By Melanie P. Moore, et al.
Each month, we publish a listing of upcoming contemplative and spiritual opportunities recommended by folks here at The Abbey. Many of us have floundered around in the past looking for community and deep engagement with other pilgrims on the spiritual path. Here we share a curated list of what we are finding, in hopes you might find some of it helpful on your journey. We’ve included a Comments section with each listing detailing what we as participants have liked. If you know of something coming up in June or July and would like to have it listed here, please email the information as shown below to editor@theabbey.us by May 18 to be included in the post at the beginning of June. Please note that all times are listed in Central Time.
May
The Measure of our Humanity: Actualizing Compassionate Action in These Tangled Times (from Upaya Zen Center)
Dates and Times: Sundays, May 10, Jun 7, Jul 12, Aug 30, Sept 20, Oct 25, Nov 15, Dec 13, 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Registration: Open
Cost: Free, donations welcome
Frequency: Monthly
Duration: 1.5 hours
Format: Online
Recording Available: Yes
Description: Since 2020, when the pandemic first unfolded, Upaya has been exploring the necessity of rehumanization, solidarity, and speaking truth to power. Each year, we have deepened this investigation of socially and environmentally engaged Buddhism with remarkable teachers, contemplatives, artists, and activists. This past year’s Awareness in Action series has been part of that ongoing commitment.
In 2026, we turn toward a question that has perhaps been implicit throughout this entire journey: What is the measure of our humanity?
At its very heart, this question is about laying down a path toward a sane and compassionate future. It is about confirming what defines our moral worth, what we stand for, and how we move forward in our tangled world. As we have learned throughout the past 2025 series—from Father Boyle’s unwavering belief that everyone is unshakably good, to Sharon Salzberg’s teaching that love is an ability we develop—our true character is revealed in how we interact with and care for others, the very heart of what Thich Nhat Hanh has called “interbeing.”
The series will explore how we embody values like inclusion, belonging, compassion, respect, dignity, justice, and courage—not as abstract ideals, but as lived practice in these complex times.
Comments: Each program in this series is led by a different person, and some of the leaders in this series are teachers we have followed, like Tara Brach who leads the May session and Roshi Joan Halifax in June. We follow this series each year (the theme changes annually) and we like that you can attend any individual session or the whole series. The programs are donation-based.
Twice-monthly Contemplative Gathering (from Metanoia)
Dates and Times: Sunday, May 3, 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Registration: Not required
Cost: Free
Frequency: Once per month
Duration: 1.5 hours
Format: In person at the Seminary of the Southwest Chapel, 501 E. 32nd St., Austin, TX
Recording Available: N/A
Description: Metanoia Journey is simplifying its in-person contemplative gathering. We have decided as a community to offer Centering Prayer, followed by Lectio Divina on a sacred text.
We feel that this speaks more to who we are as a contemplative community, founded on silent prayer/meditation, and listening to the Divine to speak to us through sacred texts.
This will also invite more participation from those that attend. We will still conclude our time together by going out locally for lunch to further a deepening personal connection with those in our community.
Comments: This is an opportunity to connect with other contemplative practitioners in person in Austin. While these are primarily Christian contemplative services, all are welcome.
Have We Been Here Before: Ancient Wisdom for Days of Disruption (from the Center for Action and Contemplation)
Dates and Times: Sunday, May 3, 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Registration: Open, until Saturday, May 2
Cost: $95, $30, $10, $5 – sliding scale
Frequency: One-time event
Duration: 1.5 hours
Format: Online
Recording Available: Yes, for one year
Description: At this live 90-minute online gathering, CAC Faculty Carmen Acevedo Butcher, Ph.D., James Finley, Ph.D., Fr. Richard Rohr, and guest teacher Kaitlin Curtice, will show you how ancient contemplative wisdom and traditions may support us in times of social, political, and spiritual instability.
Learn from CAC Faculty about the wisdom of the early Christians, such as the desert mothers and fathers, and their practices of silence, discernment, and inner freedom. Guest teacher Kaitlin Curtice broadens the lens by integrating Christian and Indigenous spirituality as a Potawatomi woman. You’ll explore a diverse lineage of ancient contemplative teachers and traditions, including:
- The Beguines and their communal, embodied spirituality.
