Welcome to our listing of upcoming regional events sponsored by Contemplative Outreach Chicago and other Contemplative Outreach chapters. Please click on the Registration link to register.

From Contemplative Outreach Chicago

and the World Community for Christian Meditation, Chicago

Thirteenth Annual Fall Workshop

Communal Transformation in Christ

Presented by Alan Krema

and

Gracious Aging as Awakened Spirituality

Presented by Heath Jackson

Join Contemplative Outreach Chicago for our thirteenth annual fall workshop – in collaboration with WCCM, Chicago – in-person at the St. John of the Cross Parish Center in Western Springs, Illinois.

Alan Krema will first lead us in several communal practices for transformation in Christ. Afterwards, Heath Jackson will present “Gracious Aging as Awakened Spirituality.”

Communal Transformation in Christ

Centering Prayer and Christian Meditation are movements from method to practice to transformation. As we open to a greater and more connected state of awareness, it is essential to do so communally, rather than just individually — to share our being more openly with others, including others of diverse backgrounds. This is to consent to the transformation in Christ which is the gift we all share together.

During Alan’s workshop session, we will open to the presence and action of our divine nature through silent meditation, simple body movement, chant, and the communal holding of the significant relationships of our lives. Join us in sharing communal presence and action in Christ. May our community and humanity be transformed.

Gracious Aging as Awakened Spirituality

As contemplatives, we are invited to become gracious elders, treasuring and living out of our ongoing experiences of inner spaciousness.

In her workshop session, Heath will provide guidance on how you can:

Heighten your experiential awareness
Truly live into the present moment
Accept aging as a new learning curve
Be curious and accepting about physical changes and their challenges
Release old self-images that no longer apply, allowing your spacious vitality to transmit through your very being

Next, after a brief period in contemplative silence, we will form small groups to enjoy soul dialogue about your experience of aging with inner spaciousness. Finally, we will re-convene to share insights through discussion with Heath and the larger group.

Presenters:

Alan Krema

Alan Krema is a long time student of Thomas Keating and Cynthia Bourgeault. Alan has attended Wisdom Schools since 2010. He facilitates Wisdom practice groups focused on Centering Prayer, Welcoming Prayer, the Wisdom Way of Knowing, the Gospel of Thomas, and the Gospel of Mary Magdalene. He emphasizes the engagement of current issues with the embodied Wisdom of contemplative practice.

Alan is actively engaged with Wisdom Waypoints and Contemplative Outreach and has introduced a variety of teachings from the Wisdom Way of Knowing lineage into the practice and prayer gatherings of Contemplative Outreach. He is an alum of the CAC Living School and the program for facilitating Contemplative Retreats from the Shalem Institute. Alan lives in the Chicago area.

Heath Jackson

Rev. Heath Jackson, a retired deacon in The Episcopal Church, is a long time Spiritual Director. Heath is an Oblate of The Order of Julian of Norwich, a contemplative Anglican monastic order. She also is active in the Ceile De, a living Celtic spiritual tradition based in Scotland.

Registration:

The cost for the retreat is $35.

Scholarships are available. To request a scholarship, write to: registrar@contemplativeoutreachchicago.org .

Registration closes on October 30th.