Contemplative Outreach Chicago

Preview

• Alan Krema reflects on our mission: “Embracing transformation in Christ, both in ourselves and in others through the practice of Centering Prayer.”
• Discounted Early Bird registration is available until February 29 for our all-day workshop on Howard Thurman, offered by Lerita Coleman Brown on June 6.
• An in-depth, four-day Servant Leader retreat will take place in late May. All are invited.
• We provide a listing of selected contemplative events that are coming up soon, sponsored by other organizations.
• Help Wanted: Can you bring more social media savvy to Contemplative Outreach Chicago?
• This month’s Insights come from Rami Shapiro, Shunryu Suzuki, Robert Barron, and Thomas Merton.

[Read more…] about Spirit Journal – February 2020

by Registrar on January 24, 2020 in Newsletter

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• Time is growing short to register for Enter the Chaos, our special Winter Retreat in February.
• Discounted Early Bird registration has begun for our June 6 all-day workshop on Howard Thurman, offered by Lerita Coleman Brown at the Chicago Theological Seminary in Hyde Park.
• An in-depth, four-day Servant Leader retreat will take place in late May. All are invited.
• We provide a listing of selected contemplative events that are coming up soon, sponsored by others.
• An article describes how one of our members completed a year-long process to become a certified presenter of Introductory Centering Prayer workshops.
• This month’s Insights come from Thomas Merton, Thomas Keating, Brad Pitt, and Ram Dass.

[Read more…] about Spirit Journal – January 2020

by Registrar on December 16, 2019 in Newsletter

Preview

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!

This final 2019 issue of Spirit Journal begins with  Alan Krema’s reflection on Enter the Chaos, a special Winter Retreat we will be offering in February in association with the Institute for Communal Contemplation and Dialogue.

Another important article announces an all-day workshop on Howard Thurman, led by Lerita Coleman Brown.  It will take place June 6; please save the date so you will have an opportunity to participate in this workshop on one of America’s most important 20^th century contemplatives.  Also in this issue: a beautiful hymn for Advent, along with information about several additional contemplative activities that are coming up soon around our region.

Please let us know what you think about Spirit Journal – and start your side of the conversation – by emailing the editor at the address provided at the end of the newsletter. We look forward to hearing from you!

[Read more…] about Spirit Journal – December 2019

Preview

November’s Spirit Journal provides new information about Enter the Chaos, a special Winter Retreat we are offering in February in association with the Institute for Communal Contemplation and Dialogue.

This issue also takes a look back at the Annual Fall Workshop that took place earlier this month, including some survey findings that reflect participants’ impressions of the event.  We offer a fall poem contributed by Deb Marqui of Healing Gardens, information about several additional contemplative activities that are coming up soon around our region, along with Insights from John of the Cross, Thomas Merton, Thomas Keating, and Cynthia Bourgeault.

Please let us know what you think about Spirit Journal – and start your side of the conversation – by emailing the editor at the address provided at the end of the newsletter. We look forward to hearing from you!

[Read more…] about Spirit Journal – November 2019

Preview

With Labor Day behind us, autumn begins, and our thoughts turn to Contemplative Outreach Chicago’s Eighth Annual One-Day Fall Workshop, coming up on November 2. This issue of Spirit Journal includes articles by three session-leaders about their plans for the Workshop, as well as a link to similar articles about the other sessions, which were published in last month’s newsletter.

Chicago chapter coordinator Alan Krema shares his thoughts on the topic of Engaging Our Place in Society from the Transformative Place of Contemplative Practice. This topic is relevant to our 2020 Winter Retreat Enter the Chaos, to a one-day workshop on the wisdom of Howard Thurman that is being planned for next May, and to several upcoming events on the history of race relations and the hope for racial reconciliation in Chicago.

We announce with mixed feelings that the capacity limit has been reached and therefore registration has ended for Living Flame program, which begins in October and continues through April 2020. The enthusiastic response to this offering has been great, but we wish there was room for everyone who might like to participate.

As always, we call your attention to several worthwhile contemplative events sponsored by others that are coming up soon in our region, and share several brief Insights, this month from Rami Shapiro, Walt Whitman, Aldous Huxley and Howard Thurman.

Please give us your input about any aspect of Spirit Journal by emailing the editor, using the address provided at the end of the newsletter. We love hearing from readers!

[Read more…] about Spirit Journal – September 2019