- The transformative teachings of John of the Cross on navigating darkness and change.
- The radical simplicity and compassion of St. Francis of Assisi.
You’ll leave this online gathering with perspectives that may expand your faith, reveal new paths, and create grounding. Whether you join live or watch the replay, uncover an embodied daily spirituality that offers solidarity for an uncertain future.
Comments: This seems like a very timely topic and we like all of the speakers. There is a sliding scale for registration, which is nice. Kaitlin Curtis is new to us as a speaker but we’ve found her to be a fresh voice when we’ve seen her in other programs.
Persisting Against All Odds with Terry Tempest Williams and Parker J. Palmer (from the Center for Courage and Renewal)
Dates and Times: Tuesday, May 5, 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Registration: Open
Cost: Donation – $25 and up
Frequency: One-time event
Duration: 1.5 hours
Format: Online
Recording Available: Yes
Description: What lessons can we learn from the natural world about resilience, adaptation, and persistence? In this time of political fragility, climate chaos, and seeking hope wherever we can find its glimmer, Terry Tempest Williams introduces us to The Glorians, who might teach us about radically attending to the beauty of our world and persisting against all odds. At the same time, Parker J. Palmer continues to ask us to find the courage needed to live more undivided lives, leading us to take action in ways that strengthen our communities and improve the world.
In a precarious time, people are finding courage to persist, choosing to navigate our world as it is while making room to imagine how it could be. Terry and Parker, in this virtual conversation, will discuss the interconnectedness of the natural world and our ability to summon the courage needed to imagine new ways of being in rapidly changing times.
Together, they’ll explore themes from Terry Tempest Williams’ latest book, The Glorians, and Parker J. Palmer’s A Hidden Wholeness
Comments: These two speakers are favorites and Williams’ new book is one we have ordered. This is a unique opportunity to see these two seasoned voices together.
Abode Academy: Around the World in Final Days
Dates and Times: Thursdays, May 7 and 14, 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Registration: Open
Cost: Donation
Frequency: Weekly
Duration: 1 hour
Format: Online
Recording Available: Yes
Description: How do others around the world view death and dying? What rituals are followed to honor the loved one? Does it help with their grief? Is it better to embrace it or push it away?
Come learn and have a better understanding of how our world looks at death.
Join us for four complimentary Zoom conversation on the rituals of death around the world.
Comments: We like that this is a free and virtual offering. The view into ways that other cultures view death and dying is something we don’t find in a lot of other programs.
Celtic Wisdom 1 with John Philip Newell: Earth and Soul: Reawakening to the Sacredness of Earth and Every Human Being (from Presbyterian Mo Ranch Assembly)
Dates and Times: Friday – Sunday, May 8 – 10
Registration: Open
Cost: $715 single occupancy, $550 double occupancy (come with a roommate or we can assign one), $350 commuter rate (includes lunches and dinners); scholarships available
Frequency: One-time event
Duration: 1 Weekend, Friday evening to Sunday noon
Format: In person at Mo Ranch, Hunt, TX; or online
Recording Available: Unknown
Description: Celtic Wisdom 1 is the first of a three-part series of annual retreats led by the Celtic teacher John Philip Newell and his colleague Cami Twilling in which we explore the sacredness of every human being, the sacredness of the feminine, and the sacredness of Earth.
The teachings of this retreat are based on John Philip’s award-winning book Sacred Earth Sacred Soul: Celtic Wisdom for Reawakening to What Our Souls Know and Healing the World (especially Chapters 1, 2, and 7 drawing on the wisdom of Pelagius, Brigid, and Teilhard de Chardin).
The essential text for the three-year Celtic Wisdom program is John Philip Newell’s Sacred Earth Sacred Soul. The shared prayer book for this program is Sounds of the Eternal: A Celtic Psalter.
Celtic Wisdom 1 can be taken as a stand-alone retreat or in conjunction with Celtic Wisdom 2 and Celtic Wisdom 3 which can be attended in any order and at any of our retreat centers across the country or online.
