Sacred Listening Workshops
The Sacred Listening Workshops were inspired by the Portraits in Faith multi-media documentary project. When Daniel Epstein began the project, he thought it was about everyone getting to share their story about faith. Then a friend sent him the book written by Story Corps founder, David Isay, Listening Is an Act of Love and Daniel realized the project was more about listening to someone’s story, not telling his or her story. This was especially if the story came from an individual she or he had perceived to be the “other.” Today, this is what we call “Sacred Listening.” Daniel enables experiences for people to receive one another’s stories.
In a Sacred Listening workshop, there is an opportunity to learn about the Portraits in Faith documentary project and to experience Sacred Listening with one another.
To schedule or explore a Sacred Listening Workshop with your community, contact Penny at penny@portraitsinfaith.org
Workshop Agenda
Opening Presentation
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Daniel’s story and background of the project
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Ten-minute “Photographic Meditation” with a follow-up discussion on thoughts and feelings evoked
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Participants then pair with others they do not know well and sit in chairs facing each other but within sight of the screen in order to watch video presentations shown between questions and conversations
First Exercise
- Daniel asks: “What is your concept of God or a Higher Power, if you have one?” and then participants are shown two video examples of how other people from around the world answered the question in unexpected and inspirational ways
- One person of the pair asks: “What is your concept of God or a Higher Power?” and listens for three to five minutes in silence except to say, “Tell me more,” or “Say more,” and “thank you” when the speaker is complete
Second Exercise
- Daniel asks: “What does it mean for you to have faith and what is your earliest memory of faith?” and then participants watch two videos before engaging in the process of sacred listening
Third Exercise
- Daniel asks: “What was the first time you had to or chose to rely upon God as you understand God/Higher Power?” and then participants watch two videos before engaging in the process of sacred listening
Fourth Exercise
- Daniel asks: “Tell me about a time you doubted your faith?” and then participants watch one video before engaging in the process of sacred listening
Break
- Participants have 10-minutes on their own
Making Portraits
- Using their smart phones, participants who’ve matched as pairs take a portrait photo of the other person
- They are asked to look for what evokes their true spirit based on what they learned in the interviews
- The portraits are then uploaded to the Sacred Listening app with an option for the portrait taker to write about what inspired them about the person in the photograph and what did they learn from this process
Regroup
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Reflect on five new questions and share as part of a discussion with with all other participants:
What was this experience like for you?
What did you learn?
When have you felt like “the other?”
What can people learn as an organization/community from this exercise?
Is there any action you want to take now that we’ve had this experience?
Evaluation
- Time using the web app to evaluate the workshop and share suggestions how to improve
Closing
- Closing prayer or meditation
Testimonials
The Sacred Listening Workshop did create a sacred space. Daniel’s presentation prepared those gathered to engage another person’s faith story. By the end of the workshop there were no strangers in the room. My experience allows me to engage outside of my comfort zone and not just walk towards the other, but with the other.
As inspiring and beautiful as Daniel Epstein’s book and website are, it wasn’t until I sat in front of another person in his workshop and asked these important spiritual questions that I fully understood the impact of his work. Listening deeply to someone’s spiritual journey is a profound and heart opening experience. It is a leveling and healing experience. I believe this is our work now. Thank you, Daniel Epstein, for the map.
I attended two of Daniel’s workshops recently. Both times I was paired with a person from a different religious background than myself. I learned that we had so much in common. Our beliefs in a higher being, although we called them different things, were very similar. I enjoyed seeing pictures from people all over the world. It made me think that everyone has a story.
I will say I was touched by the wonderful visual meditation of photos of people and wished to linger another second on each face/personperson to take them in more deeply. It was really useful to have the sharing of the filming of what other people answered to the questions that were posed in the breakout rooms. It was like a priming of the pump and opened one’s heart to reflect more deeply and engage with the questions. It helped that the workshop was so well organized, thought out, and delivered. We could easily focus on the questions that were asked.
Thank you so much for traveling out to Jersey and leading our combined communities in the Seeing the Other Sacred Listening Workshop. Even though we tried our best to communicate the purpose and activities of the workshop, I do not believe anyone truly understood what we were embarking on. I say that because the concept and philosophy that the workshop is based on is unique and unexpected but I believe exactly the type of communal work that the world needs right now. The work that you are doing is important. Please keep going and let me know if there is any way that we can support you in your ongoing efforts.
