Contemplative Outreach, Ltd.

Contemplation and the Way of Ease
2020-10-31 10:00 - 11:30 (America/Halifax) | Internet – Online
In the midst of great division and a global pandemic, we all need space to slow down and return to “the way of ease.”
Join this 1.5 hour workshop over Zoom to explore Centering Prayer as a way of returning to our natural mind and sinking into the simplicity of being.
When we rest in God during our 20m silent sits, we can learn to carry that sense of inner-ease into everyday, ordinary life.
October 31st, 10:00-11:30am Eastern Time
See details and register here: https://keith-kristich.ck.page/965ce108c1
Presenter: Keith Kristich
Cost: Free, free will offerings welcome

Guard of the Heart
2020-10-31 09:00 - 11:30 UTC | Internet – Online
“One practice to bring the effects of contemplative prayer into daily life is traditionally known as Guard of the Heart. This consists of letting go of every emotional disturbance as it arises and before we start thinking about it. This method is more sophisticated than dismantling the emotional programs for happiness because it deals with the whole of life. It expresses our ongoing intention to be with God in the present moment and sustains it.” (Fr. Thomas Keating, 2017)
This class will teach the practice of “Guard of the Heart” (Also referred to as “Watchfulness” or “Presence Practice”) and how it compliments Centering Prayer, and the practices of the Welcoming Prayer and the Active Prayer phrase. We will learn the three ways any afflictive thought or emotional disturbance can be instantly released as it arises. Join us for this enriching and deepening complementary practice.
Please see the link below to register.

Centering Prayer Introductory Workshop
2020-10-31 08:30 - 12:30 (America/New_York) | Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road, West Hartford, CT, 6107, United States
In this introductory workshop, you will learn the ancient method and principles of Centering Prayer practice in a quiet, reflective atmosphere. We will cover the history, psychology, and theology of the practice. Two prayer sessions and a question and answer session are included.
This will include a live and Zoom option.
Presented by: Mike Smoolca is an experienced contemplative group and workshop facilitator and a dedicated student of contemplative practices and wisdom spirituality. He is a Contemplative Outreach presenter and coordinator for Contemplative Outreach of CT and the Northern CT Chapter of the International Thomas Merton Society. Mike is a practicing spiritual director and supervisor who received his certificate from Fairfield University. He has been an internship partner at the Spiritual Life Center in West Hartford, CT.

Wisdom, Then and Now
2020-10-29 13:00 - 15:30 UTC | Internet – Online
During this class we will examine wisdom as it is found in the Hebrew Scripture known as Wisdom Literature. We will explore what these books offered to the community of Israel, look at how they are reflected in the New Testament and see how they are carried out in our contemplative community.
Finally we consider the teachings of Thomas Keating and other contemporary spiritual writers to discover how ancient wisdom is made new again for our contemplative community. Wisdom is part of the mystery of Divine Presence in our lives and as such is constantly being revealed to us in ever deeper ways. This class provides the participants background information to passages they might use in prayer, study or Lectio.
Saint Augustine says that we cannot love what we do not know. Join us to learn more about wisdom and see where it leads. Each class has time for reflecting on questions suggested by scripture and then sharing what we discover from our own life experience. Sharing our own wisdom and listening to the wisdom of others gives us examples and insight into God at work in our daily lives.
A printable online journal is provided.
Please see the link below for more information and to register.

A Special Call to Centering Prayer ﻿
2020-10-27 20:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | Internet – Online
Contemplative Outreach of Maryland and Washington invites you to join in their special, community Centering Prayer for the U.S. and the whole world on Tuesday, October 27 at 8 p.m. EDT. Our format is simple — an opening prayer, centering for a half-hour, then the Lord’s Prayer. Below is the Zoom coordinate for this simple session.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81016967900
Questions? Email Marjorie Centofanti mcentofanti@jhmi.edu.