Comments: This is an amazing in-person opportunity for those of us in Central Texas–it’s at Mo Ranch, a well-known retreat center about two hours away from Austin. The venue is lovely in general and especially for a Celtic retreat focused on the sacredness of our earth.
The Divine Feminine in Contemplative Spirituality (from Closer Than Breath)
Dates and Times: Saturday, May 9, 9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Registration: Open
Cost: Suggested $25, Reduced $15, or Pay it Forward $40
Frequency: One-time event
Duration: 1.5 hours
Format: Zoom
Recording Available: Yes
Description: The Divine Feminine is not something we acquire – it is something we consent to inhabit. It is the receptive, relational, generative dimension of Divine Love already alive within us and woven through the natural world. Through contemplative practice, especially Centering Prayer, we learn to rest in this deeper current of Wisdom and allow it to shape our living. In this final workshop of the series, we will discover how the contemplative path opens us to the Sacred Feminine and the profound interrelatedness of all life. Participants will:
* Engage in embodied contemplative practices that awaken relational, intuitive ways of knowing
* Receive the wild, wise voices of Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Mirabai Starr, and Sue Monk Kidd for fresh takes on the Divine Feminine
* Deepen their felt sense of connection with the Earth and the sacred web of life
This is an invitation to rest, to be held, and to know ourselves as part of the great web of sacred life.
Comments: We love this topic (of course) and are fans of the voices of three well-known spiritual writers featured here. This program also offers the flexibility of a sliding scale for registration, which is always nice.
The Measure of Our Humanity: Actualizing Compassionate Action in These Tangled Times – Imagination with Tara Brach (from Upaya Zen Center)
Dates and Times: Sunday, May 10, Noon – 1:30 p.m.
Registration: Open
Cost: Donation
Frequency: One-time event
Duration: 1.5 hours
Format: Online
Recording Available: Yes
Description: Since 2020, when the pandemic first unfolded, Upaya has been exploring the necessity of rehumanization, solidarity, and speaking truth to power. Each year, we have deepened this investigation of socially and environmentally engaged Buddhism with remarkable teachers, contemplatives, artists, and activists. This past year’s Awareness in Action series has been part of that ongoing commitment.
Tara Brach returns to explore Imagination—the capacity to envision and foster a world that is sane, brave, and good. And Roshi Joan will open the treasure house of Compassion.
Comments: Tara Brach is a trusted leader and the topic of Imagination is a perfect fit for what we love about her writing and teaching. We like the focus of the collective imagination.
Amplify Voices of the Global Majority: Honoring Indigenous Knowledge for a Changing World (from Kripalu)
Dates and Times: Monday, May 11, 4 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Registration: Open
Cost: Free
Frequency: One-time event
Duration: 1.5 hours
Format: Online
Recording Available: Unknown
Description: This year’s Fifth Annual Amplify Voices of the Global Majority is an invitation to listen. It’s a pause at the fire. An offering to the water. A remembering of our relationship to the land, to the plants, and to nature itself. At its heart, Amplify Voices is a collective act of humility. A recognition that long before modern leadership theories, wellness trends, or institutional frameworks, there were—and still are—people who have stewarded land, language, lineage, and life itself through ceremony, story, song, and relational intelligence.
By inviting Indigenous wisdom keepers from around Turtle Island (North America), we are opening a doorway into relationship. These elders, teachers, and carriers of ancestral knowledge arrive with teachings shaped by land, survival, cosmology, and an unbroken relationship to time that stretches far beyond the present moment. They bring prophecies that are not predictions, but patterns.
This online program centers voices that have long spoken truths about balance, reciprocity, and consequence—truths that dominant systems have ignored, extracted from, or actively silenced. In doing so, we are positioning Indigenous wisdom as something to be approached with reverence, consent, and responsibility—not as something to be consumed.
This program is a call to listen beyond the dominant narrative. To make space for knowledge that has endured colonization, displacement, and erasure—and yet continues to guide with clarity, compassion, and fierce love for life. We invite you to be transformed by what you hear, and to carry these teachings forward with integrity, accountability, and care.
Comments: This is several days worth of programs with a wide variety of topics all presented through the Indiginous lens. It’s a great chance to experience this variety of presentations–and it’s free! Be sure to check the schedule to identify times for each presentation.
