– photo by George Meier Our hands imbibe like roots, So I place them on what is beautiful in this world. And I fold them in prayer, And they draw from the heavens light. – St. Francis of Assisi, as interpreted by David Ladinsky As the forest fires burned a few kilometres away last summer, as dams broke around the world, wars escalated and political rhetoric sharpened, I struggled to find a quiet heart. My practice — reading, scripture, meditation, prayer — was hard to maintai

As Lent nears its end and Easter approaches, we find ourselves amidst a journey of spiritual growth and reflection. During this time, we reflect on the significance of this transition, embracing the lessons learned during Lent and anticipating the joyous celebration of Easter. In this newsletter, we are excited to accounce a few upcoming events.  On April 20,  we will be hosting  The Faces of Mary: An Online Retreat  with Rev. Matthew Wright.  Matthew will lead us on a journe

– photo by Daria-Yakovleva “Do not neglect the Forty Days; it constitutes an imitation of Christ’s way of life.”  – Saint Ignatius of Antioch  The Church has begun the Great Fast of Lent, our Forty Days of preparation for the Mysteries of Holy Week, for our entering with Jesus into the journey of death and resurrection. Our participation includes an outer fast – putting less food into our bodies, if our health allows – to help us listen for the Divine. Within the human being

Happy New Year! As we step into 2024, we are invited to reflect on the chapters of the past and set intentions for the journey ahead. In the spirit of contemplation, this newsletter offers opportunities to inspire your path in the coming year. Explore the transformative experience of the  2024 Centering Prayer Summit on January 20-21, 2024 with Closer than Breath . Immerse yourself in moments of stillness and connection to deepen your understanding and personal practice as we

Bringing together silence and sound, chant offers a contemplative path that leads us through Advent’s winter shadows.  Chants, ancient or contemporary, draw us across a threshold into deeper quiet and give us courage, so that like the shepherds who rose out of fear to peer up at shining angels, we dare to step from familiar dark into unknown light.  Here, Susan J. Latimer, an Episcopal priest and musician, tells us how chant can give us courage, heal us, and help us become mo

As we immerse ourselves in the season of Autumn, watching as the leaves slowly fall from the trees, we are offered the opportunity to embrace the changes outside and within. This newsletter outlines upcoming offerings to guide us through these seasonal changes. There is still space to attend  The Web of Life: A Retreat for Contemplative Solidarity , from  November 20-23 at   Loon Lake, B.C. and online via Zoom . During the upcoming Advent season, two in-person retreats are be

As we slowly move towards the beautiful season of Autumn, we are pleased to share some wonderful upcoming events and offers to support your contemplative journey. This includes the  Web of Life Retreat with Cynthia Bourgeault , release of the  Re-Learning Trust E-Course,  an  online Wisdom School Study Group, and broadcasted Ecumenical Prayer Vigil.  This newsletter also includes an  important update regarding our Audio Store as well as details about our job opening  for th

Summer greetings! We hope you have been enjoying sunny days, relaxation, and time with loved ones. When things slow down in the summer, it can be a wonderful time to find new ways for contemplative practice. To support your spiritual journey in the last weeks of summer, we are offering a Summer MP3 Sale  on  all three parts  of  Practicing Living Presence: Discovering the Mind of Christ Within . Find out more below! In this newsletter we also share news about upcoming events

“Silence is God’s first language” ~ St. John of the Cross Snowmass recedes. We in the Centering Prayer community are mourning this month’s closure of St. Benedict’s guesthouse, and the apparent dissolution of the monastery. The universe found a vital heart at Snowmass during her few decades among us. Like a sheltering mother, she gathered us in. She encouraged us to see with wonder, find our centre, and give ourselves back to the world. There, we were nurtured and challenged

June Blessings! We hope you’ve been enjoying the magnificant blossoming flowers and soaking in the rays of sunshine that bless us during these warm summer months. This newsletter includes some exciting news. First, we are pleased to release  Part 3 of Practicing Living Presence: Discovering the Mind of Christ Within , a teaching by Cynthia Bourgeault . Below, Brian Mitchell shares a reflection of this teaching. A huge thank you to the team of volunteers who prepared this reco

