Events
We invite you to join us at our upcoming events. Below you will find information on our upcoming events as well as a few of our past events. You can register for an event at its descriptions below. You can also access videos and more information from our past events below.
To keep up with our events, please sign up for our newsletter at the link below.
Upcoming Events
Introduction to Centering Prayer Workshop
Saturday, January 7th, 8:45 - 1:00 P ET in person
The Julie Room at St. Thomas More Catholic Church
636 W Ponce de Leon Ave, Decatur, GA 30030
Do you seek the still small voice of God? Do you seek a more intimate relationship with God? Come and find a way to deepen your relationship with God.
Centering Prayer is a method of consenting to God's presence and action within. It prepares us to receive God’s gift of contemplative prayer, which is an opening of our hearts and minds to God beyond thoughts, words, and emotions. This prayer practice, rooted in the Christian contemplative heritage, helps us embrace the process of transformation in Christ.
The Centering Prayer Introductory Program is designed to share the method of Centering Prayer and offer support in making it a part of daily life. It has two components:
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An Introduction to Centering Prayer Workshop held in-person at St. Thomas More on Saturday, Jan 7th from 8:45 am – 1:00 pm. The workshop includes themes of Prayer as Relationship, The Method of Centering Prayer, Thoughts and Use of the Sacred Word, and Deepening Our Relationship with God, time in Centering Prayer and the opportunity to submit questions. Our presenter is Leslie Geer, who is a prayerful Contemplative Outreach presenter.
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Continuing Sessions in person sessions will be held at St. Thomas More on Saturday mornings at 9:00 AM. These sessions include Centering Prayer, video, discussion, and Q & A to deepen the understanding of Centering Prayer and provide support in establishing a regular Centering Prayer practice.
Those already practicing Centering Prayer and are looking for an in-person experience are welcome to both the Introductory session and to the ongoing sessions.
Howard Thurman: An Active Contemplative
Saturday, February 4th, 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM ET on Zoom
Contemplative Outreach Atlanta is pleased to host Dr. Lerita Coleman Brown sharing her insights on Howard Thurman for a brief workshop punctuated with Centering Prayer. We will bask in the wisdom of contemplative, spiritual leader, and mystic-activist Howard Thurman. In part one, we will examine his growth and development as a young contemplative and his attitudes about the healing power of silence. Part two will focus on his use of the contemplative life to stir resistance to social injustice and help restore God’s Beloved Creation. Howard Thurman models for us the words of one of his mystic mentors, Meister Eckhart, “You can only spend in good works what you have earned in contemplation.” Vitality and radical trust as essential tools for social change emerge from “Centering Down.” Dr. Coleman Brown’s newest book about him What Makes You Come Alive: A Spiritual Walk With Howard Thurman will be released February 7, 2023.
Workshop registration is $32.40 (including processing fees). Scholarships are available. Please email us here for more information.
This event is co-sponsored by Contemplative Outreach Chicago, Contemplative Outreach Colorado, and Contemplative Outreach Maryland & Washington.
Lerita Coleman Brown, PhD, Professor Emerita of Psychology, Agnes Scott College, is a spiritual director/companion, writer, retreat leader, and speaker. She earned her BA from UC Santa Cruz and PhD from Harvard University. Lerita completed the Spiritual Guidance Program at the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation and promotes contemplative spirituality, the living wisdom of Howard Thurman, and uncovering the peace and joy in one’s heart on her website, leritacolemanbrown.com and other social media platforms. She appears in the documentaries, "Back Against the Wall: The Howard Thurman Story", and "The Black Church: This is Our Story, This is Our Song". Her book, When the Heart Speaks, Listen—Discovering Inner Wisdom was published in 2019. Her newest book, What Makes You Come Alive: A Spiritual Walk with Howard Thurman will be published in February. Lerita is a most grateful heart (28 years) and kidney (17 years) transplant recipient and survivor of several other medical ordeals.
Past Events
Introduction to Centering Prayer Workshop
Held Saturday, Nov 5th at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church
This workshop, presented by Leslie Geer, included themes of Prayer as Relationship, The Method of Centering Prayer, Thoughts and Use of the Sacred Word, and Deepening Our Relationship with God, time in Centering Prayer and the opportunity to submit questions.
We Gather Together - Holy Trinity Big Sit on Zoom
Held Saturday, November 12th on Zoom
This morning of prayer was a meaningful morning exploration of the Holy Trinity theme inspired by the First Nations’ translation of the New Testament. It incorporated two 20-minute silent Centering Prayer sessions with Lectio Divina (sacred reading four times), Taizé chant, and a Visio Divina meditation inspired by Father John Giuliani’s Holy Trinity.
Intensive/Post-Intensive Five-Day Two-Track Retreat
Wednesday, Oct 12th - Noon Sunday, Oct 16th ET on Zoom
Our annual Fall retreat is back! We held two track options:
The Intensive Track reviewed Thomas Keating’s Human Condition series; The Post-Intensive Track reviewed David Frenette’s Wisdom.
Each full day included three one-hour Centering Prayer sessions with meditative walks and one Lectio Divina experience.
Facilitated by Maggie Winfrey and Vernon Dixon.