Kripalu Virtual Sacred Grief and Sacred Imagination with Kaitlin Curtice
Dates and Times: Tuesday, May 12, 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Registration: Open
Cost: Free
Frequency: One-time event
Duration: 1.5 hours
Format: Online
Recording Available: Unknown
Description: In this session, we will practice a rhythm together through guided journaling and sharing, following this pattern: Hold + Process + Share, as we move through the importance of sacred grief and of sacred imagination/dreaming in the time we are living in.
I’ll share a poem or piece of writing, and we will hold it together, then process through stillness and/or journaling, then we will share in pairs or groups and through the chat, what comes up for us as we hold space for these words to find us.
Comments: We like that she’s using her own poetry as part of the presentation. Having this guided opportunity and a chance to do your own writing can be a way into grief and imagination. The sharing portion of the program may be in the form of an online chat and breakout rooms in groups of two or three.
The Art of Prayer with Douglas Christie (from the Church of Conscious Harmony)
Dates and Times: Friday and Saturday, May 15 – 16
Registration: Open
Cost: Suggested donation $50
Frequency: One-time event
Duration: Friday evening – Saturday evening
Format: In-person and online
Recording Available: Unknown
Description: We are delighted to welcome Douglas back to CCH this year. The Art of Prayer will include insights into many aspects of prayer. Why do we pray? How do we pray? For what, for whom do we pray? What does it mean to speak of the “place of prayer”? These questions and many others arise whenever we face the basic question of what it means for us to pray and why we do so. We will consider how the Christian spiritual tradition has grappled with these fundamental questions and what we can learn from that tradition about what prayer means for us. Contemplative prayer in particular, but also other long-cherished forms of prayer, such as praise, thanksgiving, supplication and intercession.
Comments: We’ve heard Douglas Christie before and enjoyed it. He has a lot of depth to his presentations and we like that this offering includes a variety of prayers and practices.
Twice-monthly Contemplative Gathering (from Metanoia)
Dates and Times: Sunday, May 17, 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Registration: Not required
Cost: Free
Frequency: Once per month
Duration: 1.5 hours
Format: In person at the Seminary of the Southwest Chapel, 501 E. 32nd St., Austin, TX
Recording Available: N/A
Description: Metanoia Journey is simplifying its in-person contemplative gathering. We have decided as a community to offer Centering Prayer, followed by Lectio Divina on a sacred text.
We feel that this speaks more to who we are as a contemplative community, founded on silent prayer/meditation, and listening to the Divine to speak to us through sacred texts.
This will also invite more participation from those that attend. We will still conclude our time together by going out locally for lunch to further a deepening personal connection with those in our community.
Comments: This is an opportunity to connect with other contemplative practitioners in person in Austin. While these are primarily Christian contemplative services, all are welcome.
June
The Book of HOPE: A Survival Guide for Trying Times (from Eremos)
Dates and Times: June 3 – 24; Wednesdays at 12:30 p.m. – 2 p.m. or 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Registration: Open
Cost: $55
Frequency: Weekly
Duration: 1.5 hours
Format: Zoom
Recording Available: No
Description: With the recent passing of beloved naturalist Jane Goodall and the continued reality of living in “Trying Times,” Eremos chooses to honor the depth of Goodall’s experience and wisdom, as narrated by Douglas Abrams, by inviting you to join us in celebrating her spirit and gift for always moving forward with hope for the future.
May we too be inspired to stay hopeful as we navigate these unprecedented times of rapid change and challenges to our values and what matters most.
Join us for four weekly conversations as we explore through Goodall’s stories how she came to be such a messenger for hope, despite setbacks and moments of despair. Our intention is to both celebrate this amazing woman’s life and allow her wisdom to strengthen our sense of hope for the future, no matter how bleak it may look in the moment. Join us and add your voice to the conversation!
Comments: Eremos does a book study twice a year. The focus on Jane Goodall’s work has brought hope to generations and we like that this is a hopeful approach to the topic of trying times.
