Event Organizers

<p>Christine Luna Munger, Ph.D. is the director of the Episcopal House of Prayer. She served as Coordinator of the Spiritual Direction Certificate and Professor of Theology at St. Catherine University from 2012-2018, and has taught at University of St. Thomas and College of St. Benedict/St. John’s University. Christine has published numerous articles, videos, and spiritual direction resources, and she regularly writes, teaches, and leads group prayer sits at EHoP. Christine is a mother of two young children. She is bilingual (English & Spanish) and enjoys all forms of dance and being outdoors.</p>

<p>Claire Bischoff teaches theology at St. Catherine University and is training to be a spiritual director. She is the co-editor of <em>My Red Couch and Other Stories of Seeking a Feminist Faith</em> and <em>Parenting as Spiritual Practice and Source for Theology: Mothering Matters</em>. She lives in St. Paul, MN, with her three children.</p>

<p>Daniel Wolpert, MDiv, is a Presbyterian minister and cofounder of the Minnesota Institute of Contemplation and Healing (MICAH). He has been a student of the spiritual life since age 21 and has taught in the fields of psychology and spiritual formation. Dan provides counseling and spiritual direction. He is the author of five books: <em>Leading a Life with God: The Practice of Spiritual Leadership</em>, <em>Creating a Life with God: The Call of Ancient Prayer Practices</em>, <em>Meeting God in Virtual Reality</em> (co-authored), <em>The Collapse of the Three-Story Universe: Christianity in an Age of Science</em>, and most recently, <em>Creation’s Wisdom: Spiritual Practice and Climate Change</em>.</p>

<p>Diane M. Millis, PhD, is a professor and a retreat presenter who focuses on the art of listening. She is the author of <em>Re-Creating a Life</em>, <em>Conversation: The Sacred Art</em>, and <em>Deepening Engagement</em>. She currently teaches Narrative Leadership at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities.</p>

<p>Elizabeth Jarrett Andrew is the author of the novel <em>Hannah, Delivered</em>, the spiritual memoir <em>Swinging on the Garden Gate</em>, a collection of personal essays, <em>On the Threshold: Home, Hardwood, and Holiness</em>, and two books on writing: <em>Living Revision: A Writer’s Craft as Spiritual Practice</em>, winner of the silver Nautilus Award, and <em>Writing the Sacred Journey: The Art and Practice of Spiritual Memoir</em>. She works independently as a developmental writing coach and teaches through Wisdom Ways Center for Spirituality. You can connect with Elizabeth at www.spiritualmemoir.com and www.elizabethjarrettandrew.com.</p>

<p>Gary Barrett has engaged elemental sacred music since the early 1980’s. He was founder of the Bella Voce consort, a group specializing in early sacred music. He has sung with the Abbey Schola at St. John’s Abbey and the Collegeville Consort based out of St. John’s University. Additionally, he has led the day-long Anglican celebration, Chanting the Psalms, on several occasions. He is also a chant leader for the weekly contemplative sittings at the Episcopal House of Prayer.</p>

<p>Fr. Martin Laird is no stranger to the Episcopal House of Prayer where he has led several retreats over the years. He has lectured and led retreats throughout the US, UK, and Republic of Ireland. He is Professor of Early Christian Studies at Villanova University near Philadelphia and the author of Into the Silent Land; A Sunlit Absence; and An Ocean of Light from Oxford University Press.</p>

<p>Rabbi Shefa Gold composes and performs spiritual music, has produced ten albums, and her liturgies have been published in several new prayer books. She is the author of <em>Torah Journeys: The Inner Path to the Promised Land</em> and <em>In the Fever of Love: An Illumination of The Song of Songs</em>, both published by Ben Yehuda Press. Her latest book, published by Jewish Lights, is <em>The Magic of Hebrew Chant: Healing the Spirit, Transforming the Mind, Deepening Love</em>.</p>

<p>Rev. Bussho Lahn first came to Zen Buddhism in 1993, was ordained in 2009, and became a full priest in 2015. Bussho is a trained spiritual director, connecting with and mentoring those who wish to deepen an intentional and contemplative spiritual life. He explores the connection between spirituality and psychology. He is active in both the recovery and Christian contemplative communities and teaches and leads retreats and overseas pilgrimages through the Episcopal House of Prayer and the Aslan Institute.</p>