Body Presence and Contemplative Awareness - BioSpiritual Focusing Day of Presence
Saturday, September 10th, 2022 9:30AM - 2:15PM ET on Zoom
Discover a deeper awareness of healing and wisdom accessible to each of us through our bodies. During this day we'll establish BioSpiritual Focusing’s place in Body Awareness Practice and then progressively and experimentally introduce participants to the focusing concepts which will conclude with a demonstration and discussion of Focusing. Participants will be invited to welcome and hold their feelings with curiosity and loving care in order to achieve integration into greater wholeness. The day provides the necessary foundations to pursue further practice and study of BioSpiritual Focusing.
This retreat is lead by Mike Smoolca, a trained and practicing BioSpiritual Focusing Companion, a teacher for the BioSpiritual Institute and a member of Genesis Spirituality Center of Westfield, MA's BioSpiritual Focusing team. For information you can email Mike here.
We Gather Together - Divine Feminine Big Sit
Saturday, August 20th, 2022 10:00AM - 12:00PM ET
An inspiring morning of Centering Prayer, Lectio Divina, Taize' chant and Reflections drawing from the wisdom of Hildegard of Bingen.
With Merton and Keating's Roadmap, Where Do We Go From Here?
Saturday, July 16th, 2022 10:00AM - 12:30PM ET
A contemplative panel discussion with Ed Bacon, Vernon Dixon, Victor Kramer and David Rensberger. This inspiring event began with a 20-minute Centering Prayer period followed by thoughts on the timeless wisdom of Thomas Merton and Thomas Keating drawn from our panelists' research and experiences. Musical inspiration by Paul Reeves. Moderated by Maggie Winfrey. Click here to access slides. Click here to watch on YouTube.
We Gather Together - Releasing the Enslaved Spirit - Big Sit
Saturday, June 18th, 2022 10:00AM - 12:00PM ET
An inspiring morning of Centering Prayer, Lectio Divina, Taize' chant and Reflections of our Unity with God.
Notes of Rest - A Musical Textual Retreat
Saturday, May 14th, 2022 11:00AM - 2:30PM ET
Chicagoan Julian Davis Reid is a young artist-theologian who uses words and music to invite us into the restful life we were created to experience. We will begin with a centering prayer period. Then Julian will lead a Notes of Rest experience for approximately 90 minutes. During the workshop, short sacred texts are read, interpreted musically, and then reflected upon individually and in small groups. Creativity is a key part of the experience, with participants encouraged to journal, write reflections or song lyrics, dance, or otherwise go where the spirit leads them. Following a lunch break, Julian will offer an optional 45-minute lecture on music and Black contemplative life and their unique contributions to Christian mysticism.
Notes of Rest is sponsored as a collaborative effort by the Contemplative Outreach chapters of Chicago, Atlanta, and Colorado. We are delighted to introduce you to this unique form of contemplative experience. Notes of Rest workshops have been well-received at Yale Divinity School, Duke Divinity School, the Center for Religion and Environment (University of the South), First United Methodist Church of Oak Park, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church (Atlanta, GA), and other locations.
We Gather Together We Are One Big Sit
Saturday, April 30th, 2022 10:00AM - 12:00PM ET
Join us for an inspiring morning of Centering Prayer, Lectio Divina, Taize' chant and Reflections of our Unity with God. This event is free and is being held on Zoom. Donations are welcome.
Tutu Lenten Series
Thursdays on Zoom, March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, 12:30 - 2:00 PM ET
Join us with people from all over the world for this inspiring Lenten journey. Each session will begin with spiritual exercises led by Althea Banda-Hansmann, Edwin Arrison and Michael Battle will present, followed by contemplative silence and other spiritual exercises. There will be additional presentations by Rene August on Tutu's approach to God's Word. Group-work along with time of sharing will round out each session.
This event is sponsored by Contemplative Outreach South Africa, the Centre for Christian Spirituality, and the Battle Peace Institute.
You can learn more about Contemplative Outreach South Africa here. You can find resources in Michael Battle's book available here.
Centering Prayer: Weekend Immersion
February 12-14, 2022
This retreat , sponsored by Contemplative Outreach Chicago,
will immerse us into 3 days of communal Centering Prayer with attentiveness and awareness of our Conscious Work in our activities between the meditation sessions. We will explore attentiveness to the wholeness of our being and open to the knowledge and presence resident in our bodies.
Click here for more information on Contemplative Outreach Chicago.
Releasing An Enslaved Spirit
Saturday, Jan 21st, 2022 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM ET
Co-sponsored by Contemplative Outreach Chicago and Contemplative Outreach Atlanta.
In this workshop, it is our hope to bring together people from diverse backgrounds who share an interest in contemplation. Together we will pray through, think about and practice how to be more Communally diverse in Contemplative Spirituality — how to release the natural unity the Holy Spirit constantly offers the world
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Welcoming We Gather Together Big Sit
Saturday, January 8, 2022, at 10:00 am to 12 noon ET
Join us for an inspiring morning of Centering Prayer, Lectio Divina, Taize' Chant, and Welcoming Prayer to welcome in the new year.
The Path of Illumination -One-Day Retreat
Sat Dec 11, 2021 10 am - 3 pm ET
Rev. Dr. Stuart Higginbotham leads us on Zoom
This retreat invites us into a deeper reflection on the Transfiguration. We discover how the story is actually an iconic visualization of our own expanded awareness of and participation in the Divine Life. Together, we explore iconography, the Biblical text, as well as key insights from sages and mystics across the ages, including Isaac the Syrian, Symeon the New Theologian, Gregory Palamas, as well as Thomas Keating, Martin Laird, and other Christian mystics and even Tibetan Buddhist masters.
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