by Ronald Barnett, PhD, rbarnett@hey.com
Germantown, Maryland, USA
Something is happening here, but you don’t know what it is do you, Mr. Jones?
– Bob Dylan, Ballad of a Thin Man
During the past year I have been involved with Charis Circles, a program of the Charis Foundation for New Monasticism and Interspirituality – Charis for short. Given my longstanding service to Contemplative Outreach (CO) and practice of Centering Prayer, I was invited to share my experience of Charis, involvement in new contemplative practices, and interspiritual community.
Thomas Keating. Toward the end of his life, Fr. Thomas reflected that he had committed his life to three things: his monastic order, Contemplative Outreach, and interreligious dialogue. Charis – ancient Greek for “grace” – is a continuation of his commitment to interreligious dialogue. It represents one of several legacies or “streams” of his life. The Charis stream flows from two decades of his convening interreligious dialogues, mostly at St. Benedict’s Monastery in Snowmass Colorado. I was well acquainted with one “stream” (CO), now there appears another stream before me – Charis and Charis Circles.
Charis Teachers. My teachers have primarily been Rory McEntee, a student of Fr. Thomas, Netanel Miles-Yépez a student of Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and Fr. Thomas, and Alejandra Warden, who trained in Sufism and teaches on the Sacred Feminine.
Charis Circles. Each Circle is a small, non-hierarchical, interspiritual practice community anchored in Charis Meditation. Participants may identify with one or more religious traditions, or none at all, including those who identify as “spiritual but not religious.” Each Circle supports the deep human need for psychospiritual maturation in the context of contemplative practice and connecting in a community of like-minded others. It was this need and promise that drew me to Charis.
I contacted Charis after examining their website, saying I was interested in joining a Circle. Oddly, I had never heard of Charis until then. Their response was unexpected: an invitation to participate in a six-month training program of Circle facilitators. While this commitment — time, energy, and financial — was more than I was seeking, I said “yes.” The path reveals itself.
Facilitator Training. The training, began with a six-day retreat in the summer of 2024 at the Charis Mandala Sanctuary in the high desert of northeastern New Mexico. I arrived knowing no one, not the five other participants nor the Charis staff for a total of eleven. Well, eleven and a half as one participant was visibly expecting. Our ages were diverse from young adults to retirees.
Image: Charis Mandala Sanctury at Sunrise, Des Moines, New Mexico, USA
Our days were filled with instruction in Charis Meditation, talks on the basics of interspirituality and Charis vows/intentions, and experiencing circles. Group meditation and free time were woven into the schedule.
I learned Charis Circles were ongoing in person, online, in a hospital and in a correctional facility. We prepared our own breakfasts and lunches and paired up to make dinner for everyone — an unexpected source of bonding and community. Unlike other retreats where meals are prepared and served, the act of preparing dinner deepened my sense of connection to others in a spirit of mutual care. I wasn’t certain I’d enjoy it but did, once again showing the spiritual journey is full of surprises. Welcome!
Charis Meditation. I learned that Charis Meditation consists of a vertical and horizontal dimension. The vertical involves a 20-minute silent practice, adapted from Centering Prayer for interspiritual settings. Practitioners let go of thoughts aided by a sacred symbol that expresses their intention to consent to a “process of transformation and revelation within.” The omission of “God’s presence and action within” seemed reasonable since some, like Buddhists, do not acknowledge a creator God. As a commissioned presenter of Centering Prayer, I found this adaptation skillfully crafted and inclusive, including several noteworthy features not found in Centering Prayer. If one already has a silent, receptive, meditation practice, e.g., Centering Prayer, that could be practiced during the vertical.
The horizontal dimension, an adaptation of the Eastern Christian monastic practice of collatio, involves multiple reading of text, often a poem, after which participants share a word, a phrase and how the reading resonates with their life situation. It’s a way of embodying the inner silence, stillness, and receptivity cultivated in the vertical dimension.
Image: Capulin Volcano with Morning Fog Viewed from Charis Mandala Sanctuary
Midway through the training, we were surprised by a small COVID outbreak. Some isolated in their rooms with their laptops, while a few returned home to complete the training via Zoom. What could have been a major derailer to our process instead became another source for practicing equanimity, adaptiveness, and community building — as they say in Zen “walk on” – and so we did.
Our training continued for six months. We met twice a month on Zoom, taking turns facilitating in pairs, selecting readings and receiving feedback on how we did. Over the months, we had become a true Circle. The trust, affection and heartfulness that grew among us was remarkable, especially given a few months earlier we were strangers. I attribute this to the horizontal dimension of Charis Meditation. The will to consent to transformation and revelation within was strong. At the conclusion of training, Deb Quinn from another training group and I launched an online Circle that flourishes.
Image: Charis Mandala Sanctuary Ceiling
Graduation. This past spring, Charis hosted a five-day Charis Circles Facilitators Graduation Retreat at the sanctuary. Facilitators from three different trainings and staff attended. A fourth training is planned for summer 2025.
Together we meditated, reflected upon several talks, held Circles, engaged in sacred ritual, and again prepared and served one another dinner. Our Charis community deepened as blessed bondedness grew to include people unknown to us, including new life, a baby girl born to that same expecting mother. It was all a living testament to the potency of Charis Circles: “bringing people together who need to be together.” And I’m most grateful for it.
Image: Graduation Retreat for Charis Circle Facilitators
Past to Future. Si Khan, singer, songwriter and social activist said, “new wood springs from underground.” And so, it seems the spirit springs “new wood,” a new creation, a small yet growing, interspiritual organization with deep roots in multiple faith traditions, one that is gaining momentum and carrying forward a Fr. Thomas legacy. For instance, Charis continues to train Circle Facilitators and will host an annual retreat for facilitators; is growing a teaching community with Alejandra, Rory, and Netanel offering interspiritual teachings; and will convene 10-day retreats beginning this summer to deepen practice and support inner transformation at the Charis Mandala Sanctuary in New Mexico – all very inspiring developments indeed.
For more information about Charis, Charis Circles or Charis Retreats contact: chariscircles@charisinterspirituality.org
