Given the busyness of our work, summer activities, and more, you are invited to come and allow holy stillness to become the invited guest at your table. We will let Psalm 46 inform our contemplative time of silence, along with experiences of lectio divina, journaling, and how to be a companion to stillness. The contemplative practices will invite us to define and welcome stillness as a rhythm of life. How can we encounter stillness for the rest of the calendar…
Jesus says, “Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence. This is the most important, the first on the list. But there is a second to set alongside it: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s law and the Prophets hangs from them.” ~Matthew 22:34-40 (The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language) Praying with the greatest commandments, we often focus on the love of God and…
Mindfulness is paying attention to what is happening in the present moment, nonjudgmentally, and with compassion. The present moment is where we meet God. Paying attention to our experiences gives us valuable information we can use to live better. Living mindfully allows us to live more connected with God and to more effectively do what God is calling each of us to do. Centering prayer is resting in God’s presence in silence, consenting to God’s presence and action within. We…
We are just ahead of the holiday season. It brings so much joy and so much anticipation. It also brings a full calendar, additional tasks on your to do list, special outfits and shoes, and a lot of stress. So before it gets too busy, take some time to learn about mindfulness and stress reduction through connection with God. Dr. Heather Alexander will be here November 19 to lead her (very popular) Mindfulness Retreat! After exploring the retreat, we encourage…
This weekend, Celtic teacher and author, John Philip Newell, is leading a sold out retreat at our Center. He and his colleague, Cami Twilling, are journeying with 70+ retreatants as they reawaken their awareness of what is sacred and that all things are sacred. John Philip and Cami travel the world teaching their course based on Sacred Earth Sacred Soul, one of Dr. Newell's books. We are delighted and honored to have them here with us! Today's blog post is…
We are in the midst of the Season of Creation, a time of year that Christians focus on caring for our earth through action and prayer. This is a worldwide and ecumenical celebration of the beauty of our world and a reminder of the utmost and urgent need to care for and protect it. We join the millions across the globe in this initiative and journey to and we invite you to join us! Seth Appiah-Kubi, National Director, A Rocha…
Later this week, we will commemorate the 23rd anniversary of September 11. We hold this as a solemn day to remember those lost, those that suffered, and those that risked their lives for others. Although we are 23 years removed from the devastation of that day, we continue to care for one another and move forward as a nation. Join us in prayer today and Wednesday... Holy God, Creator of all people and all nations, It is with sorrow and…
Seek Me with your whole being. I desire to be found by you, and I orchestrate the events of your life with that purpose in mind. When things go well and you are blessed, you can feel Me smiling on you. When you encounter rough patches along your life-journey, trust that My Light is still shining upon you. My reasons for allowing these adversities may be shrouded in mystery, but My continual Presence with you is an absolute promise. Seek…
Dear Creator God, You made the wind and the waves and the wide sandy beach that stretches as far as the eye can see. I felt Your presence as I baked in the sun and dove in the sea-green water, listening to the gulls darting overhead. May I continue to bask in Your warmth in the cooling autumn days. The ice cream truck was always there when I wanted it, and somehow the rain stayed away when the picnic supper…
Amy Sorensen Kulesa shared this poem with us, originally from ordinary on purpose. All of these are the perfect reasons to call out to God in prayer. GOD HEARS! More Hope... God hears. God hears our fancy, formal, memorized prayers, fingers slipping over beads. God hears our bitter, angry prayers. Why, God??? How??? What am I supposed to do now, God??? God hears our tiny, whispered pleas. Every single word. Please. Help. Be near. Or even… God???? God hears through our…
