Transfiguring Mountains: A Practical Spirituality
The word “spirituality” often conjures up images of quiet retreats,  focused prayers,  deepening meditations, wise old mothers and fathers living in desert caves or monasteries removed from what we may think of as “normal” everyday life, with its noise, chaos, stress, responsibilities and demands. In this session, using topography as a metaphor – we will take a kind of bird’s-eye view of the spiritual terrain of our practical, day-to-day lives.  We will explore its mountain and valley landscapes, and look specifically at some common “mountain” experiences within which we often find ourselves immersed, their motivations, challenges, risks and gifts.  We will discover how God is present and interacting with us to offer us spiritual opportunities for growth and transformation.  We will come away with a kind of topographical map that can spiritually aid our practical excursions in life.

Facilitator: Rev. Dr. Barbara Doerrer-Peacock

Rev. Dr. Barbara Doerrer-Peacock, originally from Wisconsin, has served churches in the Southwest Conference UCC since 1994, also with some time dually-affiliated with the Desert Southwest Conference of the United Methodist Church. She served for 10 years as adjunct staff for the SW Conference in various program capacities including stewardship, evangelism, church renewal, and camp director. She currently is serving as interim pastor at Scottsdale Congregational UCC. She is an artist, a writer/poet, storyteller, retreat leader, and a life-long “monk in the world.”