By Melanie P. Moore, et. al.
Each month, we publish a listing of upcoming contemplative and spiritual practice 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, hoping you might find some of it helpful on your journey. We’ve included “Comments” with each listing detailing what we as participants have liked. If you know of something coming up in November, December, or January and would like to have it listed here, please email the information as shown below to editor@theabbey.us by October 25 to be included in the post in November. Please note that all times are listed in Central Time.
October
An Introduction to Centering Prayer
Dates and Times: Tuesdays, October 3, 10, 17, and 24, 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Registration: Open
Cost: Free
Frequency: Weekly
Duration: 1.5 hours per week
Format: In-person at University United Methodist Church, 2409 Guadalupe St., Austin, TX
Recording Available: N/A
Description: Join us to learn this contemplative and meditative practice of learning to withdraw attention from our thoughts in order to rest in a gentle, open attentiveness to divine reality. Centering Prayer is about enhancing your relationship with God and transformation.
Participants will need a copy of Thomas Keating’s book Open Hearts, Open Minds. Copies are available in the front office for $15. You’re also invited to bring a wrap or cushion to make yourself comfortable.
Comments: This is a chance for people in the Austin area to learn and practice centering prayer in person. It’s nice to have this as a series which allows a community to develop among participants and to have the chance to ask questions and gain insights through several weeks of practice and learning. The time slot is good for people who work during the day and should make parking easier (the church has a parking lot). Emily Roe, a longtime practitioner, is an insightful facilitator with whom we’ve had rich interactions.
Shalem Institute Recording of Howard Thurman: The Writing of Jesus and the Disinherited
Dates and Times: Recording available for viewing through Nov. 8, 2023
Registration: N/A
Cost: Free
Frequency: One-time event
Duration: One-day retreat (recording)
Format: Online
Recording Available: Yes
Description: This is a recording of a one-day retreat led by Lerita Coleman. Centered on Thurman’s writing in Jesus and the Disinherited, this is a special opportunity to experience Thurman’s enduring and inspiring life and words. Through audio teaching, guided meditation, reflection questions and invitations into silence, Lerita Coleman Brown invites you into intentional quiet space to reflect on Howard Thurman’s life and book, Jesus and the Disinherited.
Comments: While we are not very familiar with the contemplative Howard Thurman, we enjoyed Q&A with a presenter (Lerita Coleman Brown) who spoke about him as part of a Closer Than Breath Mystics Summit earlier in the summer. She has a new book, What Makes You Come Alive: A Spiritual Walk with Howard Thurman.
In Person Centering Prayer Retreat – Sacred Embodiment (gentle yoga and stretching)
Dates and Times: Wednesday, October 14, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., at the Church of Conscious Harmony, 7406 Newhall Lane, Austin, TX
Registration: Open; registration closes Oct. 12
Cost: $30
Frequency: One-time event
Duration: All day (7 hours)
Format: In person
Recording Available: N/A
Description: Led by Sharon Johnson, this in-person retreat includes times of Centering Prayer with gentle restorative yoga and stretching. It will be held in the fellowship hall. Bring a brown bag lunch. If you have a yoga mat, block, bolster, blankets or evo band, please bring them. Space is limited.
Comments: We have found their campus to be beautiful, peaceful, and restorative and really give a sense of having taken time away from the regular world. They have a labyrinth down the hill behind campus and maps that show where it is located. In our experience, retreats are held in the sanctuary with chairs in a large circle. For this type of retreat, they have a custom of removing their shoes before entering the sanctuary – so leave shoes in the foyer (they don’t really post it or announce it but it is their practice when we’ve been in the past.) Usually silence is observed throughout the day except for the opening and closing. In the opening, people may be invited to share in the circle what your intention is for the day and in the closing you can share a word (very brief) symbolizing what insight or gift you may have received during the day. Retreatants usually help put the chairs back into regular worship configuration at the end of the day. Retreatants bring a bag lunch (if doing the full day retreat). The full day retreat will have several sits, usually 3-4, 30 minutes each, and that combined with the silence allows for a deepening of the experience.
Everyday Mysticism: An Online Gathering with Barbara Holmes
Dates and Times: Wednesday, Oct. 18, Noon – 1:30 p.m.
