minister and served as President of Convention for 7 years. Jenny received her first Masters degree in Music Therapy and then practiced music therapy in a hospital for terminally ill cancer patients for five years.
When she and her husband John moved to Tennessee for his work her life moved in a different direction. She worked for five years as a counselor and advocate for victims of sexual assault and abuse and then focused on her family, having three children, Neall, Alex and Abby. In 2008 she began seminary at the Earlham School of Religion. She graduated with a Masters in Divinity and was ordained into the Ministry of the Swedenborgian Church in the United States and Canada (General Convention) in 2012.
Since that time she has served as the Pastor of Spiritual Care at a United Methodist Church in Oak Ridge, TN where she lives with her husband John. She serves Convention as Chair of the Board of the Center for Swedenborgian Studies and also serves on the General Council. She is committed to service, prayer, working with people to develop their relationship with the Divine, and writing. Her hobbies include reading, music, needlework, yoga, walking in nature and enjoying water, family and good friends.