Centering Prayer for Our World
2020-10-25 13:00 - 16:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Internet – Online
Centering Prayer: Our Practice, Our World
Sunday, October 25, 2020 1-4:30 p.m. $20
“The Christian is one who is connected through the heart to the whole of life,
attuned to the deeper intelligence of Nature and called forth irresistibly by the Spirit
to creatively express one’s gifts in the evolution of self and world.”
– Ilia Delio
Please join us for an afternoon of Centering Prayer and Community ONLINE
Centering Prayer is sometimes spoken of as the Divine Therapy. We usually reflect on this aspect of our practice in reference to our own spiritual journey. Today we continue our exploration of a wider vision of God’s healing action, and consider how our daily practice may actually be a channel for the Divine Presence to bring healing to our world.
This is an afternoon for those familiar with Centering Prayer – beginners and long-time practitioners. We gather to deepen our consent to God’s presence and action in our world. (Instruction in Centering Prayer will not be offered.) Our time together will include two periods of Centering Prayer, a short talk, a video, and conversation.
Marty Badgett is an Oblate of the Camaldoli Benedictine Community. He has co-led extended Centering Prayer retreats for many years, and hosted many one-day Contemplative Prayer days at Incarnation Monastery in Berkeley.
Catherine Regan, Ph.D. is a spiritual director, retired psychologist, and adjunct staff member at Mercy Center, primarily serving on the Centering Prayer team. She has a special interest in fostering contemplative practices so urgently needed at this time in our world.
Joy Andrews Hayter, Ph.D. is a spiritual director, scientist, and Centering Prayer coordinator at Mercy Center. She is dedicated to fostering Centering Prayer and other contemplative practices that help us become aware of God’s ever-present love.
To register for this program, please go to https://mercy-center.org/eventsframe/centering-prayer-our-practice-our-world/ or
www.mercy-center.org or call 650-340-7474.

Richard Rohr, OFM - "When Everything is Adrift"
2020-10-24 10:00 - 12:00 UTC | Center for Contemplative Living, 3650 Yates St, Denver, CO, 80212, United States
We are offered a tremendous opportunity in our day to change ourselves and our world. This opportunity may be described as a time of major regression, denial of the past and even collapse! This is no exaggeration as we look at the state of our planet, our worldwide politics of despair, the abandonment of many religious traditions and Western Christianity in particular, the loss of moral authority through the pedophilia crisis in the Catholic Church, and what historians will probably refer to as the abandonment of truth. Not to mention the pandemic and its global effects. How do we rebuild on such a non-foundation?
Please see the event web link below for more information and to register.

Half Day Centering Prayer Retreat: “Lost in the Mystery: Radical Contemplative Living” Part 1
2020-10-24 09:00 - 12:30 (America/New_York) | Internet – Online
SPONSORED BY CONTEMPLATIVE OUTREACH OF MARYLAND AND WASHINGTON (COMW)
“God is so intimately present to us that the constant awareness of God’s presence is always available to us, if we are open to it. It embraces us, everything in our lives, and all reality at the same time. Being in the presence of God as much as we can all day long is the secret of continuous growth in contemplative prayer.”
– Father Thomas Keating
How can we live in the mystery of God always? In other words, how can we pray without ceasing? And what does that even mean? How is unceasing prayer related to our regular sitting practice of Centering Prayer? We will delve into these questions and more in this two-part series on radical contemplative living.
Lost in the Mystery: Radical Contemplative Living Part 1
In Part 1, “Lost in the Mystery,” we will discuss deeper ways of practicing Centering Prayer, the issue of transcending the method of Centering Prayer, what pure prayer is, and how sitting practice relates to unceasing prayer.
The morning will include three 30 minute periods of centering prayer and an interactive discussion.
Led by COMW Leadership Team Member
LJ Milone
Subject to Change
8:45am to 9:00am check in and get centered (Eastern time zone)
9:00am 30-minute Centering Prayer, 5-minute contemplative “walk”, followed by 25-minutes Centering Prayer
10-minute break
LJ’s presentation and discussion—about 90 minutes
11:30 30-minute Centering Prayer
For additional information and registration instructions, click on the link below.
Contact COMW Chapter Coordinator with questions: martha@marthajohnston.com.
Suggested $15 goodwill offering per half-day retreat.

