Hearing certain poetry can lead to the most profound kind of contemplation – taking us deep within ourselves and connecting us to the stars beyond.  Doing so in a group setting adds a dimension of communion with others as we sit in silence together.  We will connect this way, sitting together in Memorial Church, listening deeply.  

This guided practice is one of two sessions led by Scotty McLennan in the Contemplation By Design Summit. You are welcome to join one or both sessions. The first session will be a talk titled Moral and Spiritual Inquiry through Literature on Sunday, October 26th during the University Public Worhsip service from 11:00am-12:00pm in-person at Memorial Church. 

Scotty McLennan, JD, MDiv is a lecturer in political economy at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.  He teaches courses at the intersection of business, ethics, law, spirituality and religion.  He is a lawyer and Unitarian Universalist minister by background, and he served as Stanford’s Dean for Religious Life from 2000-2014.  He is the author of four books, including Finding Your Religion: When the Faith You Grew Up With Has Lost Its Meaning.

This session is part of the FREE Contemplation by Design Summit, Oct. 15-27, 2025.

The full summit schedule is posted at: https://med.stanford.edu/contemplation/summit.html.

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/stanford-contemplation-by-design-summit-2025-online-oct-15-27-registration-1520413249959?aff=oddtdtcreator