Poetry for the Present Series (from Eremos)
Dates and Times: Tuesdays, June 9, September 8, Dec. 8; 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Registration: Open
Cost: $30 per session or $100 for all 4 sessions
Frequency: Quarterly
Duration: 2 hours
Format: Online
Recording Available: No
Description: As Eremos explores 30 Years of Light as our programming theme in 2026 in honor of our 30th anniversary, so too will our quarterly poetry sessions welcome in the light, even as each facilitator acknowledges what is present in the world and our lives in the moment.
Each session will include experiencing a selection of poems curated by the facilitator, time for personal reflection, and an invitation to write and share in small groups (breakout sessions via Zoom). No prior experience reading or writing poetry is necessary. Sharing your thoughts and writing is always by invitation.
Comments: This is a wonderful opportunity for poets and aspiring poets alike. Eremos does a great job with programs like this–they are accessible and enriching for all levels. The facilitators are Cathy Capers, Julie Bowman, and Beverly Voss.
Ongoing
The Divine Exchange with Cynthia Bourgeault (from the Center for Action and Contemplation)
Dates and Times: Self paced
Registration: Open
Cost: $497, $374, or $249 – sliding scale
Frequency: Self-paced
Duration: 15 units
Format: Online
Recording Available: Yes
Description: This is a self-paced online course exploring the heart of God through the concept of Divine Exchange — Cynthia Bourgeault’s framework based in the Christian wisdom traditions. Learn how kenosis and surrender can lead to a participatory exchange between the finite and the infinite.
The Divine Exchange explores the idea of exchange as the dynamic medium for everything finite and infinite. In this Christian contemplative online course Cynthia unpacks the metaphysics of Christian wisdom taught in traditional Wisdom Schools — ancient and modern contemplative learning communities focused on transformation. Students in The Divine Exchange can take their inner work even further through practices like centering prayer, chanting, and Tonglen breathing.
Comments: We, of course, love presentations from Cynthia Bourgeault. It’s nice that this is flexible and self-paced so that people can participate when it fits into their individual schedules. We’re not sure about the “live calls” mentioned in the link, given the self-paced format, but the calls will be announced on the CAC Connect platform used for the course.
You’re Not the Only One (from Eremos)
Dates and Times: Weekly on Mondays, 7 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Registration: Open
Cost: Free
Frequency: Weekly
Duration: 1 hour
Format: Zoom
Recording Available: No
Description: Join us weekly (or as often as you desire) to share how you’re feeling right now about life, what’s unfolding in the world, or whatever you need to speak into the circle.
No fixing, no ranting, no trying to make it better.
Just listening attentively to each other in support and always closing our time together with what gives us hope or what we’re grateful for.
Comments: We’ve met this leader (as a participant) in past programs and have found her to be very thoughtful in her sharing. This looks like an enriching ongoing group.
Meditation Resources for those New to Meditation (from Tara Brach)
Dates and Times: Self-directed, flexible
Registration: N/A – this is a collection of resources
Cost: Free
Frequency: Self-directed
Duration: Varies
Format: Online
Recording Available: Yes
Description: You are embarking on a journey that can deeply transform and enrich your life. The most important thing to remember is to approach practice with a friendly, curious, non-judgmental attitude.
There’s no one style of meditation that is “best” or fits all people. We’ve offered you some basic practices below that you can explore to see which serve you well. You might end up with two or three that you use regularly as you establish a practice. Over the weeks and months you’ll internalize the instructions and probably practice more and more regularly without the guided meditation. But at times, you’ll find they will help in gathering your attention.
Resources for those new to meditation or if you’d like a refresher:
Beginner’s Meditation Kit – a introductory mini-course
Mindfulness Daily – a free 40-day online course to help to establish a mindfulness meditation practice
How to Meditate FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
How to Meditate (PDF)
Comments: This is a wonderful introduction to (or refresher for) establishing a meditation practice. A well-known and respected meditation teacher, Tara Brach’s teachings blend Western psychology and Eastern spiritual practices, mindful attention to our inner life, and a full, compassionate engagement with our world. The result is a distinctive voice in Western Buddhism, one that offers a wise and caring approach to freeing ourselves and society from suffering. To learn more about her training, background, and leadership, click here.
Contemplative Chant
Dates and Times: Wednesdays at 4 p.m.