Centering Prayer Retreat
2020-10-24 08:00 - 17:00, 2020-09-26 08:00 - 17:00 UTC | Church of Conscious Harmony, 7406 Newhall Lane, Austin, TX, 78746, United States
Half-day Centering Prayer Retreat at The Church of Conscious Harmony in Austin, TX.
Registration begins at 8:30 pm and the program begins at 9 am. The morning includes two 30-minute prayer periods, Lectio Divina, several periods of silence and solitude, and faith sharing.
There is a suggested love offering of $10. Please pre-register.

Centering Prayer Full-Day Retreat
2020-10-24 06:30 - 17:00 (America/Chicago) | Internet – Online
St. Mary’s Sewanee invites you to spend time in prayerful silence and contemplation during this day-long Centering Prayer retreat led by the Rev. Tom Ward and Rebecca Paluzzi.
This event is modeled on the rhythm of the multi-day retreats that St. Mary’s Sewanee has offered for more than 20 years. In preparing this new retreat format, we have learned that technology is capable of bringing us together in ways that we could not have anticipated. During this day, you are encouraged to fast from listening to the news and using electronic devices so that you can make holy space to observe silence with the group and on your own.
The retreat will include:
Three periods of Centering Prayer;
–Morning and Evening Prayer from the Book of Common Prayer;
–Lectio Divina in a group setting; and
–Generous breaks throughout the day for rest, reflection, and journaling.
For people new to Centering Prayer, we encourage you to participate in the Introduction to Centering Prayer Workshop to learn the basics of the practice.
This event takes place via Zoom; to participate, you must have internet access and a computer or tablet with an internet connection.

Online Centering Prayer Weekend Retreat
2020-10-23 14:00 - 2020-10-26 12:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Internet – Online
“Who is The Ultimate Reality? And Who are We?”
Presenter: Bonnie Shimizu

Friday, October 23 – Sunday, October 25
Offered through Holy Spirit Retreat Center, Encino, CA
This weekend retreat will explore the heart of the Christian contemplative journey through the loving gift and legacy of Fr. Thomas Keating. Bonnie will explore the Love that is God as well as the foundation of our Oneness with all creation. There will be periods of Centering Prayer, presentations, and question/sharing time with Bonnie.
This retreat is being offered online. The Zoom link and schedule will be emailed to participants prior to the retreat.
Prerequisite: Regular practice of Centering Prayer or its equivalent.
Please register online here at Holy Spirit Retreat Center
Any questions or for more information, please contact Linda Snow, CSJ, at srlinda.snow@gmail.com

Centering Prayer Dual-Track Intensive Post-Intensive Retreat
2020-10-23 08:00 - 2020-10-31 17:00 UTC | Our Lady of Guadalupe Trappist Abbey, 9200 NE Abbey Road, OR, 97127, United States
This 8 day intensive/post-intensive Centering Prayer retreat at the Trappist Abbey in Oregon begins at 5 pm Friday, May 8 and ends May 15 after breakfast. The cost is $650.
For further information or registration contact Patricia Lacy at patricia.a.lacy@gmail.com or 541-207-8895.

A Contemplative Approach to Following your Inner Guidance
2020-10-22 18:30 - 21:00 UTC | Internet – Online
In this single-evening class, Dr. Reynold Ruslan Feldman, the author of six books on practical wisdom, will help us understand what wisdom is, how we can tap into the aquafer of holy wisdom that lies deep within each of us, and how we can follow its guidance. Using both Centering Prayer and several free-writing exercises, he will open us to the only partially discovered riches of our true selves, our birthright wisdom. Bring with you, life experience, curiosity, a willingness to follow the promptings of the Spirit, a notebook or paper, and pens or pencils.
Reynold Ruslan Feldman, Ph.D., is a “pro-tired” English professor, dean, and academic vice-president. He is also the author of 10 books, the majority of which are on practical wisdom. The most recent, Wisdom for Living-Learning to Follow Your Inner Guidance, co-authored with Sharon Clark, was published in July 2019 by John Hunt Publishing, England. Besides three degrees from Yale, Reynold has studied at Heidelberg University, Germany, and has taught in Germany, Denmark, and Indonesia as well as the United States. He is a 59-year practitioner of the Subud Spiritual Program and has studied Centering Prayer with both Fr. Keating and Sr. Joan Tuberty, OSF. A linguist, Reynold speaks eight languages. He currently lives with his wife, Dr. Cedar Barstow, in Boulder, Colorado, where they are members of St. John’s Episcopal Church.