Blessings Contemplative Friends, As we enter the month of March, we are excited to share several upcoming events to inspire and nurture our contemplative, spiritual journies. Please find details of these wonderful events below! This evening at 7:00pm, there is a webcast showing of the Sacred Earth: Growing Beloved Community with John Philip Newell, Bishop Marc Andrus, and Dr. Paloma Pavel. For those of you in Vancouver, on March 10 and 11 there are two events being hosted by

We are pleased to invite you to register to attend Wisdom School: The Encounter with Evil Retreat online via Zoom! This retreat is being hosted by Heather Ruce and Cynthia Bourgeault at the Mercy Centre in California and there is still room to attend virtually! Please see below for more details. For your awareness, Heather Ruce will also be leading an in-person Retreat during Holy Week, April 3 -5, 2023 at Bethlehem Centre in Nanaimo, B.C. Heather Ruce is a new member of The

Happy New Year, contemplative friends! A huge thank you to everyone who donated to our Fall Appeal.  Your generous support will make it possible for The Contemplative Society to offer exciting news over the next few weeks of upcoming retreats and events, and the publication of new audio and video resources.  All in support of strengthening our community’s capacity to walk the contemplative path and center our actions in divine wisdom and love, no matter what turmoil or creati

The Sunday immediately prior to Advent is what used to be called “Christ the King” and is now “updated” to “The Reign of Christ”. The readings for that day are Colossians 1: 15-20 & Luke 23: 33-43. As we enter Advent I ask myself who or what is this Christ? The image of kingship today is, obviously, anachronistic. There is no one God-king wielding unilateral power over humanity. Instead we have this Jesus – a man hanging from a cross. Who then is this “image of the unseen God

Today is Giving Tuesday! And while I am aware I am writing to you with a request for support, what I am feeling is immense gratitude for what The Contemplative Society has already received. This year marks our 25th anniversary. Since 1997, we have grown from a tiny group organizing retreats on Salt Spring Island, BC to a significant hub of the contemplative network , providing countless resources to promote contemplative wisdom and sustain contemplative practice. With hundre

Hello Contemplatives, In this part of the world, cold chill is in the air, leaves are tumbling off the trees, the sun is lower in the sky, days are shortening, and hummingbirds are competing for nutrients from the feeder. Winter is settling in and we’re all responding in our own God-given ways to the changing of the seasons. In the turning of the Christian seasons, we’re about to await and celebrate the Advent of Christ and know the Divine Love and Light that is ever present,

Hello Contemplatives! Greetings from Vancouver Island on the traditional, unceded territories of the Lekwungen speaking people. In this part of the world we’re enjoying the bright and verdant energies of summer and appreciating this present moment in our sacred connection to the earth, witnessing God’s regenerative love in land, water, air, and life, and in the depths of our hearts. As we are looking to the Fall, we’re delighted to welcome Rev. Cynthia Bourgeault back to Vanc

Anne Henderson June 26, 1939 – June 27, 2022 Former President and founding member of The Contemplative Society Anne Henderson died peacefully on July, 2022, with her husband Doug and sons at her side. In a beautiful tribute to Anne, member and former TCS President Pat Manning spoke at Anne’s funeral held at St John the Divine Anglican Church in Victoria, BC. We share the tribute with you here, celebrating Anne’s time with us, honouring Anne’s generous and gentle spirit, groun

Hello Contemplatives! We’re excited to announce the publication of “ Practicing Living Presence: Discovering the Mind of Christ Within – Part TWO! “, Cynthia Bourgeault’s exploration of Kabir Helminski’s book “ Living Presence: A Sufi Way to Mindfulness & the Essential Self”,  and the accompanying Practice Manual by Lynn C Bauman,  Living the Presence: A Manual for Contemplative Christian Practice” In Part One (published in November 2021 – find it  HERE ), Cynthia explored Ch

In anticipation of the upcoming Zoom Retreat with Douglas Christie, TCS Board Member  Therese DesCamp shares wit us this reflection: Holding the Post:  An invitation to know our place within the sacred space we live I recently went up Red Mountain Road to drop off some jam for friends. Their driveway being an impassable pile of snow, I parked below and followed a trail up the side of the mountain through a tract of mature forest. I felt those woods before I really saw them.