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Sam Rahberg

Office: Luke Hall 205
Phone Number: 320-428-0371
Email: [email protected]

Areas of Teaching and Research
  • The art and practice of spiritual direction
  • The formation and supervision of spiritual directors
  • Benedictine spirituality and ministry
  • Woodland stewardship

Biography
  • Sam Rahberg is a spiritual director and supervisor of spiritual directors who has befriended Benedictine spirituality through serious study, personal reflection, and the practice of leadership in community. At the heart of his commitment, whether listening as a spiritual director, facilitating a retreat or class, or writing, is the joy of helping people respond to God in their own unique forms of prayer and service. Online and offline, with individuals and groups, Sam accompanies Christian leaders as they discover and re-discover the sense of calling and giftedness at the heart of Christ-centered ministry. In his spare time, you will find him tending his family’s small tree farm or fly fishing for trout in Southeast Minnesota.

Publications
Books
  • Ice Break: A Collection of Poems on Change (Saint Paul, Aetos Publications, 2019)
  • Enduring Ministry: Toward a Lifetime of Christian Leadership (Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 2017)
  • The Way Forward: A Collection of Benedictine Inspirations by Victor Klimoski, edited by Samuel Rahberg (Saint Paul, Aetos Publications, 2014)
  • “Listening” in Illuminating Ministry: A Journal, Vol. 3 (edited by Victor Klimoski and Barbara Sutton, Saint Paul: Aetos Publications, 2014)
Articles
  • Living into Joy, Late in the Pandemic,” in Faith & Leadership on 1 Jun 2021(Leadership Education at Duke Divinity)
  • “New Meeting: Practicing Retreats and Holy Listening in A Zoom World,” in Presence Journal, Vol. 26, No. 4, (Co-authored with Becky Eldredge, Seattle: Spiritual Directors International, December 2020)
  • “Touchstones: Experiences in Nature as Encounters with the Divine” in Presence Journal, Vol. 24, No. 1, (Seattle: Spiritual Directors International, March 2018)
  • Spiritual Direction: What Are You Talking About?” (Online, Benedictine Center of St. Paul’s Monastery, December 2017)
  • Befriending Your Limits,” in Faith & Leadership on 7 Mar 2017(Leadership Education at Duke Divinity, 2017)
  • How To Foster A Healthier Year In Ministry,” in Faith & Leadership on 12 Jan 2017(Leadership Education at Duke Divinity)
  • “The Importance of Spiritual Imagery and Experiences for Contemplatives Approaching Forty,” in Presence Journal, Vol. 21, No. 1, (Co-authored with Rachel Twigg Boyce, Seattle: Spiritual Directors International, September 2015)
  • “Leaning into the Future: A Study of the Benedictine Center of St. Paul’s Monastery,” in The American Benedictine Review, March 2014, Vol. 65, Issue 1, p68-93.
  • “The Future of Benedictine Retreat Ministry: An Adaptive Challenge for St. Paul’s Monastery,” in Benedictines Magazine, LXV: 2, 2012.
  • An Expanded Expereince of Incarnation (The Faith+Leader, Luther Seminary, 31 Aug 2021)

