Stories for the Soul is an opportunity to nurture our spiritual well-being. Each week we create a unique community around the table where we can be ourselves and our story is valued. Our feelings, our search for meaning and purpose, our sense of awe and wonder, our creativity, beliefs and relationships are welcomed, affirmed and cherished. We hope that this special atmosphere will be carried into the wider community of The Richmond Charities.

Beginning on 13th March at 10am and, weekly throughout the period of Lent 2019, we will be sharing some Stories for the Soul in The Green Room. Each session follows a simple and familiar pattern. We meet informally and ensure everyone is welcomed before sharing a story from the Jewish or Christian scriptures using some carefully made and beautiful materials.

 There is then an opportunity to share any thoughts or questions that the story has inspired. This is a time for listening to one another - there are no 'right' answers and each of us is invited to find our own meaning in the story. A period of free response follows where we can pursue our own wondering. Some people engage in creative work with the materials provided, others may choose to work with the materials from the story itself or simply enjoy some quiet time. Finally, we share a simple 'feast' together and enjoy one another's company.

In this course of stories we will be especially focussing on the Parables of Jesus. Often taught as simple moral messages, the Parables can be far more unsettling. They challenge us to imagine a very different world, turned upside down and inside out.