LECTURES & WORKSHOPS
     
     

Cletus Wessels will lead weekend or full week workshops including presentations, small group interaction, and open discussion. He will also present a series of lectures or workshops on topics relating to his current books entitled: entitled: The Holy Web: Church and the New Universe Story, and Jesus in the New Universe. Cletus is an experienced teacher and facilitator of the learning process, and he brings the added dimension of nine years of pastoral leadership.

The following are sample topics for these workshops:



THE NEW CREATION STORY

A morning and afternoon workshop from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM

  1. The Story of the Universe Ritualized in the Cosmic Walk
  2. The Relationship Between the Earth and the Human: Who Rules the Roost?
  3. Images of God Within: Mystery and Chaos
  4. The Story of the Human: Past, Present and Future



THE RESURRECTION:
A NEW DEPTH OF CONSCIOUSNESS

By his resurrection Jesus is transformed by a powerful and life-giving act of God, and at the same time the Jesus community is transformed. In the context of the new universe story Resurrection is symbolic of a deeper level of human consciousness that will enable us to experience the meaning of death as new life in every dimension of our human experience. Resurrection is also a symbol of God’s transforming presence within the universe, within the Earth, and within all its creatures. In this retreat we hope to experience in new ways the Spirit of God as the driving force that will transform us in our daily lives and will bring to us a new depth of consciousness– resurrection and new life.

WHO IS OUR SAVIOR?

  1. The Genesis Story of the Fall
  2. Original Sin in the Catholic Tradition
  3. The Origin of Sin in an Emerging Universe
  4. Does the Human Race Need a Savior?

THE CHURCH IN THE NEW MILLENNIUM

The following content could be presented in two different formats–a series of three lectures or a morning-afternoon workshop.

  1. Holarchy not Hierarchy: A New Vision of Leadership

    What is the meaning of hierarchy in the church? What is holarchy, and can holarchy be an organizational structure compatible with the Christian tradition? Is the distinction between clergy and laity viable in the new millennium? Is it possible to have a new vision of servant leadership within the Catholic Church? Can this servant leadership be based on the concept of the church as a web of relationships and a self-organizing system? How will this new vision call Christian communities to a new sense of responsibility for their own personal lives and for the society in which they live?


  2. The Local Church and the World Church: A New Vision of the Primacy of Rome

    How can the growing tensions between the local diocesan church and the world church as manifested in the primacy of Rome be dealt with? Vatican II opened up new avenues to pursue this question in terms of the “college of bishops” and “communion among local churches,” but the institutional church seems to have lost its way and returned to a more rigid centralization of power and control. Is there a new vision of the primacy of Rome which will enable the church to emerge from local cultures with legitimate local autonomy while still having the benefits of a world church?


  3. The Future of Ecumenism: A New Vision of Christian Unity

    Is the ecumenical movement among Christian churches dead? Or has it already been successful at a deep level among many ordinary Christians? What is the difference between “church unity” and “Christian unity?” As the world moves into the new millennium, is it possible that the future of ecumenism will lead us to a new vision and a new reality of Christian Unity? If so, what would this new web of relationships look like at the practical level, and how can Christians continue to foster this unity for the sake of our mission within the world?

SPIRITUALITY AND RITUAL
IN THE NEW MILLENNIUM

The following content could be presented in two different formats–a series of three lectures or a morning-afternoon workshop.

  1. Spirituality and the New Universe Story

    Is there a spirituality within the earth and the Holy Web of the universe? Can we find a deeper consciousness within ourselves as well as in the universe? What type of spirituality is found among our ancient ancestors of a million years ago? Can we integrate the spirituality of Jesus with the spirituality of the earth?


  2. Ritual and Ritualizing within the Church

    Is there a foundation for ritualizing in the community of species on earth? Rituals are in many ways like a theatrical performance. What are the similarities and differences between ritual and performance? Is there a deeper connection between rituals and faith? Is there a social justice dimension within rituals?


  3. Rituals, Symbols and Sacraments

    What is the relationship between spirituality and religion, between rituals and symbols? Is the sacramental dimension of the Christian Church essential to its life? How did the Christian rituals and sacraments develop in the life of the Church? How can we renew the ritual, symbolic and sacramental dimensions of our faith?

If you are interested in any of these options, please contact:

Cletus Wessels, O.P.
Preacher
Teacher
Seeker of Wisdom

2833 32nd Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55406
612-724-3644
cletuswe@aol.com