What does it mean to move from being aimlessly adrift to walking in daring direction? This month’s Garden Gathering, From Aimlessly Adrift to Daring Direction, invites you to explore how Spirit Steps can anchor us in God’s purpose. Together, we’ll reflect on what it means to go from floating without focus to following the Spirit with clarity and conviction. Through sacred stillness, holding hands, deep dialogue, and intimate intercession, we’ll learn to embrace a life rooted in God’s guidance. This isn’t about striving but about surrendering to the Spirit’s lead — step by step, into the fullness of His plans.
About:
Location: Christian Michelsens gate 47, 0568 OSLO, apartment H0301
Date: Wednesday, 29th of January 2025
Time: 18:00-21:30
Winter Theme: Spirit Steps
“If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25)
January Topic: From Aimlessly Adrift to Daring Direction
Bloom beyond uncertainty and align your steps purposefully with the Spirit.
The Garden Gatherings are part of The Garden membership that gives access to gatherings, guides, community, coaching, and chat. We have new themes every quarterly season. You are invited to bloom beyond yourself into a personal and collective communion with the sacred (God) through contemplation, connection, and contribution. Together, we turn our stories from graves into gardens.
Read all about The Garden: bloombeyond.com/garden
Contributors:
Martine Sorthe (27) is the founder of Bloom Beyond (bloombeyond.com) and facilitates The Garden Gatherings. She is a creator by heart — a NOW BLOOM certified Christian Life Coach and a Clinical Psychology Student at the University of Oslo with interest in the overlap between psychology, theology, and art.
Emilie Næss Karlsen.
Øystein Sivertsen.
Marita Haugland.
Join:
Join The Garden for monthly membership: bloombeyond.com/garden
Max 12 spots for this gathering. (0/12 reserved).
RSVP your spot in The Garden Chat (join The Garden to get access).
Overview:
18:00-18:30 — Greeting and Intro
Focus: Heartfelt Hugs, Connection
Activities: We will open the gathering with a warm welcome, offering heartfelt hugs and introductions to create an atmosphere of openness and belonging. Each participant will share their name and one word or short sentence that reflects where they feel “adrift” or “directed” in life right now. Martine will introduce the theme, Spirit Steps, and this evening’s topic, From Aimlessly Adrift to Daring Direction, framing how the Spirit’s guidance can help us discern when to loosen control and when to step into intentional action.
Purpose: This time is designed to foster connection and prepare hearts for the evening ahead. By naming areas where we feel lost or led, we set a tone of honesty and openness, inviting the Spirit to move in our reflections, conversations, and prayers.
Contributor: Martine Sorthe
18:30-19:00 — Still Waters and Steady Steps
Focus: Sacred Stillness, Contemplation
Activities: Martine will guide The Gardeners through a quiet, reflective practice designed to uncover where they might feel aimlessly adrift in their lives and where they are being called to daring direction. Participants will be invited to consider areas of their lives where they may feel unanchored, disconnected, or without purpose, and to gently listen for God’s invitation to step into clearer direction. There will also be space to reflect on moments where perhaps too much control or direction has been taken, and where trust in God's guidance might loosen the reins, allowing for a renewed sense of peace in being ‘adrift’ with God. During this time, participants will be encouraged to write or journal their thoughts, feelings, or any insights that arise.
Purpose: To create space for deep self-exploration, inviting the participants to reflect on areas where they may need to release control and invite God's direction, or where they may need to regain direction and discipline in their walk with God. The practice aims to help each person discern how they can live more intentionally in step with the Spirit.
Contributor: Martine Sorthe
19:00-19:30 — Tied Together
Focus: Holding Hands, Connection
Activities: After the Still Waters, Steady Steps practice, we will engage in a brief, intentional "Holding Hands" exercise to emphasize our shared journey. Participants will be invited to stand in a circle or form small groups, and as we hold hands (either physically or symbolically by placing hands on our hearts), we’ll take a moment of silence together. This time is to acknowledge that we are all on similar paths, navigating the currents of life—whether feeling adrift or anchored. Each person will have the opportunity to share one word or a brief sentence that describes how they are feeling in this moment—aimless, seeking direction, or confident in their steps. The shared vulnerability and connection in this space will help ground us for the upcoming Deep Dialogue.
Purpose: To create a sense of unity and solidarity, reminding participants that they are not alone in their experiences. This exercise fosters compassion and a deeper connection to one another, preparing us to move from individual reflections to collective sharing.
Contributor: Emilie Næss Karlsen
19:30-20:00 — Conversations in the Current
Focus: Deep Dialogue, Connection
Activities: After our time of sacred stillness, participants will engage in deep dialogue with a partner or small group. Each person will share reflections on the themes of being adrift or finding direction that arose during Still Waters, Steady Steps. Thoughtful questions will guide the conversation, encouraging vulnerability and support as each person explores their journey of moving toward daring direction and discovering areas where they may still need to trust God’s guiding hand.
Purpose: To create a safe and open space for sharing, allowing participants to process and integrate their personal reflections. This time of connection deepens community and helps solidify the insights gained during the sacred stillness practice, fostering growth through conversation and shared experience.
Contributor: Øystein Sivertsen
20:00-20:30 — Daring to Put Pen to Paper
Focus: Journey Journaling, Contemplation
Activities: In this segment, Øystein will guide The Gardeners through a reflective journaling practice that builds on the themes from Conversations in the Current. Participants will explore how their personal journey aligns with the shift from being aimlessly adrift to embracing daring direction. Through guided prompts, participants will reflect on areas where they may feel uncertain or stuck and identify steps they can take to trust more deeply in God's guidance. The journaling time will also encourage considering where the Spirit is refining them, preparing them for a purposeful direction, and where they need to lean into God's nurturing presence to move forward.
Purpose: To allow space for deep introspection and personal reflection, helping participants process the themes explored during the gathering. This journaling practice will help solidify insights and invite participants to examine how they can take actionable steps toward a life of intentional trust, refinement, and direction in God’s will.
Contributor: Marita Haugland
20:30-21:00 — Supporting Each Others’ Steps
Focus: Intimate Intercession, Connection
Activities: After the Still Waters, Steady Steps and Holding Hands exercises, participants will partner up for a time of sharing and intercession. Each person will share the insights or reflections from their journey journaling, focusing on their experience of being adrift or seeking daring direction. Following this, pairs will pray over each other, asking for guidance, clarity, and trust in God’s direction for their lives. The prayer will focus on deepening their connection to the Spirit’s leading and finding the courage to take steps toward purposeful direction.
Purpose: To deepen the bonds of connection between participants and to offer a sacred space for shared vulnerability and spiritual support. This practice encourages participants to actively engage in lifting each other up in prayer for daring direction, creating a sense of unity and mutual encouragement in the journey toward daring direction.
Contributor: Øystein Sivertsen
21:00-21:30 — Outro and Farewell
Focus: Heartful Hugs, Connection
Activities: As we close the evening, we will take a moment to express gratitude and reflect on the journey we’ve shared. Each participant will be invited to share one key takeaway or insight from the evening, creating a final opportunity for connection and encouragement. Afterward, we’ll exchange heartfelt hugs, reinforcing the bonds formed throughout the evening. Martine will offer a closing blessing, sending everyone off with a sense of purpose, unity, and encouragement to carry the themes of Spirit Steps and the refining presence of salt and fire into their daily lives.
Purpose: To provide a loving and meaningful closure to the gathering, leaving participants feeling spiritually enriched, seen, and supported. This final moment reinforces the collective commitment to walk together in step with the Spirit, continuing the journey beyond the gathering.
Contributor: Martine Sorthe