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Reflections on our 4oth Anniversary

by Alejandro Rodriguez

Another confession: despite all the conversations I participated in about spiritual direction, I realized when I entered Wellstreams that I had NO idea what spiritual direction was. And I’m so grateful to have learned what an incredible blessing it is. I entered Wellstreams in 2016 while I was still at the height of my corporate career. Many of the things I’d learned in my HR and communications experiences really helped me learn what I need to know about spiritual direction. The others in my cohort were an amazing group of people who helped me learn with true authenticity, vulnerability and transparency meant.

But the greatest gift was the journey to wholeness and freedom that I’m still on. When it came time to approach my corporate retirement, I knew I’d want to get even more connected with the Network. I was voted in as executive director while I still had a year to go before retirement. It was difficult to juggle a more than 50 hour a week job with the added responsibilities of running a non-profit, but nothing had been more rewarding. Working with the staff and board and so many volunteers poured blessing upon blessing.

I felt I had so much to offer because of my corporate experiences. And I had much to learn. Running a non-profit was very different than being in the corporate world. One of the things I learned throughout my life was there was a season for every leader for every organization and I knew that it was best to step aside for others to lead.

I’m grateful that I can still stay engaged with programming for the Network, along with serving as supervisor and during silent directed retreats.

Over the past 20 years I’ve seen so much change in the Network. Even though it was always our DNA, we’ve grown increasingly inclusive as we’ve reached out to  embrace those with other faith traditions or even those with no faith tradition at all. Community is becoming increasingly important as people’s relationships with houses of worship evolve. The Network is there to meet those needs.

Our vision of Awakening Lives. Transforming the World is as relevant today as yesterday and will be even more meaningful as we help a very broken world heal. As you go to your prayer and meditation time over the next few weeks, I encourage you to reflect on your relationship with the Network and the people who make up the Network. I pray your heart will be warmed and that your spirit will be charged with an energy to continue to be a blessing in the world.

I walked into my first Spirituality Network event not knowing it was a Network event. I had recently started attending First Congregational Church and saw a sign for a men’s retreat. Since men’s retreats had been such an important part of my faith journey, I thought I would see what retreats were like at this new church.

From the first speaker through every single person I interacted with, I knew I was with kindred spirits. I struck up a conversation with one of the retreat leaders and before I knew it, I had been invited to join the Network board.

I’d had quite a few experiences serving on both non-profit boards and church committees, usually in leadership roles. But the Network board meetings were unlike anything I’d ever experience. The prayers that opened and closed each meeting were meaningful and refreshing and unique. The conversation, aided by the board spiritual director, was compassionate, loving and spiritual. I cherished each of the board members, especially the Dominican sisters who shattered stereotypes I believed about nuns. (I do have to confess, it wasn’t until a year into my service that I realized that  the Network had Christian roots. No one mentioned Jesus, but the love of Christ was abundantly apparent!)

Throughout my seven years of service on the board (two as chair), I was repeatedly invited to participate in Wellstreams. I would smile and dismiss the idea, with a “maybe later.”

Another confession: despite all the conversations I participated in about spiritual direction, I realized when I entered Wellstreams that I had NO idea what spiritual direction was. And I’m so grateful to have learned what an incredible blessing it is.

I entered Wellstreams in 2016 while I was still at the height of my corporate career. Many of the things I’d learned in my HR and communications experiences really helped me learn what I need to know about spiritual direction. The others in my cohort were an amazing group of people who helped me learn with true authenticity, vulnerability and transparency meant.

But the greatest gift was the journey to wholeness and freedom that I’m still on. When it came time to approach my corporate retirement, I knew I’d want to get even more connected with the Network. I was voted in as executive director while I still had a year to go before retirement. It was difficult to juggle a more than 50 hour a week job with the added responsibilities of running a non-profit, but nothing had been more rewarding. Working with the staff and board and so many volunteers poured blessing upon blessing.

I felt I had so much to offer because of my corporate experiences. And I had much to learn. Running a non-profit was very different than being in the corporate world. One of the things I learned throughout my life was there was a season for every leader for every organization and I knew that it was best to step aside for others to lead.

I’m grateful that I can still stay engaged with programming for the Network, along with serving as supervisor and during silent directed retreats.

Over the past 20 years I’ve seen so much change in the Network. Even though it was always our DNA, we’ve grown increasingly inclusive as we’ve reached out to embrace those with other faith traditions or even those with no faith tradition at all. Community is becoming increasingly important as people’s relationships with houses of worship evolve. The Network is there to meet those needs.

Our vision of Awakening Lives. Transforming the World is as relevant today as yesterday and will be even more meaningful as we help a very broken world heal.

As you go to your prayer and meditation time over the next few weeks, I encourage you to reflect on your relationship with the Network and the people who make up the Network. I pray your heart will be warmed and that your spirit will be charged with an energy to continue to be a blessing in the world.