Frequently Asked Questions - Contemplative Life Program
The CLP has several objectives. There is a definite, pervasive hunger for something meaningful in everyday life. A personal relationship with God is the only real answer. Many people do want to go deeper in their relationship with God and don't have a local faith community that supports them. Some find there is a need for more support at home or at work, in the midst of the ordinary routines of life. If you are already a practitioner, this program provides further focus and support for your current way of living the contemplative dimension of the Gospel in everyday life. The program will provide daily reminders, readings and mini-practices to support your deepening relationship with God.
Some of the booklets are translated into Spanish. For more information on the Spanish-language CLP, please contact Ilse Reissner.
The booklets can be used both for individual, in-home use as well as in a group setting. More and more Centering Prayer groups are using the CLP as part of their group focus. In fact, the CLP, through various topics, might be the focus of a group or community for an entire year, as it has great potential to build connection, belonging and spiritual deepening in a group setting. For suggestions on how to use the CLP in a group setting, please email Pamela Begeman.
Yes, it is recommended you have a Centering Prayer practice. The CLP is not an introductory workshop or training on Centering Prayer or on any of the other contemplative practices included in the program. However, if you are beginning your contemplative journey, this program could be very useful in supporting your desire to be a regular practitioner.
The Contemplative Life Program (CLP) explores how to be a practicing contemplative, abiding in the presence of God in the midst of ordinary life. The CLP provides the in-home tools, the Christian contemplative teachings and the support necessary to live and embody the contemplative dimension of the Gospel.
We welcome the chance to hear from you. Please direct your questions and comments and especially your experiences with the program to CLP Info.
The program is designed to meet the needs of busy people in the modern world. One of the biggest concerns for many is "will I have time for this?" The program offers a range of options to practice or read, depending on your available time.
Most importantly, contemplative practices are not about "doing" or intellectual efforts. The best "effort" we can make in relation to any contemplative practice is to remain open to the experience of God's presence in all that surrounds us, moment by moment. We bring our receptivity and curiosity to our participation in programs and practices. We use our intellect to learn and discern. We surrender our normal patterns, preferences and behaviors to the grace of the Indwelling Spirit.
We fully participate in our relationship with God, in whatever the form it takes. The Contemplative Life Program helps us to participate in a specific way in solidarity with others, knowing in faith that God is the one directing it all!
The first two booklets of the Year One program are more unstructured. Starting with the Lectio Divina praxis, the program will have more daily structure.
We recommend that you tailor the program to fit your particular spiritual needs. Some subscribers read a few pages of the booklet each day as a "doorway" into their Centering Prayer period. Others read the booklet over and over in its entirety throughout the 40 days, seeking to let the words penetrate them as they allow the essence of the practice penetrate them. Experienced practitioners might pick just one or two of the suggested practices found in the back of the booklet and focus on them, in solidarity with other newer practitioners who are just beginning the process. You might want to read some of the subscribers experiences with Year One to get some ideas on how to engage the Centering Prayer and Welcoming Prayer praxis booklets. See CLP Experiences.
The Daily Reader for Contemplative Living, compiled by Stephanie Iachetta, is a book which includes daily readings excerpted from Fr. Thomas Keating's teachings. The Daily Reader though referenced in the materials - is NOT a requirement for the program; it is only a suggestion for daily reading. The idea is to read and reflect on some 'spiritual food' as a daily practice - so it could be anything - a passage from one of Fr. Thomas' books, a reading from scripture, or a passage from other contemplative teachers.
The Daily Reader was picked as a good overview of Fr. Thomas' teachings, as there may be some subscribers who are not familiar with all of his books or who do not have a daily, sacred reading practice. So, it's up to you how you want to approach it. This book is just one option for you.
The program is primarily designed for individual, in-home, daily use. However, more and more Centering Prayer group members are using the CLP as part of their group focus. In fact, it was part of the original conception of the CLP that it might be the focus of a group or community for an entire year, as it has great potential to build connection, belonging and spiritual deepening in a group setting. For suggestions on how to use the CLP in a group setting, please email CLP Info.
Year One of the program is currently being translated into Spanish. For more information on the Spanish-language CLP, please contact Ilse Reissner at CLP Info.
Yes! Due to the generosity of large and small donors alike who have found great value in their own participation in the CLP, scholarships are now available. To request an application, please email Pamela Begeman.
There are currently 17 different praxis booklets, each focusing on a different topic. Some are on practices (like active prayer or attention/intention), some are contemplative dispositions (like simplicity and hospitality). Choose topics based on where you are right now, or what’s up for you in your life. We’ve also organized the booklets according to certain themes (Year One: Practice; Year Two: Disposition; and the Paschal Mystery package).
Each booklet includes beautiful images, Scripture, teachings and mini-practices related to the topic. Some booklets are more structured with 40-distinct days of material, so you read/practice one page each day. Some booklets are more unstructured. Each booklet includes guidelines for usage.
The program can take as much or as little time as you would like to give it. It is all about your commitment to your spiritual journey. Your intention and your desire for relationship with God will determine the length of time you spend with the materials each day. It could be 10 minutes or it could be an hour or more. It provides an opportunity to recapture an "interior retreat atmosphere" and move through each day reflective and recollected
The Contemplative Life Program has several objectives. There is a definite, pervasive hunger for something meaningful in everyday life. A personal relationship with God is the only real answer. Many people do want to go deeper in their relationship with God and don't have a local faith community that supports them. Some find there is a need for more support at home or at work, in the midst of the ordinary routines of life.
If you are already a practitioner, this program provides further focus and support for your current way of living the contemplative dimension of the Gospel in everyday life. The program will provide daily reminders, readings and mini-practices to support your deepening relationship with God.