     
Presentations
Retreats
  • Bearing Witness: God Present in the Living and the Dying (St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church, 2022)
  • Living with the Word: A Month Praying the Scriptures (Wood & Water Retreats, 2021)
  • Real Lament & Gritty Hope: Engaging the Headlines Prayerfully (Online, Wood & Water Retreats, 2020)
  • Vestry Retreat (Online, St. Christopher’s Episcopal, Saint Paul, 2021)
  • Training the Heart: 8 Weeks with Benedict and Ignatius with Peter Watkins (Online course, Wood & Water Retreats, 2021 and Online, Minnesota Contemplative Outreach, 2021)
  • Condensed School of Lectio Divina (Online, Benedictine Center, 2021)
  • Enduring Ministry (St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, Mahtomedi, 2020)
  • Welcome 2020: Finding My Yeses for this Year with Kiely Todd Roska (Benedictine Center, 20020)
  • A Woodland Path: The Basics of Spirituality (Franciscan Spirituality Center)
  • Attending to the Inner Dimensions of Leadership (St. Paul Area Synod, ELCA, 2019)
  • Stand Firm: Sustaining Ministry by the River (Southeastern Minnesota Synod, Root River Pastors’ Conference, 2019)
  • Rooted and Branching: What Our Souls Learn from Trees (Prairiewoods, 2019)
  • Pilgrimage to South Korea (Benedictine Center, 2017)
  • Board Retreat (Deaconess Community, ELCA, 2017)
  • First Half of Life Retreat (Benedictine Center, 2016)
  • Pilgrimage to Wales (Benedictine Center, 2015)
  • Coordinator and staff for the School of Lectio Divina and the School of Discernment (Benedictine Center, 2010-2020)
Workshops
  • Writing As Wonder: Slowing Down, Paying Heed, and Taking Notes with Victor Klimoski (Faith+Lead, 2022)
  • Heart-Centered Practices (Clergy Leadership Academy, Minnesota Annual Conference of the UMC, 2022)
  • Visio Divina: The Baptism of Jesus (St. Pascal’s Catholic Church, 2022)
  • Sea Change and Stabilitas: The Calling to Spiritual Direction in 2022 (St. Ben’s Spirituality Center, 2022)
  • Training Spiritual Directors (Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, 2022)
  • Horizons: Lifting Our Sights Once Again” (Volunteers of America National Services, 2021)
  • The Enneagram in Spiritual Direction (Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, 2019, 2021)
  • How to Hold a Zoom Retreat (Online, Spiritual Directors International, 2021)
  • VIDEOS: Supporting the Hands of Dignity (Online, Dignity for Children F0undation, Malaysia, 2021)
  • Lean Times, Living Stories with Diane Millis (Online, Benedictine Center, 2020; Online Sacred Ground, 2021)
  • Keep Death Daily Before Your Eyes: A Matter of Living Discipleship (St. Paul’s Monastery Oblates, 2021)
  • A Woodland Path: Basics of Spirituality (Spiritual Direction Preparation Program, Franciscan spirituality Center, 2017, 2019, 2021)
  • Sharing the Journey: a Framework for Group Spiritual Direction (Spiritual Direction Intensive, Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, 2018, 2021)
  • Spiritually Connected: Taking Tech from 2020 to 2022 , with The Rev. Angela Ford Nelson and Christianne Squires, (Online, Spiritual Directors International, 2021)
  • Welcome 2020: Finding My Yeses for This Year with Kiely Todd Roska (Benedictine Center, 2020)
  • Into the Woods: Harvesting Nature’s Wisdom for Listening and Leading (Spir. Directors Intl., Toronto, 2017)
  • Common Dynamics in Christian Leadership (Sacred Ground Center for Spirituality, 2017)
  • Introduction to Benedictine Spirituality (St. David’s Episcopal Church, Minnetonka, 2017)
  • Rhythms of the Soul: A Musical Reflection on the Spiritual Life (St. Paul Reformation Lutheran, 2017)
  • Great Conversation: How Do Our Limits Set Us Free? (Benedictine Center, 2017)
  • Prayer and Community: The Benedictine School of Spirituality Series (St. John Neumann Catholic Church, 2016)
  • I’ve Worked My Spirit to Death Religiously. Now What? (Mid-Winter Convocation, Luther Seminary, 2016)
Talks
  • Embodied Practices for Incarnational Community and Co-Creating the Common Good (North Midwest Plains Region of Benedictine Oblates, 2022)
  • Watching Thoughts and Guarding Hearts (Diaconate, Diocese of St. Cloud, 2022)
  • Benedictine Spirituality (Podcast guest, Franciscan Spirituality Center, 2021)
  • VIDEO: SDI Learns from Yvonne Prowse and Samuel Rahberg (Spiritual Directors International, 2017)
  • Illuminating the Call: Solomon’s Temple (Seeing The Word Audio Series, The Saint John’s Bible, 2014)
  • Seeing Advent: Woman and the Dragon (Rev. 12:1-17) (Seeing The Word Audio Series, The Saint John’s Bible, 2012)

Special Committees/Organizations
  • Supervision Team for Spiritual Directors in Formation (Franciscan Spirituality Center, La Crosse, WI, 2014-present; Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, Columbia, SC, 2018-2022; Sacred Ground Center for Spirituality, St. Paul, 2021)
  • Curriculum Review (Sacred Ground Center for Spirituality, 2021)
  • Advisory Committee, Spiritual Direction Certificate Program (College of St. Catherine, St. Paul 2017-2020)
  • Association of Benedictine Retreat Centers (leadership team 2009 – 2013, Co-chair from 2011 – 2013)
  • Education

    B.A., Parish Education and Administration, Concordia University, St. Paul, MN, 2000
    M.A.T., Spirituality, Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary, Collegeville, MN, 2005
    Spiritual Direction Training, Franciscan Spirituality Center, La Crosse, WI, 2007-2010
    Spiritual Direction Supervisor Training, Together in the Mystery (in Partnership with San Francisco Theological Seminary), 2015-2016.
    Spiritual Direction Supervisor Training with Lucy Abbot Tucker 2021