<p>Janet is an Ordained Elder in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. As a woman of faith, Janet’s heart’s desire is that her discipleship formation will be a continual abiding and fruitful relationship with The Divine (God The Father, God The Son, and God The Holy Spirit). Therefore her interaction with others would be an opportunity to bear much fruit! Her life verse is John 15:5 (NKJV): I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without me you can do nothing. </p>

<p>Rev. Matthew Wright is an Episcopal priest, writer, and retreat leader working to renew the Christian Wisdom tradition in a wider interspiritual context. He serves as priest-in-charge at St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church in Woodstock, NY and is a teacher for Northeast Wisdom and The Contemplative Society, nonprofits rooted in the teaching lineage of Cynthia Bourgeault. Matthew is also a decade-long student of the Mevlevi Sufi tradition under the guidance of Shaikh Kabir and Camille Helminski. He lives with his wife, Yanick, alongside the brothers of Holy Cross Monastery in West Park, NY.</p>

<p>Ward Bauman is an Episcopal priest and former director of the Episcopal House of Prayer. He lived in Iran for many years where he studied Sufism and Buddhism. He has published the cookbook <em>Sacred Food for Soulful Living</em> and <em>The Anglican Rosary: Meditating with the Mystics</em>, as well as co-authored <em>The Luminous Gospels: Thomas, Mary Magdalene, and Philip</em>. He considers his spiritual mentor to be the great Christian German mystic Meister Eckhart. </p>

<p>Sam Rahberg is a spiritual director who has befriended Benedictine spirituality through serious study, personal reflection, and the practice of leadership in community. He serves as Director of the Graduate Certificate in Spiritual Direction at Saint John's School of Theology and Seminary. In his spare time, you will find him tending his family’s small tree farm or fly fishing in Southeast Minnesota.</p>

<p>Sara Thomsen is a singer-songwriter from the Twin Ports of Duluth/Superior. Thomsen is the Founder/Director of Echoes of Peace, a non-profit inspiring awareness, action and reflection on critical social issues through music and the arts to build and bridge informed, engaged and caring communities. Increasing wonder and awareness, deepening spiritual connection, and widening social engagement through song are  at the heart of her work.</p>

<p>Sarah Cledwyn is a mystic and dreamer. She has been a full time spiritual director and energy healer since 2016. Sarah is fascinated by transformation and spiritual practice and finds dreaming, biospiritual focusing, embodiment and the natural world to be anchors of her spiritual life. Sarah works with one on one directees, groups, and leads courses and retreats. Find out more about Sarah at her website at www.SarahCledwyn.com and receive a free gift of a transformation locator map for signing up for the mailing list.</p>

<p>Susan Stabile is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the University of St. Thomas School of Law and an adjunct instructor in Theology at St. Catherine’s University. She previously held the position of Director of the University of St. Thomas Office for Spirituality. Susan is a spiritual director and retreat leader trained in the Ignatian tradition. She offers individual spiritual direction and conducts retreats, RCIA and adult faith formation classes, and other programs at parishes, retreat houses and other venues. Susan is the author of <em>Growing in Love and Wisdom</em> (Oxford University Press) and the blog Creo en Dios!, on which she posts spiritual reflections and podcasts.</p>

<p>Yuval Ron is an internationally renowned World Music artist, composer, educator, peace activist and record producer. Graduating Cum Laude as a Film Scoring Major at Berklee College of Music in Boston, he has continuously researched various ethnic musical traditions and spiritual paths worldwide. Among his many honors, he composed the songs and score for the Oscar winning film West Bank Story in 2007, was the featured artist in the Gala Concert for the Dalai Lama’s initiative Seeds of Compassion in the Seattle Opera Hall in 2008, and has collaborated with the Sufi leader Pir Zia Inayat Khan since 2006. His awards include the Los Angeles Treasures Award in 2004 and prestigious grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, American Composers Forum, California Council for the Humanities and the Rockefeller Foundation.</p>