Formation Week 2026: Hard Times Require…
MARCH 13, 2026
Each year, McCormick Theological Seminary pauses its regular academic rhythm for Formation Week — an intentional interruption that creates space to reflect on vocation, community, and the deeper work of becoming. In a world marked by urgency, Formation Week invites us to slow down, listen carefully, and reconnect our learning with the practices that sustain faithful life.
Hosted by the Trauma Healing Initiative (THI), Formation Week 2026 centers on the theme “Hard Times Require…”, inspired by author Alice Walker’s insight that in seasons of grief, disruption, and uncertainty, we are called not only to endure, but to cultivate practices that keep us human — honesty, embodiment, solidarity, creativity, and hope.
This year’s observance draws on trauma-informed theology and communal reflection, including daily engagement guides, student reflections, and curated listening from the Be Well Podcast, our podcast series exploring healing at the intersections of faith, justice, and education.
Together, these elements invite the McCormick community to ask not simply What are we called to do? But who are we becoming in these times?
DAILY FORMATION WEEK FOCUS
We invite you to join us and follow along with our daily reflections and resources.
Monday, March 16
Hard Times Require… Naming What Hurts
Formation begins with truth-telling. Before we can repair, we must acknowledge what is real — personally, historically, and communally. Monday’s reflections invite us to reclaim lament as a faithful practice, recognizing that naming pain is not weakness but witness.
Through Scripture, guided meditation, and reflection, participants are encouraged to resist the pressure to fix or resolve — and instead to tell the truth about what they carry.
Tuesday, March 17
Hard Times Require… Community That Refuses Competition
In difficult seasons, it is easy to compare suffering or retreat into isolation. Tuesday challenges that instinct by exploring solidarity as a healing practice. Formation happens not in rivalry, but in shared care.
This day also includes a community gathering for Dance Party with Purpose at University Church — a participatory event featuring music, poetry, and conversation with Rev. Julian DeShazier. Rooted in Chicago’s house music tradition, the gathering embodies joy as a communal, restorative act. (Check out the THI page for more details on how to participate.)
Wednesday, March 18
Hard Times Require… Finding God in the In-Between
Not all formation happens at moments of clarity. Much of it unfolds in the wilderness — in unresolved questions, transitions, and ambiguity. Wednesday’s theme invites participants to notice God’s presence not only in outcomes, but in the “middle spaces” of life and ministry.
Through reflection on the manna narrative in Exodus, we are reminded that daily provision often replaces long-term certainty.
Thursday, March 19
Hard Times Require… Reclaiming the Body as Sacred
In cultures that reward exhaustion, trauma-informed formation calls us back to embodiment. Thursday centers the body not as an obstacle to vocation, but as a source of wisdom and care.
Reflecting on Elijah’s rest in 1 Kings 19, participants are invited to consider rest, nourishment, and attention to limits as spiritual practices that sustain ministry rather than interrupt it.
Friday, March 20
Hard Times Require… Story, Repair, and Imagination
Formation culminates in connection. Healing deepens when stories meet — when we recognize resilience across generations and communities. Friday’s reflections explore storytelling as a pathway toward repair and renewal.
Participants are encouraged to consider how their own narratives might contribute to collective hope and to imagine futures shaped not by despair, but by shared possibility.
FORMATION AS A PRACTICE, NOT AN EVENT
Formation Week is not designed to be a pause from “real work.” It is a reminder that formation is the work — an ongoing process of integrating study, faith, embodiment, and community in the midst of real-world pressures.
In times that often feel overwhelming, Formation Week invites us to recover practices that sustain courage: telling the truth, caring for one another, honoring our humanity, and, sometimes, learning again how to dance.