Creating Joyful Belonging with Casper ter Kuile

Jan 12, 2021

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How can we find the sacred in our own lives and rise as leaders in a community… even as the pillars we once used seem to shift all around us?

Perhaps the answer is within ourselves.

Joyful belonging – of living lives of greater connection, meaning, and depth – takes dedication and a new way of thinking around the spaces we create in our lives. But it is possible to create new sacred texts and spiritual ways, even as our world – and religion's role in it – continues to change.

On this episode of "And She Spoke," we speak with Casper ter Kuile, Ministry Innovation Fellow at Harvard Divinity School, and the founder of Sacred Design Lab, a research and design consultancy working to create a culture of belonging and becoming.

We go joyfully in-depth on how leaders can apply new lessons and research on spirituality to create communities that help all of us belong and become who we are. And we talk about how religion is NOT declining, just changing, how we find the sacred texts we need in unexpected places, and so much more.

Join us in this deep and meaningful reflection on community – and bring your thoughts to the conversation in the comments!

Here’s a peek at what else we discuss:

Climate activism and how Casper became involved in spirituality.
Casper's interest in connection and ritual and what inspired him to write about it.
How honoring ritual and rhythm can foster connection, community, and inspiration.
Casper's thoughts on the disturbance of COVID and the new essence of gatherings.
The evolution of pseudo-religious spaces, including those used in the workplace.
Preventing burnout through acknowledgment of responsibilities and intentions.
How the work inside Sacred Design Lab helps provide leaders the support they need.
Burning Man as a religious pilgrimage and spiritual/secular crossover space.

Resources:

This week’s Joy:

RuPaul's Drag Race. Casper loves watching people imagine characters and live into different ways of being. Culminating in a celebration of a new essence in the world in an inspiring and joyful way.

This week’s Hustle:

Creating the space to tell the truth. Sometimes we like to rush into things to get them done, but often, when we slow down to articulate the truth properly, we can really accelerate the work that we do. Casper recommends a book of modern blessings by John O'Donohue, "To Bless the Space Between Us."