Houston, Texas
By Timothy Koock

From all points on the skin of the earth we came and for a few days gathered in Houston as family, a global contemplative family with a common language of silence.

We began our time together receiving the invitation contained in Paul’s letter to the Philippians 4:8-9. We remembered Fred Eckart who served before us and who encourages us today by his example. We “filled our hearts and minds” again with the beautiful words from Philippians and felt together “the God of peace” within us, our family to pour across the skin of the earth.

It was also a family time for process and collaboration. We listened and discussed our Vision for Contemplative Outreach and its words warmed our hearts.

We sang softly one evening bathed in the light of a thousand candles during our Taize worship and prayed in the earthly languages of our family. We allowed the words of the Philippians that night to penetrate more deeply within us.

Between periods of silence we heard the reflections of Thomas Keating and Richard Rohr on beauty, truth and goodness and as a family we began to awaken to the rich layers of their meaning.

We heard the sacred sounds of ancient bowls performed by Jodi Roberts, symbols of our openness and receptivity to the vibrations and pulse of the Divine Heart.

Saturday evening, we received a Gift of Beauty from the company of voices, Conspirare, who sang the poems of Emily Dickinson and Pablo Neruda with stunning elegance. Sunday, before bidding farewell, we “filled our hearts and minds” again with the beautiful words from Philippians 4:8-9 and felt together “the God of peace” within us, our family to pour across the skin of the earth.