Being exposed to the Universe Story invited me into a deeper relationship with who I know God to be. While I am still learning about all that the Universe Story means, the depth of how I see what is sacred has shifted profoundly and helped me see God in an even more expansive way.

Therese B, 2023/2024 Cohort

Hello {{First Name}},

Thomas Aquinas said that a mistake in our understanding of creation will lead to a mistake in our understanding of God. Our worldview and our theology are deeply intertwined - which makes sense if we believe creation to be a revelation of the Divine Self, created in the "image and likeness of God" as the Christian tradition holds.

And so in the Spiritual Guidance Training Program at Siena, we begin our journey together by grounding ourselves in what we know about creation. Advances in science over the past one hundred years have changed the way we tell the story of creation, the story of our universe. This opens up expansive and transformative possibilities in Christian theology and spirituality. 

The Universe Story forms the foundational worldview of our program. This places us squarely in the eco-spirituality realm, but it also holds implications deeper and broader, reaching into all of our relationships. Yes, even shaping how we accompany others as spiritual guides. 

As a program, we see our commitment to this worldview to be one of the things that sets us apart from many of the other training programs around. Being present to the ever-emergent realities in front of us, and tending to the spiritual implications, is embedded at every level of our program - from the planning process the team engages in, to the way that we come together as a community.

If you feel drawn to explore what I mean by the Universe Story, I invite you to watch the hour-long documentary Journey of the Universe by Brian Swimme on YouTube, linked below. As you watch it, notice what arises in you: Does this elicit any emotions, memories, images, or sensations? Is there anything that really draws you in? Are there any places of resistance? What questions emerge? Consider the implications this worldview does have, or could have, on your understanding of God.

In wonder and awe,

Nicki Nelson

SGTP Coordinator