Younger Contemplatives

Vision for Community…

Welcome to the Younger Contemplatives homepage dedicated to nurturing contemplatives in their 40s and Under.

As part of Contemplative Outreach’s (CO’s) initiative to support the needs and interests of younger contemplatives, we hope to create spaces within the larger organism of CO where you will find community, resources, and opportunities to pray with others who are in similar stages of life, seeking the same deeper connection with God through the practice of Centering Prayer.

As the Diversity Outreach Coordinator, my hope is that in being intentional about gathering us together we can both honor the tradition of Centering Prayer and carry on the legacy of Father Thomas Keating, as well as evolve it for the changing circumstances of modern-day contemplatives. I maintain this hope while acknowledging that we live in a rapidly changing world with an ever-changing spiritual landscape. I wish to affirm the The Vision of Contemplative Outreach with a special focus on Theological Principle #11 which states –

“We affirm our solidarity with the contemplative dimension of other religions and sacred traditions.”

United in our common search for God, we respect and honor other religions and sacred traditions and those committed to them. We engage in ecumenical and interreligious dialogue and work together in areas of social justice, ecological concerns, and contemplative initiatives.

Perhaps more than any other generation, we are aware of the global world in which we live and the spiritual and moral crisis that demands a response. Many of us are committed not only to the practice of Centering Prayer and deepening our awareness of the indwelling Divine Presence, we are committed to diversity and inclusion, to embracing people of other cultural, ethnic, and faith backgrounds. We are seeking not just a personal expression of our faith, but an expression of our faith that cannot be separated from acts of justice in this world. If a “commitment to the practice of Centering Prayer is the primary expression of belonging” (Theo. Prin. #2), we imagine a world in which everybody belongs.

In order to do this – nurture inclusive community and create spaces for us to pray together – we need your participation. Soon I hope to share more about the specific vision developing for Younger Contemplatives.

In the meantime, we’d love get to know you better! Please take a few minutes to help us get to know you… so we can stay in touch and be supportive of the unique needs of Younger Contemplatives.