Please see the link below for more information and to register.

Key Contemplative Ancestors: Eckhart, Hadewijch, Mechthild, Porete
2020-10-17 08:30 - 16:30 (America/New_York) | Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road, West Hartford, CT, 6107, United States
Meister Eckhart, the most quoted Christian mystic of our time, actually lived 1260-1327. Surprisingly for medieval times, he was dramatically influenced by women mystics of his time. Though a world-class philosopher and popular preacher, Eckhart shared their passion that people not just believe right ideas about God, but also have a deep, real experience of God. Our workshop will engage the inspiring lives and teachings of Eckhart and these heroic women as well as providing time for contemplative prayer and rich dialogue.
This will be presented live as well as over Zoom!
Rickey Cotton, Ed.D., is a spiritual director and presenter of Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina and on faculty for the Living Flame program of Contemplative Outreach, Ltd. As a leader of workshops and retreats, he presents around the country on such topics as John of the Cross, The Desert Mothers and Fathers, Divine Therapy, and Meister Eckhart. Now Professor Emeritus, for over 30 years Rickey taught English and Religion at Southeastern University in central Florida.

Listening and Leading From Within with Susan Kaplan
2020-10-17 08:00 - 17:00 UTC | Internet – Online
An Introductory Retreat to Nonviolent Communication with Four Practice Sessions
Offered on Zoom

Unlearning habitual communication patterns, which continually separate you from yourself (self criticism) and others (anger, resentment, loneliness, etc.), opens up space to simultaneously learn new ways of compassionate beingness. Here we shift from profound disconnections towards a higher quality of interconnection in our daily communication — lived compassion. In the retreat, introduction to the inspirational teachings and spiritual practices from Jewish Mysticism and Nonviolent Communication (Marshall Rosenberg’s work), you will learn to deepen your compassion practice. The practices taught include an overview of the four basic skills of Nonviolent Communication of Observation.
The retreat will be followed by a four week series on Wednesdays, October 21-November 11, 6:30-9:00 p.m., with practice sessions to deepen our communal learning and apply the principles and practices in our daily lives.
Please see the event web link below for more information and to register.

Centering Prayer Weekend Retreat
2020-10-16 08:00 - 2020-10-19 17:00 UTC | Benet Hill Monastery, 3190 Benet Lane, Colorado Springs, CO, 80921, United States
Anyone with an established Centering Prayer practice is invited to participate in a Centering Prayer Weekend retreat. The retreat serves as a way to go deeper in your prayer practice plus spend time in silence and solitude while in community. Several periods of Centering Prayer each day allows time for rest and walking in the Benet Hill Monastery forest in the Black Forest of Colorado Springs, CO. The retreat begins with arrival at 3pm Friday, October 16 continuing with dinner at 5pm and orientation at 7pm. The methods of Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina will be reviewed. The retreat concludes with a video teaching from Fr. Thomas Keating. Departure on Sunday, October 18 is at 3pm.
Cost: $250 with a non-refundable deposit of $50 due with registration.
Benet Hill Retreat Center in the Black Forest of Colorado Springs
Retreat Details: All bedrooms are private with shared bathrooms. Space is limited to 9 retreatants plus the team. Meals will be shared with the Sisters of Benet Hill.
Retreat team: Leslee Anne Terpay and Sr. Therese O'Grady
Please see the flyer below under "additional information" for more details and registration information.