Registration: Open
Cost: Sliding scale ($95, $30, $10, $5)
Frequency: One-time event
Duration: 1.5 hours
Format: Online
Recording Available: Yes, available for 1 year
Description: Have you ever had a mystical experience, but couldn’t find the words to describe it? The Bible is filled with stories of unexplained, seemingly magical events — yet so often we discredit those very experiences in our own lives. Learn how to embrace mystery and move between the worlds of mystical and practical. Attendees will be invited into teachings, conversations, and practices designed to help us talk openly about our own mystical longings and stories, which people often feel they need to hide or downplay. Together, with Dr. Holmes, we will learn how to integrate the mystical into our everyday lives.
Comments: Barbara Holmes is a scholar of African American spirituality and mysticism. We’ve enjoyed listening to her as a host of the podcast about mysticism, The Cosmic We. She’s a frequent contributor to courses and publications from the Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC). This looks like it will be an interesting event.
Introduction to Centering Prayer with Metanoia Journey
Dates and Times: Saturday, Oct. 21, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., at First Presbyterian Church of Austin, 8001 Mesa Drive, Austin, TX
Registration: Open; registration closes Oct. 14 at 6 p.m.
Cost: $30
Frequency: One-time event
Duration: 5 hours
Format: In person
Recording Available: N/A
Description: Centering Prayer is a silent meditation method that is similar to mindfulness meditation. However, this meditation practice dives deeper and fosters a deepening relationship with the Divine within us.
It is said, “When we pray vocally, we speak to God. When we sit in silence, God speaks to us.”
The daily practice of Centering Prayer allows us to step away from the “busy-ness” of the exterior world and “rest in God’s presence” as Jesus did, without the need for words or images or concepts.
The workshop registration fee of $30 includes a copy of Thomas Keating’s Open Mind, Open Heart (the comprehensive guide to Centering Prayer), as well as light snacks and drinks. If you prefer to pay by personal check, contact David Wallace at david@metanoiajourney.org for ways to arrange for payment to be received.
Come join us and learn a spiritual practice that has helped transform many lives, including ours. So much so, that we have dedicated our lives to sharing the contemplative dimension of spirituality with our Christian friends, friends of other faith traditions, and those who are unsure.
Comments: This is another local and in-person opportunity to learn about Centering Prayer from Thomas Keating’s text and an opportunity to create a practice of centering prayer. Presented by Metanoia Journey, a newly formed church that meets at different locations in Austin.
The Whole Earth an Altar: A Wisdom Eucharist
Dates and Times: Sunday, Oct. 22, 11 a.m. – noon
Registration: No registration required; Zoom link is on event page
Cost: Free
Frequency: One-time event
Duration: 1 hour
Format: Zoom
Recording Available: No
Description: An invitation to a Wisdom Eucharist with Rev. Mel King and Marcella Kraybill-Greggo. Please bring some bread and wine or grape juice;
You are also invited to bring a rock or pebble.
We will light our candles as we begin, and you may like to arrive a few minutes early to settle. All are welcome! Presented by Wisdom Waypoints, a global network of wisdom seekers founded by Cynthia Bourgeault.
Comments: This is an online Eucharist, for people who find meaning in the sacrament and who are interested in what it is like to partake of this Christian sacrament in a wisdom community. It is an open table.
Meditation Practice Offerings
Dates and Times: Wednesdays, Oct. 4, 11, 18, and 25, noon – 1 p.m.
Registration: Open
Cost: Free
Frequency: Weekly (or join for as few or many as you choose)
Duration: 1 hour
Format: Online
Recording Available: No
Description: Each week, we will highlight a different meditation practice. These one-hour programs will consist of a workshop, question and answer session, and then an opportunity to practice what has been taught in the session. The sessions are: Oct. 4 – Centering Prayer with Susan Packard; Oct. 11 – Mindfulness with Gordon Peerman; Oct. 18 – Journaling with Amy-Lyles Wilson; Oct. 25 – Beyond the Senses (gentle yoga, breathwork and mindfulness meditation with visualization) with Becci Impello.
Comments: This is a sampling of offerings from key leaders of programs at St. Marys Sewanee, an Episcopal retreat center in Sewanee, Tennessee. These are introductory sessions and this is not a series but could be used that way; you may sign up for as many or as few as you choose.
