Seeking Your Spiritual Center? Expand Your Centering Prayer Practice in 2017

Opportunities to deepen your Centering Prayer practice and personal resources to engage life as we find it (and it finds us!)

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Contemplative Outreach Puget Sound North Update
Early 2017

Laundromat
I have spent Long hours in the laundromat of my mind.

Pre-soaking neurons in the dank waters of every why and why not,

Obsessing through each cycle of life,

Spinning thoughts tossed and tumbled over and over

Until my synapses run out of quarters to feed this need

For a clean heart.

By Anne Magee Dichele, from Ankle Deep and Drowning, Antrim House, Simsbury, CT

Friends in Silence; this spring the Contemplative Outreach Puget Sound North Chapter is excited to offer two opportunities to ‘get out of the laundromat of the mind’ (and of the news), deepen your connection with God, and enhance your ability to engage life constructively.

United in Spirit Retreat
Saturday, March 11th

A Retreat at St. Mary on the Lake Peace and Spirituality Center, Bellevue

Spend a day in prayer, contemplation, community and reflection on the beautiful wooded grounds of St. Mary on the Lake in Bellevue, which offers spectacular views of Lake Washington. Following a year that has focused on what divides us, United in Spirit Day invites us to examine the nature of such alienation, the bonds that connect us and how to nurture those bonds-sustained by the deeper spark of divine connection-a spark that can provide the foundation for healing, peace and developing opportunities for unity. The day of inter-religious dialogue, prayer and contemplation will feature Rabbi Olivier Benhaim of Bet Alef Meditative Synagogue in Seattle, Father William Treacy of the Treacy Levine Center, other faith leaders and of course, Contemplative Outreach facilitators.

Space is limited; pre-retreat coffee and tea will be provided, together with lunch, supported in part by the Treacy Levine Center. The Treacy Levine Center was founded by Father William Treacy and Rabbi Raphael Levine fifty years ago to foster inter-religious dialogue, and to promote harmony in the human family. Donations to assist in covering the cost of the retreat are optional, but will be gratefully accepted. However, pre-registration is necessary to provide for accurate luncheon orders and to avoid wasted food; day of retreat registrations unfortunately will not be available. To register, email chapter co-ordinator Jeff Renner at jeffrenner3@comcast.net. Following receipt of registration requests, luncheon choices and directions will be forwarded to participants. We hope you'll join us!

A Weekend Retreat with Susan Komis
April 21st-23rd

Our annual weekend retreat marks the return of gifted retreat leader Susan Komis. The retreat will guide participants through three elements to deepen their faith life, and their inner resources to participate in the call for both Contemplation and Action.

Friday Evening-Stages of Prayer Related to Faith Development, presenting three critical stages of spiritual growth relative to prayer and faith as experienced in ordinary life. We will explore thresholds of life experience and catalysts that move us from our early concepts of God to maturing concepts.

Participants will be invited to reflect on changes in prayer modes that occur as our relationship with God begins to deepen as we give consent to the invitation of transformation.

Saturday and Sunday-Four Levels of Listening
Listening to others at a deep level often feels like hard work! This presentation will explore our cultural disposition toward the art of Listening and the levels of listening that we engage in on a daily basis.

What we hear is what we get … or what we miss! Is it possible to learn to truly listen with the heart and soul in the sanctuary of human experience? Our ability to listen is one of the most important qualities of contemplative service and exemplifies the mystery of transmission of one to the other.

and...Soul Friending!
Soul Friending is a term used to describe the level of spiritual intimacy we want to foster in our Centering Prayer group or other small group process. It is Fr. Thomas Keating’s hope and expectation that the relationship of prayer group members will
gradually deepen to a level where soul friending was taking place within the group experience. In the Celtic tradition, there is a wonderful understanding of spiritual relationship. The Gaelic phrase for this is “anam cara.” Anam means soul. Cara means friend.

This relationship cuts through barriers of time, convention, philosophy and definition. When you are blessed with anam cara, the individual or group has arrived at this most sacred understanding.

Retreat Details: We'll spend the weekend at beautiful Camp Indianola on the shores of Puget Sound. The retreat fee of $200 will cover a reception with beverages and appetizers Friday evening, 3 meals on Saturday and both breakfast and lunch on Sunday, together with a shared room and of course program materials. Scholarships are available. Unfortunately, space restrictions limit the number of registrants, which must be accepted in the order registration requests are received. A deposit of $100 will hold a space. Checks should be made payable to COPSN with 'Komis retreat' on the bottom of the check, mailed to:

COPSN
19920 NE 30th Court
Sammamish, WA 98074

In addition to your check, please include your name, email address, mailing address, and preferred telephone number. The balance of $100 will be due April 7th. We hope you'll be able to join us!

Finally, if you have a friend who'd like to learn Centering Prayer, an Introductory Workshop will be presented Saturday morning, February 18th at Mary Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Sammamish. Registrations will be accepted 'at the door', though advance confirmation is requested and much appreciated. It will facilitate provision of directions, etc. The workshop will run from 9am to 1pm in the John the XXIII room. Beverages and snacks will be provided as part of the registration fee of $25; scholarships are available. Participants are requested to arrive at 8:30 a.m. to facilitate registration and a prompt start! The workshop will be presented by chapter co-ordinator and commissioned presenter Jeff Renner, who also heads the Contemplative Outreach Presenter Formation Service Team.