Registration: Open
Cost: Free
Frequency: Ongoing
Duration: 30 minutes
Format: Online
Recording Available: No
Description: 30 minutes of contemplative chant from Wisdom Waypoints, with chants led by Susan Latimer and Elizabeth Combs. Chanting is a wonderful practice for bringing both the Moving Center (body, breath, tone) and the Emotional Center (open heart) online. It is a spiritual practice that opens our hearts, nourishes our nervous systems, prepares us for prayer and meditation as a bridge into stillness, and connects us to our innate joy, courage, steadfastness, peace, beauty, truth and goodness. In times of great uncertainty and change, we find chant to be one of the things that most grounds us. These sessions draw chants from Wisdom Schools, various spiritual and religious traditions, sacred texts, old hymns and poetry. Because of the limitations of synching sound on Zoom, all participants are muted except for the one leading. This allows everyone to chant along in their own space. (Great if you are shy about sharing your voice! Fun if you like to try harmonies!)
Comments: Some of us join this contemplative chant weekly and enjoy it very much. We find it a wonderful contemplative practice. Wisdom Waypoints is the wisdom community started by Cynthia Bourgeault, one of our favorite wisdom teachers. Note that this is a small and warm group of regular participants. Therefore, it can be more difficult to participate anonymously.
The Abbey Tuesday Morning Meditation
Dates and Times: Tuesdays at 8 a.m. (Meditation at 8 a.m., optional discussion at 8:30 a.m.)
Registration: Open
Cost: Free
Frequency: Weekly
Duration: Ongoing
Format: Zoom
Recording Available: No
Description: A 15-minute sit, followed by a brief reading and optional discussion.
Comments: Of course we love this meditation group! It’s The Abbey, our own contemplative community. We are currently reading a variety of poetry, with one poem each week. The format of the group is that we enter (the Zoom meeting) in silence with an image on the screen for Visio Divina before a 15-minute meditation sit that begins at 8:05 a.m. followed by an optional discussion.
The Abbey Spiritual Discussion Group
Dates and Times: Tuesdays, 5 p.m.
Registration: Not required
Cost: Free
Frequency: Weekly
Duration: 1 hour
Format: Zoom
Recording Available: No
Description: This group reads books to deepen our spiritual lives and to build community among participants. Newcomers are welcome to join the group anytime. Register on The Abbey website and we will send you a Zoom link.
Comments: The group just started reading , The Meaning of Mary Magdalene by Cynthia Bourgeault. We enjoy this group and the lively discussion both in small-group breakout rooms and with the whole group.
The Gathering at The Abbey
Dates and Times: Second and fourth Sundays of the month; 10 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Central Time (optional discussion from 10:30 a.m. – 11 a.m.)
Registration: Sign up with link sent via email (sign up for emails at The Abbey)
Cost: Free
Frequency: Twice monthly
Duration: 30 minutes – 1 hour
Format: Zoom
Recording Available: No
Description: The Gathering is a Sunday morning time of contemplation and reflection in community.
Comments: A rotating group of leaders and spiritual directors lead each session. Readings include poetry and inspirational texts from different spiritual traditions. All are welcome.
Word of the Week (from Contemplative Outreach)
Dates and Times: Emails sent on Sundays, meets each Tuesday at 8 a.m. and Wednesday at 5 p.m.
Registration: Sign up for weekly emails here.
Cost: Free annual subscription (with recommended donation of $95/yr)
Frequency: Weekly, per above
Duration: One hour
Format: Zoom – link is sent weekly in the email on Sunday
Recording Available: No
Description: A beautiful email is sent on Sundays with the reading of Lectio Divina that will be done. There is a sit and then the Lectio Divina.
Comments: We like this because it’s a chance to revisit the reading for the week—and they always include beautiful artwork (it’s Lectio and Visio Divina!). We like the sense of community. It’s a pretty stable group and there’s a chance to share. We also like the balance of it—they are very mindful of the time, it’s just an hour. There’s a rhythm of it that we like. We read the emails each week and appreciate having the email in advance to sit with it a little before the group reading. There are also opportunities to interact online with the group during the week. We will note that it can be difficult to find the link for the Zoom in the weekly email; it is also spelled out here—the third bullet has link to the zoom with poorly brown highlighted “Click on this link,” but it also provides the zoom code and passcode in the email.