Online Welcoming Prayer Workshop
Dates and Times: Friday, Oct. 27, 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 27, 9 a.m. – noon
Registration: Open
Cost: $25
Frequency: One-time event
Duration: 1 evening + 1 half-day
Format: Online
Recording Available: No
Description: The Welcoming Prayer is an incarnational method of consenting to God’s presence and action in the physical and emotional reactions arising in daily life. This “consent-on-the-go” embodied practice deepens our relationship with God as we move through the ordinary activities of our day, helping us to stay in the presence of God and the present moment. This workshop will cover the human condition and the basics of the practice. There will be guided practice sessions as well as time in Centering Prayer. It is very helpful to purchase the “Welcoming Prayer: Consent on the Go” 40-day praxis booklet from Contemplative Outreach to support your practice after the workshop. It is available in either a hardcopy booklet for $35 or a digital PDF for $10.
Comments: This is presented by the Church of Conscious Harmony. We’ve found their programs to be reliably of good quality and enriching. We like that it’s an introduction to the prayer followed by guided practice sessions. This really is an embodied practice–not word-based or “in your head.” If you’re new to this type of prayer, this event offers the opportunity to hear other people’s experience with the practice, which we’ve found to be very helpful as we learn new things.
November
Angels, Saints, and Ancestors as Spiritual Companions and Guides
Dates and Times: 12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m., Fridays, Nov. 3, 10, and 17
Registration: Open
Cost: $79
Frequency: Weekly
Duration: 3 weeks
Format: Online
Recording Available: Yes, for 12 months
Description: November is a time in the Celtic and Christian calendars when the veil between worlds is said to be very thin. This is the season when those spiritual beings who dwell in what the Celts called the Otherworld are more accessible to us. These beings include angels, saints, and our ancestors who support and inspire us throughout our lives when we learn how to connect and attune to them in various ways. Three rich sessions with teaching, meditation, poetry, and creative exploration from Christine and music from Simon, along with opportunities for questions and interaction: Session One – Archangels and Guardian Angels; Session Two – Saints as the Wise and Well Ones, Session Three – The Blessings of Our Ancestors. Participants from all spiritual traditions and orientations are welcome in this webinar series as are those with all levels of spiritual experience.
Comments: This is presented by Abbey of the Arts, an online Abbey based in Ireland. We have liked many of their offerings and the books by their founder Christine Vaulters-Paintner. This series is based on her new book The Love of Thousands.
The Grace in Dying and Centering Prayer
Dates and Times: Saturday, Nov. 11, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Registration: Open
Cost: Free (Suggested donation $25 – $50)
Frequency: One-time event
Duration: 6 hours
Format: Online
Recording Available: No
Description: Join us for a one day workshop led by The Rev Tom Ward exploring the “Grace in Dying” and its relation to the Centering Prayer practice. In her book The Grace in Aging psychotherapist and Buddhist practitioner Kathleen Dowling Singh recommends “taking the one seat” as a practice to enable us to age gracefully, and she sees Centering Prayer as one good way to take that seat. In this workshop we will consider different aspects of the aging process as Singh describes them through presentations, small group discussions, and the practice of Centering Prayer. Tom is a retired university chaplain at the University of the South and now spends his days focusing on the contemplative dimension of the gospel, teaching Centering Prayer, and leading retreats.
Comments: We’ve read The Grace in Aging book several times and loved it. This looks like a great event.
Inciting Joy: A Conversation with Poet & Author Ross Gay
Dates and Times: Thursday, Nov. 16, 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Registration: Open
Cost: $40 (partial scholarships available)
Frequency: One-time event
Duration: 1.5 hours
Format: Zoom
Recording Available: Yes
Description: Ross Gay is the author of four books of poetry: Against Which; Bringing the Shovel Down; Be Holding, winner of the PEN American Literary Jean Stein Award; and Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude, winner of the 2015 National Book Critics Circle Award and the 2016 Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award. In addition to his poetry, Ross has released three collections of essays—The Book of Delights was released in 2019 and was a New York Times bestseller; Inciting Joy was released in 2022, and his newest collection, The Book of (More) Delights was released in September of 2023.
Comments: We’ve read interviews with Ross Gay and are admirers of his work. This looks like a wonderful opportunity to see more if you are a fan and to be introduced to Gay and his work if you are not familiar.
Ongoing
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 and Book Discussion: Learning to Walk in the Dark
Dates and Times: Tuesdays at 8 a.m. (Meditation at 8 a.m., optional book discussion at 8:30 a.m.)
Registration: Open
Cost: Free
Frequency: Weekly
Duration: Ongoing
Format: Zoom
Recording Available: No
Description: A 20-minute sit, followed by discussion of Barbara Brown Taylor’s Learning to Walk in the Dark.
Comments: Of course we love this meditation group! It’s The Abbey, our own contemplative community.
Word of the Week
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.