Fruits of Contemplative Prayer and Rewiring the Brain
2020-10-10 09:00 - 12:00 UTC | Internet – Online
Imagine you want an electrical outlet underneath your coffee table for a new lamp. To add this outlet, you will have to spend some time under the floor, find a circuit you can tie into, string a new wire, and fasten it to the floor support. Then you will have to cut a hole in the floor, mount a box and attach the wires to the new outlet under the table. Adding this floor plug will take you a minimum of several hours and a considerable amount of effort. The fruits of this labor will be a direct path for the electricity when you want your coffee table lit. Installing a new outlet in your house is an excellent metaphor for rewiring our brain using contemplative prayer.
We are all born with a brain that reacts and sometimes those reactions cause us unnecessary suffering. Frequently, we then inflict that suffering on others with our words and actions. Contemplative prayer rewires our brain for wisdom, understanding and grace. These fruits will lessen our suffering and improve our lives as well as the lives of those around us. This class will provide you with a new way to look at Centering Prayer by seeing how your brain reacts automatically because of the wires we already have and how it responds after contemplation because of the wires we grow through meditation.
There will be a short presentation and then some simple group activities so you can experience what you learned. The morning will conclude with a guided music contemplative practice.
You may know Blair Ashby as the man who records the Annual Conferences and Fall Mini-Retreats at the Center. Additionally, he records for Spiritual Direction of Colorado and does editing work for Sounds True. Blair also teaches classes on Communication and Self-Awareness at Rocky Mountain Electrical Training Institute. From his work with these spiritual organizations over the past 26 years, and the many spiritual teachers he now calls friends, Blair has found that profound spiritual growth flourishes when education and experience are combined. He unifies stories, humor and experiential activities to aid your development and offer you possibilities for communion and growth.
Please see the link below for more information and to register.

Centering Prayer Retreat
2020-10-10 08:00 - 2020-10-12 17:00 UTC | Church of Conscious Harmony, 7406 Newhall Lane, Austin, TX, 78746, United States
Two-day in-town Centering Prayer Commuter Retreat "Celebrating Life"
Led by Fr Carl Arico
The Church of Conscious Harmony in Austin, TX.
It will take place on Sat from 8:30am to 4:00pm and will continue on Sun from 1:00pm to 4:00pm. Retreatants sleep at home and return the next day. Each day will include multiple prayer periods, Lectio Divina, silence and solitude, and faith sharing.
Cost is $75. Please bring your own lunch; scholarships may be available.

Centering Prayer, Introductory Program
2020-10-03 09:00 - 12:30 UTC | Internet – Online
Presenters: Bob Blair and Pippa Currey
Saturday, October 3, 9:00 am – 12:30 pm (Pacific Daylight Time)
(Zoom in at 8:50 am)
Contemplative Prayer is God’s personal and unique gift to each of us. If we are open to this gift, it will profoundly affect our lives and relationships, to God, others, and our world. Centering Prayer is a form of Contemplative Prayer. It is a method of prayer that opens us to interior transformation and deeper intimacy with God and others. The workshop includes four presentations and the practice of Centering Prayer. Participates will need to download Zoom for free at https://zoom.us. The Zoom link will be emailed to participates prior to the workshop. For more information, email Pippa Currey at pbcurreysd@gmail.com or Linda Snow, CSJ, at srlinda.snow@gmail.com.
Fee: $35.00
Please register online here. Scroll down to the October 3 workshop and click on Register button by October 1.

Centering Prayer Introductory Workshop
2020-09-27 13:30 - 15:30 (America/Chicago) | Internet – Online
Centering Prayer is a form of Christian silent mediation where one lets go of thoughts during periods of prayer typically lasting 20 to 30 minutes.
It is rooted in the self-emptying love that forms the heart of Jesus’ teaching and life. The effect on those who practice it is an ever-increasing awareness of God’s action and presence in the course of ordinary life. Centering Prayer is not meant to replace other kinds of prayer; rather it casts a new light and depth of meaning on them. It is at the same time a relationship with God and a discipline to foster that relationship. This method of prayer is a movement beyond conversation with Christ to communion with him.
In this introductory workshop, led by the Rev. Tom Ward, participants will learn the method and principles of this prayer practice and have the opportunity to experience this ancient method in a quiet, reflective atmosphere.
This event takes place via Zoom; to participate, you must have internet access and a computer or tablet with an internet connection.