Wisdom Waypoints Daily Centering Prayer/Meditation
Dates and Times: Monday – Friday 9:30 a.m.; Monday/Wednesday/Sunday 6 p.m.; Saturday 10:30 a.m.
Registration: No registration required, join via website
Cost: Free
Frequency: Daily, per above
Duration: 30 minutes
Format: Zoom
Recording Available: No
Description: A collective wisdom pause for “Silence and Stillness.” Wisdom members lead each sit with a brief reading, chant, and meditation/stillness.
Comments: We like this because it is a way to maintain our personal practice alongside others with the degree of anonymity (or not) with which we are each comfortable. Wisdom Waypoints is a part of Cynthia Bourgeault’s network of teaching and practice resources.
The Welcoming Prayer – Videos (from Contemplative Outreach)
Dates and Times: Always available
Registration: N/A
Cost: Free
Frequency: N/A
Duration: Varies, from 5 minutes to 1 hour, most are about 30 minutes
Format: YouTube
Recording Available: Yes
Description: A collection of videos on the Welcoming Prayer (34 videos). There was a series of 8 videos which are part of a larger curriculum for a self-guided online course on this practice, “Embracing Living: The Welcoming Prayer,” which is offered by Contemplative Outreach in conjunction with Spirituality & Practice).
Comments: We regularly enjoy offerings from Contemplative Outreach and are always eager to learn more about The Welcoming Prayer. Some of the 34 videos linked here are from early in the Pandemic (when we were all trying to figure out how to be in community when we couldn’t meet in person), and some videos are more recent.
Mindful Mondays (from the Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing)
Dates and Times: Monday afternoons, Noon – 1 p.m.
Registration: Open
Cost: Free
Frequency: Weekly
Duration: 1 hour
Format: Online
Recording Available: Yes, for 1 week after each session
Description: Join the Earl. E Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing for an informal hour of gentle movement and guided meditation. Our experienced facilitators will guide you through a series of mindful movement and meditations that will leave you feeling rejuvenated. No prior experience or special clothing is necessary.
We rotate through various modalities of gentle, mindful movement. Please check the Mindful Monday’s registration webpage to learn the specific mindful movement planned for each week’s session. Prior to each session, as best you can, you may wish to secure a space that will accommodate mindful movement and where you won’t be easily interrupted for the duration of the hour-long session
Comments: This is a new offering to us. We saw a forest meditation video produced by this group, found their website, and thought this would be interesting to explore.
The Tears of Things: Integrating the Prophetic Path (from The Center for Action and Contemplation)
Dates and Times: Self-paced
Registration: Open
Cost: $100 (or $80 or $60, based on financial circumstances)
Frequency: Self-paced with 9 prophetic themes)
Duration: Varies
Format: Online
Recording Available: Yes
Description: A self-guided online course based on Richard Rohr’s new book, “The Tears of Things.” Explore the wisdom of prophets from ancient times to modern day, and discover how we can transform our anger into compassion in our modern “age of outrage.”
“The Tears of Things: Integrating the Prophetic Path” will lead you on a journey from righteous anger at injustice, through grief for the world’s suffering, and—for those committed to the path—finally to grace-filled love for everyone and everything.
Students will explore themes from “The Tears of Things,” like radical grace, collective evil, and the alchemy of tears. Discover deeper meaning in the Hebrew prophets and find inspiration from today’s truth-tellers like Martin Luther King Jr., Dorothy Day, Etty Hillesum, Howard Thurman, Joanna Macy, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Oscar Romero.
This self-guided course offers a flexible online learning experience to explore prophetic themes from the sacred space of your home. You can enroll anytime and access all course materials through CAC Connect, our new online learning platform. Engage with the material in a space that’s safe for questions and deepen your understanding alongside fellow seekers.
Comments: We’ve previously enjoyed many offerings from the CAC and Richard Rohr. This offering is an online, self-paced program based on his new book, but we are not sure if he is speaking in it. There doesn’t appear to be a live portion of this course and we are not sure if there is online interaction (though they usually do offer that).