Laughter, Suffering, Growth & Friendship in the Sufi Tradition

WITH JAMAL RAHMAN

“Sell your cleverness and buy bewilderment.” - Rumi

In this session, Sufi teacher Jamal Rahman invites us into the heart of a wisdom tradition that doesn't deal in answers, but in presence, paradox, and transformation. 

Join us to explore the path of opening the heart—not just to the 10,000 joys of life, but also the 10,000 sorrows. With stories drawn from Rumi, the Qur’an, and his own interfaith journey, Jamal will help us see suffering not as a detour from the spiritual path, but as one of its most intimate teachers. 

This is a session for anyone who wants to live with more compassion, walk gently through grief, and tap into the well of knowing that lives deep within us.

 -

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Jamal Rahman is a popular speaker on Islam, Sufi spirituality, and interfaith relations. Along with his Interfaith Amigos, he has been featured in New York Times, CBS News, BBC, and various NPR programs. Jamal is co-founder and Muslim Sufi minister at Interfaith Community Sanctuary, and adjunct faculty at Seattle University. He is the author and co-author of nine books. His latest book is titled, Fragrance of the Qur'an: Reflections on verses of beauty and wisdom.

The Poor Save Us

WITH MEGAN MCKENNA

What if true wealth isn’t what you keep—but what you give away?

Join Megan McKenna as she invites us to rethink wealth, spirituality, and community through a contemplative lens. As she describes it, contemplation is a “long loving look at reality,” especially the hard truths of poverty, injustice, and suffering. 

Discover how being truly seen—and learning to see others as God sees them—breaks down barriers of “us versus them” and calls us into compassionate solidarity with the poor, the earth, and each other. Join us as we challenge individualism and uncover a vision of spirituality rooted in friendship, vulnerability, and prophetic witness.

-

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Megan McKenna is a world storyteller. A native of New York City, she has lived, visited and gypsied through North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. She works with Indigenous groups, Christian Communities, justice and peace groups, as well as parishes, dioceses and religious communities. Her books include The Poor Save Us; A Bowl of Perfect Light: Stories of Forgiveness, Reconciliation, and Repairing the World; Not Counting Women and Children: Neglected Stories from the Bible: Neglected Stories for the Bible, and many more.

She has been on the United States National Board of Pax Christi and in 2002 was appointed an Ambassador of Peace for Pax Christi.

Becoming More Fully Alive: The Spiritual Practice of Aging Well

WITH PARKER PALMER

What if aging isn’t about decline—but about becoming more fully alive?

In this session, beloved teacher Parker Palmer invites us to reimagine aging as a season of depth, resilience, and possibility. Drawing from his lived experience and signature gift for storytelling, Parker explores how to stand in “the gap” between the world as it is and the world as it could be—without turning away from the sorrow or joy of being human.

Together, we’ll reflect on what it means to live openheartedly in the face of grief, paradox, and uncertainty. With wisdom that bridges the inner life and outer action, Parker shares how tending the soul not only renews us individually but also strengthens our collective capacity for compassion, justice, and community.

This is an invitation to age with courage, to live truthfully, and to discover the vitality that comes from holding life’s beauty and brokenness together.

-

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Parker J. Palmer is a writer, educator, and activist whose work has transformed the fields of education, leadership, and spiritual formation. He is the author of numerous beloved books, including Let Your Life Speak; A Hidden Wholeness; On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity, and Getting Old; and Healing the Heart of Democracy, which explore vocation, integrity, and the inner life of communities.

Founder of the Center for Courage & Renewal, Palmer has spent decades helping teachers, leaders, and ordinary people reconnect with their deepest purpose, creativity, and voice. His work integrates contemplative insight with practical guidance for building communities of trust, compassion, and courage.