Centering Prayer Introductory Series (ONLINE)
2020-09-27 13:00 - 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Internet – Online
Centering Prayer Online Introductory Series
First meeting Sunday September 27, 2020, 1-5 pm (Pacific time zone)
Follow up meetings: Sundays October 4, October 11, & October 25, 1-4 pm (Pacific time zone)
Cost: $85 for the series of four sessions (First Session only, $40)
“Be still and know that I am God.”
Are you feeling a desire to deepen your prayer or to learn about the Christian contemplative path?
This online introduction to Centering Prayer includes instruction, group practice, and opportunity for discussion and questions.
Centering Prayer is a method of prayer which prepares us to more fully receive the gift of God’s presence. This is traditionally called contemplative prayer. Contemplative prayer is the opening of mind and heart–our whole being–to God, the Ultimate Mystery, beyond thoughts, words and emotions. Centering Prayer facilitates the movement from more active modes of prayer–verbal, mental, or affective prayer–into a receptive prayer of resting in God. It emphasizes prayer as a personal relationship with God.
~~~
Marty Badgett has been practicing Centering Prayer for the past 25 years. He has facilitated introductory workshops, retreats, and days of prayer for many years. He is currently the Northwest Bay Area Contemplative Outreach coordinator.
Catherine Regan, Ph.D. is a spiritual director, retired psychologist, and adjunct staff member at Mercy Center, primarily serving on the Centering Prayer team. She has a special interest in fostering contemplative practices so urgently needed at this time in our world.
Joy Andrews Hayter, Ph.D. is a spiritual director dedicated to fostering Centering Prayer and other contemplative practices that help us become aware of God’s ever-present love. As a scientist, she sees in the physical world an expression of that love.
To register for this program, please go to
www.mercy-center.org or call 650-340-7474.

Wisdom Begins in Wonder and Awe
2020-09-26 09:00 - 13:00 UTC | Internet – Online
There are two books of scripture: Nature and the Bible. The wonder of creation demands and teaches us to see and believe that everything is a miracle and calls us into mystery, awe, silence, and surrender to the vastness beyond oneself. Per Richard Rohr, “Creation is our first and final cathedral. Nature is the one song of praise that never stops singing.” Being present to the wonder and awe in nature awakens the mind, triggers curiosity and transforms the isolated self into the integrated, contemplative self. The topic will explore the scientific evidence that nature is transformative and healing for a society with nature deprivation disorder and technology driven narcissism. Integration of nature in daily life is a research proven well-being skill and a contemplative practice.
Dr. Christine O’Brien (Travers) has been involved with Contemplative Outreach since 1992. As a doctor for 37 years she has seen the powerful effects of spiritual belief on health. As a mother of seven children she knows the challenges of nurturing a family with loving kindness and compassion. As Medical Director of Whole Health Program for the Cheyenne VA, she uses research on neuroscience to validate and teach veterans about the human ability to transform in mind, body and soul with contemplative practice.
Please see the link below for more information and to register.

9-Day Advanced Intensive and Post Intensive Retreat
2020-09-24 - 2020-10-02 | Internet – Online
This retreat will be offered online using Zoom. Everyone will participate in prayer, videos, and group sessions on Zoom. You may reside at the Mercy Center as an individual retreatant or in your own home or other lodging.
Pre-requisite: Prior attendance at an 8-10 day Centering Prayer Intensive Retreat.
This retreat offers two tracks simultaneously: Advanced Intensive and Post Intensive. You choose the track that works best for you. Centering Prayer periods for both tracks will be 30 minutes. Advanced Intensive will watch 30-minute videos. Post Intensive has no videos and two additional periods of Centering Prayer.
Lectio Divina and a contemplative service will be offered daily, as well as optional individual soul friending with the staff. Throughout the retreat, we will be in silence.
