Whatever their differences in background and life experiences, what all One Spirit students and graduates have in common is a deep longing and aspiration to live in this world as a presence of love – as a presence of compassion, peace, healing, and blessing. To me, that means that we support people in connecting to and living from the profound innate capacity for love and compassion, for ourselves and for others, that resides deep in the human heart. One of the comments I hear most often from people about One Spirit is that we open hearts. The first thing I see as essential to who we are as One Spirit is that our education is heart-centered. While these things are by no means unique to One Spirit, I have come to see them as essential to creating the kind of experience our students describe having, nearly without fail. In reflecting on what allows and supports this to happen year after year, on what I see as the real essence of the One Spirit experience, I recognized three things that I believe make us who we are, as a school and as a spiritual community. A cohort of students from a broad range of generational, religious, ethnic, socioeconomic, educational, and occupational backgrounds walk into the One Spirit space, or join us virtually over the internet, and within a short time begin to feel as if they’ve “come home.” And as they learn together and grow together, they come to love and form deep connections and lasting friendships with people they might never otherwise have encountered or taken the time to have a conversation with. I have witnessed this miracle over and over again. Beyond the joy of contemplating the countless lives they will touch through their ministries, I also felt the deep joy at witnessing a group of people who, two years earlier, had come together as strangers to one another and through their journey together had become a deeply bonded and loving spiritual community. DeShannon Barnes-Bowens & Rev.In June I had the privilege of ordaining One Spirit Interfaith Seminary’s 16th graduating class and blessing 53 new Interfaith/Interspiritual ministers into the next step of their sacred service in the world. With the blessing of Spirit, we eventually grow and deepen in connection to the sacred in ourselves and each other, emerging with a greater capacity to see the intrinsic wholeness in ourselves and others. We offer a diverse community, supported by dedicated staff who will accompany you on your two-year journey in Seminary. They deepened their knowledge of the world’s spiritual traditions, engaged in experiential education, and developed ministries to match their unique calls to serve. Over 1,300 people from all over the world have been ordained at One Spirit. Our seminary offers an invitation to profound growth, transformation and change in the lives of students who walk through our doors. It is from the place of love that we engage in this work. At the core, the essence of all wisdom traditions value peace, wisdom, compassion, service and love. Through an interspiritual framework of study, practice and sharing, we come to know the common threads of wisdom traditions. Here at One Spirit, we embrace and teach the truths at the heart of all authentic spiritual traditions. Diane forward as Co-Directors of Seminary. We are honored to bring the work that was started by Rev. We entered the doors of One Spirit in 2008, as strangers, and emerged with a deep friendship after we were ordained as Interfaith-Interspiritual ministers in 2010. One Spirit began with a vision held by our founder, Rev. We are delighted that you found your way here and are considering journeying with us as the next step in your call to be of service in the world.
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