BY: DONNA-MICHELLE RANCOEUR

That is the big question for me, for various reasons. I am pretty private and quiet-spoken, so
before studying at Emmaus, I could not have imagined volunteering to share about my spiritual
formation. Yet this past June, as an extension to our Introduction to Spiritual Direction class
coursework, we were invited to share what we had learned at Emmaus, not only with our
classmates (which was nerve-wracking enough) but also with our congregations. Initially, I was
reluctant even to consider the possibility, but as my presentation took shape and the themes
became clear, I felt compelled to share with others.

Some key themes that I learned in the spiritual formation program at Emmaus include: 1) we each have a yearning for God whether we realize it or not, and 2) amazingly, God wants to be in a relationship and speak to each of us, even today, 3) nevertheless, everyone's journey of spiritual formation is unique, and 4) spiritual formation occurs in the context of community. In addition, I felt called to make myself vulnerable by sharing how my personality and experience have influenced the expression of my spirituality. We are all unique, and I've noticed that it can be challenging to understand and cherish the different ways people are called. Yet, in his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul teaches that there is room for all our gifts in the church community.  

As a result of my learnings at Emmaus, I have already shared more than a dozen workshops on contemplative practices and ways of engaging prayerfully with Scripture with my congregation. Therefore, I also wanted to express my gratitude to our minister and the people in the congregation who've been brave enough to participate in some of these workshops over the past two years. I gathered the courage to speak to our minister about the assignment, and she graciously suggested that I speak as a sort of witness during the sermon. Then, I volunteered to create a relevant children's story and pick out appropriate hymns. What had I gotten myself into? The next day, I woke up doubting myself and thinking that this might be too much for me (I am not a minister), but I decided that perhaps the Holy Spirit would guide me. I prayed about it. I realized I needed all the support I could get, so I asked others to pray for me. I even reached out to my Emmaus teachers, who volunteered to pray, too! I was ready after fine-tuning the PowerPoint presentation for my congregation and practicing the whole thing. 

When the time came for me to speak that Sunday morning, I was very nervous.  I reminded myself that the Holy Spirit was with me and that I was not responsible for how people responded to my message. When I finally reached the pulpit to present, I felt a slight sense of relief. Then, a fantastic thing happened.  People looked interested in what I was saying. Some nodded their heads. No one seemed to fall asleep or get up to leave.  

After the worship service, almost everyone I spoke to encouraged me. Slides were included because the service was live-streamed, and I also received a few emails from people who watched it at home. One person told me they had been praying about a decision they were struggling with and didn't even know that spiritual direction existed!  Later that day, I sent them links to the Emmaus website listing of spiritual directors with their permission. Another person was interested in learning more about studying at Emmaus.  One newcomer had been hesitant to attend church that day but said they knew they were in the right place when they heard me speak about my struggles with understanding the need to be spiritually formed in the community. I was surprised at my presentation's effect on others and realized that the Holy Spirit was present. I am humbled and awed by how God chooses to work in us through the Holy Spirit.

Donna-Michelle Rancoeur is a student in the Spiritual Direction Certificate Program at Emmaus.  She enjoys leading small contemplative groups at church that seek to draw closer to God by engaging prayerfully with Scripture. Most recently, she has worked as a Registered Reflexologist and, prior to this, in Geriatric Psychiatry. She has a B.A. in Psychology and an MSc(A) in Nursing from McGill. She is blessed with two young adult children and lives in Oakville with her husband, a dog, a cat, and many plants.