The retreat will be facilitated by Susan Turpin, Leslee Terpay, and Fr. Bill Sheehan, OMI. Susan, Leslee, and Fr. Bill have served within the Contemplative Outreach community for many years and led many Centering Prayer retreats and workshops.
Retreat begins Thursday, September 24th with check-in starting at 5:00pm; orientation at 7:00pm; ends Friday, October 2nd after lunch.
For more information, contact Susan Turpin at 541-324-1207 or slturpin@me.com or Leslee Terpay at (720) 315-8120 or co-leslee@comcast.net. To register: 530-887-2019 or register online at www.mercycenter.org

Centering Prayer Dual-Track Intensive Post-Intensive Retreat
2020-09-21 08:00 - 2020-09-28 17:00 UTC | The Bosque Retreat Center, 6400 Coors Blvd, NM, United States
Centering Prayer Intensive Retreats
Intensive Retreats provide an opportunity to immerse participants in the practice of Centering Prayer, as taught by Contemplative Outreach. Throughout the retreat experience one becomes more immersed in the conceptual background of the spiritual practice.
The Intensive Retreat includes up to three hours of Centering Prayer and a DVD about the spiritual journey each day. Soul friending with the staff can be scheduled. An established practice in daily centering prayer of at least 6 months is highly recommended.
Centering Prayer Post Intensive Retreats
Post Intensive Retreats provide an opportunity for even more intensive Centering Prayer, solitude and silence in community. The Post Intensive is much more silent, in that no DVDs are shown, and it includes up to five hours of Centering Prayer daily. Most days are spent in "grand silence," when you are asked not to speak or make eye contact. Most Post Intensive retreatants have been doing Centering Prayer for a year or more and have also experienced a previous Intensive Retreat, so the silence can be very deep.
Before attending one of these retreats, one should have an established daily practice of Centering Prayer for at least six months to a year. It is assumed one has a foundation fairly well in place and the focus of the retreats is on the refinement of Centering Prayer practice itself.
Retreat Leaders
Susan Rush (Santa Fe, NM) Susan has been serving in the field of health care throughout her adult life. She has been involved with Contemplative Outreach for about three decades. Susan was the founding coordinator of Contemplative Outreach of New Mexico, and served on the governing board of CO, Ltd for ten years. Currently she serves as a spiritual director and retreat facilitator. Susan is a presenter for the Living Flame program and the Servant Leadership Program. She serves on the Retreat Service team for Contemplative Outreach Ltd. She continues to serve us here in NM. The opportunity to serve in Contemplative Outreach communities has been a great gift in her life.
Denise Tierney (Rio Rancho, NM) Denise’s career in Rehabilitation/Mental Health services spanned 40 years. She facilitated At Home Retreats in NY prior to moving to NM. She was introduced to Centering Prayer in 1994. She is the current Coordinator of Contemplative Outreach NM, a Commissioned Presenter for Centering Prayer and a Group facilitator.
Schedule and Cost
The retreat begins with dinner on Monday September 21, 2020 and closes Sunday morning, September 27, 2020 by 11:00 a.m. The fee of $725 includes the retreat, meals and a single room with centrally located shower/baths. There is a sink in each room.
Queen bed with private bath – $815 (2 available)
Queen bed with shared bath – $770 (4 available)
For 2 folks in a Queen room there is the additional cost of meals for the second person.
Reservations will be taken in the order in which they are received.
A $100.00 non-refundable deposit is required with registration.
Registration begins March 1, 2020. Full payment is due by August 21, 2020.
Download Registration Flyer

8-day Silent Centering Prayer Retreat
2020-09-19 18:00 - 2020-09-26 13:30 UTC | Saint Benedict’s Monastery Spirituality Center, 104 Chapel Lane, Saint Joseph, MN, 563784-2020, United States
Nebraska Contemplative Outreach and Contemplative Outreach Kansas City invite you to spend a beautiful Autumn week at Saint Benedict Center (Schuyler Nebraska), Maybe it’s just what you need! If you’ve never attended an 8-day silent retreat maybe now is the time! With all that is happening it might be the perfect time to get away from the anxiety-producing situations that surround you and spend a quiet, restful week in the embrace of God, initiated by a gentle stirring of love.
