One of many Psalm signs along the loop at Cedarbrake Renewal Center
Centering Prayer Retreats Our multi-day silent retreats take place at Cedarbrake Renewal Center in Belton, TX. The retreat center is located on 69 beautifully wooded acres with trails for walking, meditation spots, a labyrinth, and access to the Leon River. Multi-day retreats offer many extended periods of Centering Prayer as well as time for silence and solitude and DVD viewings or conferences on a particular topic. Please consider attending one of the many wonderful half-day, one-day and multi-day retreats that are available during the year. If you have never participated in a Centering Prayer retreat, this is the next step for enhancing your practice! Check out the list of retreats on our website.
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When you plan to attend a retreat at the Church of Conscious Harmony or at Cedarbrake Renewal Center, please pre-register by calling Lisa Genung at 512-347-9673.
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A message from Contemplative Outreach:
Fr. Thomas Keating has recently been accepted in hospice
and is comfortable. Please keep him in your prayers.
Murchison Chapel at First United Methodist Church
Contemplative service at First United Methodist Church Please join us for a contemplative worship service at First United Methodist Church of Austin (1201 Lavaca Street) in the Murchison Chapel at 9am on the fourth Sunday of each month. We will meet on August 26th with a simple lay-led service that will include a simple liturgy and contemplative silence. For more information, please contact Denise Fischer at denisefischer@gmail.com or Lauren Hendrix-Cook at laurenhendrixcook@gmail.com. All are welcome.
Part of the HoTCO Prison Ministry Service Team
Prison Ministry A group of Centering Prayer practitioners are currently facilitating a weekly Emotions Anonymous 12-Step group at Hobby Prison in Marlin, TX. The chaplain there would like to serve more women at the prison since there is a long waiting list to be in the group. The weekly meeting includes a period of Centering Prayer which they teach to the inmates. Volunteers from Austin carpool and it is about a 6-7-hour commitment usually once a month. They are looking for people with a daily practice and a desire to serve. Please contact Kristi Michener for more information.
12-Step Outreach is led by Emily Haeussler and presenters are being trained. If you are interested, please contact Emily at emily@foodbody.com .
Welcoming Prayer workshops are now available to the HoTCO community. If you are interested in a one-day workshop or a series of evening workshops, please contact Pamela Begeman for more information.
There will be a six-day Welcoming Prayer immersion retreat September 14 – 19, 2018 in Belton, TX at the Cedarbrake Renewal Center which includes periods of Centering Prayer and conferences on the Welcoming Prayer practice. For more information or to register, please call 512-347-9673. (See listing below.)
Heart of Texas Contemplative Outreach is now on Facebook and Meetup.com. Both sites will be posting upcoming Centering Prayer events in the area. If you join our group on Meetup.com, you will also receive email notices of upcoming events. Check it out!
“The Healing Time” by Pescha Gertler
Upcoming Centering Prayer Activities
1. Centering Prayer 2-Day In-Town Commuter Retreat – Aug 18-19
2. Centering Prayer 6-Day Retreat on the Welcoming Prayer – Sept 14-19
3. Centering Prayer One-Day Retreat – Sept 22
1. Centering Prayer 2-Day In-Town Commuter Retreat – Aug 18-19
Church of Conscious Harmony
Here’s a retreat format for those who can't take a 5-day or 10-day retreat this year. Retreatants sleep at home and return the next day. This retreat will take place on Saturday, August 18 at 8:30am –5:30pm and will continue Sunday, August 19 at 8am to 5:30pm. Cost is $100, includes both days, and scholarships are available. Please pre-register at The Church of Conscious Harmony, 512-347-9673.
2. Centering Prayer 6-Day Retreat on the Welcoming Prayer – Sept 14-19
Cedarbrake Renewal Center, Belton, TX
This spacious retreat, facilitated by Pamela Begeman, will include daily periods of Centering Prayer, conferences on the Welcoming Prayer, liturgy and Eucharist, and increased time for silence and solitude. Attendees arrive between 4-6pm on Friday and leave before noon on Wednesday. The cost is $545/single room. Please register by calling The Church of Conscious Harmony office at 512-347-9673.
3. Centering Prayer One-Day Retreat – Sept 22
Church of Conscious Harmony
The day includes a light breakfast and fellowship during registration, a morning prayer session of 2 thirty-minute prayer periods, Lectio Divina, the option of either an afternoon prayer session of 2 thirty-minute prayer periods or a Fr. Keating lecture video, several periods of silence and solitude and lunch in silence on the beautiful church grounds. Please bring a dish for potluck lunch. Registration is onsite the day of the retreat with a suggested love offering of $15. Please pre-register by calling 512-347-9673.
Other Upcoming Contemplative Activities
The following events are not focused on Centering Prayer specifically but share the theme of contemplative spirituality and might serve to enrich the spiritual life of Centering Prayer practitioners.
Mindfulness Meditation Clinic – Aug 3
Seton Cove, Austin, TX
Friday, August 3, 9am – Noon. This workshop facilitated by David Wallace, a commissioned presenter for Centering Prayer workshops, offers a mindfulness meditation for stress-reduction based on the method of Centering Prayer. For more information and to register for the workshop, please visit the Seton Cove website.
David Wallace and Anna Vu Wallace leading the Mindfulness Meditation Clinic at Seton Cove
HoTCO’s Mission is to support individuals and groups in our area who want to deepen their relationship with God through the practice of Centering Prayer. This Newsletter encourages the spirit of a larger contemplative community by communicating and promoting activities that serve this mission. Visit the HoTCO website for information on contemplative services, prayer groups, introductory workshops, retreats, and events. Connect with the HoTCO Facebook page or the HoTCO MeetUp page.
Centering Prayer Resources: HoTCO has resources for prayer groups, such as the 28 DVD set of The Spiritual Journey with Fr. Thomas Keating, a collection of appropriate books to sell at workshops and retreats, and trained presenters willing to conduct a seven-week course on The Introduction to Centering Prayer. For more information, please contact Chapter Co-Coordinators, David Wallace or Linda Whiteside.
If your church or organization has information on contemplative activities that are appropriate for the newsletter, please submit information to jjllreed@sbcglobal.net. If you would like to be more involved with HoTCO, please consider attending a quarterly membership meeting.