Saint Benedict Center in Schuyler, Nebraska is a beautiful and safe place to be in a socially-distancing community and still enjoy spacious freedom to commune with God. We will of course, follow all the coronavirus protocol (answering medical questions, taking temperatures, wearing masks in public areas, plated meals instead of buffet, no visitors to the monastery).
We will use the classic book, The Cloud of Unknowing, for our readings and reflections. We recommend reading it before coming.
This retreat is co-sponsored by Nebraska Contemplative Outreach and Contemplative Outreach Kansas City.
Registration: nebraskacontemplativeoutreach.org
We begin Saturday, September 19th with the evening meal and end Saturday after lunch, Sept. 26th.
Cost: $650.
(A dedicated Centering Prayer practice and attendance at a weekend silent retreat are recommended prior to a week-long retreat.)
“If you strive to fix your love on him forgetting all else, which is the work of contemplation I have urged you to begin, I am confident that God in his goodness will bring you to a deep experience of himself.”
– The Cloud of Unknowing, ch. 3

Rest in God, Rest in Being
2020-09-19 10:00 - 11:30 (America/New_York) | Online Zoom, Select a Country:
In contemplative spirituality, God is seen as the “Ground of Being,” the ultimate source of all that is.
Prayer and meditation are ways of learning to return to the simplicity of this ground, our ground, learning to rest in God by “just being.”
Join this 1.5 hour workshop over Zoom to explore Centering Prayer as a path into resting in God and the “Ground of Being” itself.
September 19th, 10:00-11:30am Eastern Time (New York)
See details and register here: https://keith-kristich.ck.page/e708f41f97

Healing Social Injustice through Contemplation and Action
2020-09-19 09:00 - 12:30 (America/New_York)
“Christ suffers in the needy and the afflicted. Insofar as we access the mind of Christ, we too identify with the sufferings of others and reach out to help according to our possibilities.” – Father Thomas Keating
During these unprecedented times we are called to examine what is our role to play when we experience social injustice. Apart from three 30-minute periods of Centering Prayer the 1/2-day retreat will include a presentation starting with the parables where Jesus always identified with the weakest segments in the society: the sick, the poor, and the outcast. This will be followed by views on social injustice, in particular racial injustice, by contemplative and religious leaders such as Thomas Keating, Richard Rohr, Howard Thurman, and Barbara Holmes. It will be discussed how contemplative practice, such as Centering Prayer, strengthens in a fundamental way the effectiveness of our action.
For further details and to register, click on the website below.
‘Jesus at Gethsemane’ copyright 2009 Janet McKenzie www.janetmckenzie.com
Used with permission.

12 Step Introduction to Centering Prayer
2020-09-19 09:00 - 11:30 UTC | Internet – Online
Offered on Zoom
The staff of Contemplative Outreach of Colorado offers insight into the human condition and the transforming journey to freedom, light, and life as God intended us to live it. Based on Father Thomas Keating’s book, Divine Therapy and Addiction: Centering Prayer and the Twelve Steps, it provides an invaluable roadmap for the transformation from self-centeredness to the union with God for which we all long.
Please see the website link below for more information and to register.

Introductory Workshop to Centering Prayer
2020-09-12 09:00 - 11:30 UTC | Center for Contemplative Living, 3650 Yates St, Denver, CO, 80212, United States
OFFERED ON ZOOM
Are you looking for a way to explore or deepen your relationship with God? In our introductory workshop to Centering Prayer, you will discover a centuries-old prayer method. Centering Prayer consists of simply sitting in silence with God – beyond thoughts, words, and emotions – and opening your mind, heart, and whole being to the Ultimate Mystery. In this workshop, you’ll learn the basics of Centering Prayer, experience it in a guided setting, and be able to ask questions and share experiences with the presenter and your fellow initiates.
Please see the website link below for more information and to register. This event is free.
